The Process

The wood must be dry, completely dry. Wood takes a year to dry per inch of thickness. The process can be accelerated by heating the wood in the oven at 220 degrees. My family is extremely supportive of my art and doesn’t mind that there is usually wood in the oven! Dry wood is then shaped roughly round so that it can fit in a mold.

I then put the dry wood in a mold or container and add resin. To color the resin I use predominantly mica powders. I use a urethane resin that has NO tolerance for moisture. So I place the wood and liquid resin in a pressure pot at approximately 40 psi for two hours. It keeps moisture out, applies pressure to eliminate bubbles, and it hardens quickly.

Then for the fun part! And the messy part! I turn the pieces on a lathe. The pieces frequently dictate the shape as I discover what is underneath. And safety first! I wear a face mask, face shield and/or respirator.

The final project is then sanded, polished, and buffed.