http://dewolfemery.com/landing2 daily 1.0 2022-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457821543627-X914K7GJN175B090YV1D/85687+copy.jpg HOME - CHANDELIER https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468967561777-9WDRE36R3GMBDNCB528Q/SOMERSET_GALLERY_1_JULY.jpg HOME - SOMERSET https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451873409230-1D1597KKERJWV62V7XXE/85555+copy.jpg HOME - BACON https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451873302075-VMNOSKAHEH0YZUSZADU6/THUMBNAIL2.jpg HOME - THE MATSUTAKE TRADE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451873286021-ASNV1QHM8XKQMQVIQ269/04.+DeWolf+with+San+%281+of+1%29+copy.jpg HOME - HISTORY HUNTER https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457821113299-E90B0UQCPFJ4QB8Z6C2S/PORK_GALLERY5.jpg HOME - BAOSHAN PORK https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1483438928109-178CVCT9O9EC5V66AQRX/NEW-HEADER2.jpg HOME http://dewolfemery.com/new-cover-page daily 0.75 2016-01-18 http://dewolfemery.com/food daily 0.75 2022-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450728908071-YECZS10XL43EREML636N/THUMBNAIL2.jpg FOOD - THE MATSUTAKE TRADE A fasicinating journey from foraging in the forest to the delicate economics of trade. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450816306052-YIE65JCFOHC8L4LY75HA/_MG_7713.JPG FOOD - BAOSHAN PORK https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450816830535-M930E0DB1SLA7BKJXSVT/09.+Portfolio+Food+Production+Plated+Food+copy.jpg FOOD - FOOD FOR THOUGHT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450728744416-Q8H3B2TCRM23XE4APUZ8/THUMBNAIL.jpg FOOD - WILD TO TABLE In Southwestern China the backyard is considered farm to table. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450816460164-WFNWQNGH62SA31G4MNUU/4_MG_7946.JPG FOOD - THE ART OF STINKY TOFU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450816515718-QX8UHMZBSGT3Q5LACRMB/3_IMG_2724.JPG FOOD - CRAFTING ZINFINDEL https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451866112071-594YXQZ0VLHZK0TCE780/_MG_8100.JPG FOOD http://dewolfemery.com/design daily 0.75 2017-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451975961185-01EMXJYWT31AGBPHNJS7/MAINIMAGES_SQUARE.jpg DESIGN - FLASH & BURN https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451975666186-HPRHTQTBR7130LSOIWGK/MAINIMAGES_SQUARE.jpg DESIGN - CHANDELIER https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488244237777-RQUNTK6LLULT7VHPQ9MT/SOMERSET_GALLERY_1_JULY.jpg DESIGN - SOMERSET https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451975687207-OU85HV428Y6GZMOBUCC0/MAINIMAGES_SQUARE.jpg DESIGN - KNOBBY https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451975654494-J9BPNEVQL33XGD95SZJR/MAINIMAGES_SQUARE.jpg DESIGN - BACON https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451975690444-21Y9YIB7LDHJBOEX7T9N/MAINIMAGES_SQUARE.jpg DESIGN - SERPENTINE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451975669796-90IRWPSLUZ2QM610EL0M/MAINIMAGES_SQUARE.jpg DESIGN - CASUAL TWEED https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451975674351-Y29NIDMRNAHH3ZYOUG96/MAINIMAGES_SQUARE.jpg DESIGN - SAILOR https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468967413211-UZRBM5TGV31V9XXFGZA5/BEACHED_GALLERY_6_JULY.jpg DESIGN - BEACHED https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451975650068-PBUQE38Z0B8AXDA7TUG7/mainimage.jpg DESIGN - INLAID https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488244414329-5S4NB1OALY51EMCF9N4O/AC3B0185+v2.jpg DESIGN - VIKINGO https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451941860194-G50TBCOLYR7JGDNULL20/PELVIC_GALLERY_4.jpg DESIGN http://dewolfemery.com/the-matsutake-trade daily 0.75 2022-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450832713296-07FFT18L0YLYY2L7YHA4/gallery_matsutake1.jpg THE MATSUTAKE TRADE - HIGH IN THE FOOTHILLS OF TIBET The Pine forests ranging from Lijang to Deqin in the NW corner of Yunnan province are home to some of the best wild mushroom foraging in the world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450832719957-KOU8I68WJDJ4AOTSWHZQ/gallery_matsutake8.jpg THE MATSUTAKE TRADE - HIDDEN IN THE ROOTS Matsutakes hide within the root systems of pine trees, often inches below the forest floor, which makes them especially difficult to find. Identifying the correct habitat in order to start digging is often paramount. In the US, matsutakes are found in Tanoak, Madrone, and Jack Pine forests. