| Q:
How did you get into woodworking?
A:
In my early teens my interest in astronomy led
me to construct my own telescope. I also made
a steady tripod using an assortment of old hand
tools. As a teenager, seeing the craters on
the moon along with nebulas, the rings of Saturn
and the moons of Jupiter had a profound effect
on me. This inspired me to make bigger telescopes
and more elaborate tripods which became my projects
in the woodworking classes. Encouraged by my
teacher at the technical college, I entered
one of my woodworking projects in a competition.
It was a pedestal table with a hand-turned central
column, made from old redgum. This won a prize
and spurred me on to making woodworking my career.
At the age of sixteen I had spent over six months
constructing my own woodturning lathe before
enrolling in a number of woodmachining and woodturning
classes at RMIT. I continued to make pedestals
from various timbers all identical to the original
piece which numbered approximately a hundred.
I am also a serious collector of rare and exotic
timber samples. The heavenly colours and aroma
of King Billy pine were what triggered this
passion for collecting. Within a year I had
collected over 1000 species, but at my last
count they numbered 6999 species. Pink ivorywood
and African blackwood are just some of the rare
timbers that I have used for some of the commissions
from private collectors over the years. My interest
in unique and rare timbers continues to this
day as I travel the globe in my search for them.
In fact, my journey has only just begun.
Q:
Who are your woodworking heroes/gods/gurus?
A:
My guru is Robert Ripely, a wood machinist teacher
from the RMIT. He was not only a great craftsman
and teacher, he was knowledgeable in many areas.
I owe Robert Ripley a great debt. Let me explain.
Lathes are made for right-handers. I was discouraged
from going any further with my woodturning when
my awkwardness around the lathes was noticed
by some of the teachers. When I approached Robert
Ripley for advice, he actually stopped the class
mid-stream and launched into this beautiful
and inspired spiel about the technical advantages
of lefthanders. It may or may not be true, but
he gave me the confidence to carry on. More
than that, he inspired and inculcated in me
a belief in self-worth. Incidentally, Robert
was not too impressed with the selection of
desert timbers (e.g. Acacia peuce, Acacia carnei
and Olneya tesota) that I brought to class for
machining, as they would severely blunt his
newly sharpened cutter blades.
Q:
What do you mainly make?
A:
I specialise in architect-designed work. I embrace
the technical challenges that they pose. These
have included liturgical furniture (altars,
etc), shop fittings, complex consoles and furniture
for the broadcasting industry, circular kitchens,
counters and desks, etc. I have also been commissioned
to craft minute intricate pieces that usually
involve hundreds of hours. Of course, designing
and making tools, jigs and other mechanical
aids are part of what I do. For example, cutter
profiles for large scale mouldings with matching
curved sections. Large scale woodturning has
been a constant in my professional life as well
as large scale cabinetry which include curved
timber doors for commercial and domestic use.
Q:
Your thoughts on traditional vs ‘new’
and digital?
A:
Both play an important role in achieving the
unusual and the intricate. Both new and traditional
can been applied to the challenges that woodworking
presents. As for digital—and I think you
mean digital photography—it avoids having
to carry over 1000 roles of films through steaming
jungles in my search for monkeys and gorillas.
Q:
What are you pet woodworking hates?
A:
Stopping or being interrupted. I like to keep
going.
Q:
What is your desert island hand tool/ machine/
timber/ woodie book?
A:
My RU18" Wadkin patternmakers woodturning
lathe, or its smaller brother, but still measuring
over 5 metres, the 1940s built RU12" Wadkin
woodturning lathe. The need for woodturning
large coconut trees may arise (aha!). I could
also turn a vessel large enough to use as a
boat and travel to other remote exotic islands?
Q:
The best thing you’ve ever made?
A:
Money. I need it for my singing lessons.
Q:
Your best excuse for not getting something quite
right?
A:
Being jet lagged. I should allow myself more
time between trips!
Q:
Your most often-made mistake?
A:
Marveling too long at the massive rare exotic
timbers and logs like Amboyna burl, ziracote,
thuya burr and highly figured African pink ivory
woods.
Q:
Your biggest woodworking disaster!!?
A:
The dust bags of the newly built dust extraction
unit tore apart due to the sheer power of the
unit. After weeks of fine sanding blackened
12,000 yr old ancient redgum, you can imagine
what my place must have looked like. It looked
like a scene from the latest science-fiction
movie. Disappointingly, I did not capture it
on film.
Q:
The thing I would most like to change about
wood is…
A:
Absolutely nothing. It is a precious resource.
Colour, grain, movement and other variations
make it all so unique and challenging to work
with—at no extra cost! Each and every
species is remarkable, and have a place and
purpose. I would travel to the ends of the world
and back for a single piece.
Q:
The thing I would most like to change about
woodworkers is…
A:
Nothing at all. Every individual, given the
chance, brings to the industry something new
and unique. Making errors and mistakes is part
of the learning process. I would, however, encourage
safety practices to the extreme.
Q:
The thing I would most like to change about
my own woodworking is…
A:
To devote more time to making large timber vase
sculptures in the future—and I will.
Q:
My final word on woodwork is…
A:
Sow the seeds to encourage the young and fellow
woodworkers so that the craft may carry on in
generations to come. We must learn not to undervalue
this precious and irreplaceable natural resource—wood.
For through it we may live our dream.
Write to Vince at: diverseimpressions@gmail.com
To see more of Vince's photos see www.diverseimpressions.com |