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450832717506-EAJXL4KXVJCD9A84A9L0/gallery_matsutake6.jpg THE MATSUTAKE TRADE - QUICK N' DIRTY DEALS After we had walked in the mountains for hours, Chinese traders found us within minutes of our getting back to the road. These traders cruise up and down the road looking for foragers, most of whom are of Tibetan descent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450832719737-YPL4C97RHW73CR78DYID/gallery_matsutake7.jpg THE MATSUTAKE TRADE - ALL ROADS LEAD TO THE CITY A boy guarding his family’s keep in the mountain town of Deqin, the northern-most hub for the matsutake trade. These mushrooms will head south within hours and arrive at major markets by sunrise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450832717289-IR2ZTKJ8N7066CNFZ7WG/gallery_matsutake5.jpg THE MATSUTAKE TRADE - READY TO SHIP The mushrooms are placed individually in these styrofoam coolers in layers and separated with paper for shipping. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457818043564-L6C1EO1GBJ2FW6UDVGRC/gallery_matsutake9.jpg THE MATSUTAKE TRADE - SPECIMEN Matsutakes vary in sizes and shapes and are most easily identified by their pungent smell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451886616807-FQFAAG4ZNG1EIGMEDKUX/gallery_matsutake10.jpg THE MATSUTAKE TRADE - A TIBETAN GIRL IN THE MARKET A girl in the market wearing a traditional Tibetan headdress. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450832713634-FSKBVKQWS35C0P31OSHB/gallery_matsutake2.jpg THE MATSUTAKE TRADE - MARKET IN SHANGRI-LA The city of Zhongdian was recently renamed Shangri-La by Chinese authorities in an opportunistic effort to link their mountain town to the idyll described in James Hamilton’s Lost Horizon. While chanterelles and other types of wild mushrooms can be found there, the vast majority of the mushrooms are matsutakes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450832715890-AJ5XLQZ4FAMQEDFL1AG0/gallery_matsutake4.jpg THE MATSUTAKE TRADE - AGGREGATED AND GRADED Matsutake traders distinguish between and value individual mushrooms on seemingly tiny variations that a neophyte collector would overlook entirely. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450832715383-CCAO2G8INB2FJMOJQZRU/gallery_matsutake3.jpg THE MATSUTAKE TRADE - READY FOR JAPAN Our gracious hosts, Mr. Jiang Donghui and Mr. Sun Jing, gave us a tour of their factory in Kunming. The matsutakes are cleaned and prepared for shipment to Japan under rigorously clean conditions. And yet, lab coats are still a little frightening! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451886583658-R108NNJQ1VO1PVHV314J/_MG_8270.JPG THE MATSUTAKE TRADE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475284623965-ZZ0L5CABSKMMH48W5LAW/_MG_8255.JPG THE MATSUTAKE TRADE http://dewolfemery.com/wild-to-table daily 0.75 2016-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450836759652-BLAU65IO83C9YI82CU1N/gallery_swchina8.jpg Wild to Table - CLEANED FISH The Dai farm their own fish in the village. The fish are split in half and gutted, but the vertebrae are left intact. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450836742883-0Y4J4GL9Y1ZHW593MCIG/gallery_swchina6.jpg Wild to Table - GALANGAL Galangal, the only spice used in sour fish, is a rhizome of plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. The use of galangal by the Dai illustrates their cultural connection to ethnic Thai peoples, who use galangal frequently, especially in their tom kha gai soup. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450836752034-97L5TAK8ID655ZQHMZYF/gallery_swchina7.jpg Wild to Table - SALTED AND RICED Though you can’t see the salt in the picture, each filleted fish receives a sprinkle of salt and cooked rice. The combination is key because rice rots quickly, giving the sour fish much of its flavor, while the salt preserves the fermented product. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1458780764803-GORR63G199YWCCE2QFZ2/gallery_swchina15.jpg Wild to Table - ALL READY TO GO Once the fish are properly salted and riced, they are stored in aluminum while the rest of the fish are processed https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450836584355-7TJ1UAYR7EURLA3BMDWM/gallery_swchina5.jpg Wild to Table - STACKED IN BAMBOO Cylindrical sections of bamboo with closed bottoms are used for the fermentation process. After the fish, rice, salt, galangal combination is layered up to the rim, the Dai secure plastic over the top. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1452711148515-JOTWZ2A8MXJYJNRCGN7G/gallery_swchina15.jpg Wild to Table - THE FINISHED PRODUCT Though it’s hard to make out, the dish at the top is sautéed sour fish with tomatoes and greens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451891891590-6ZDLLX0RVN8PX2VK417Y/gallery_swchina2.jpg Wild to Table https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451887737830-1MUI270CRT0P5IYQ4OOD/gallery_swchina12.jpg Wild to Table https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450836178850-FPQHR3RC4F0A9TQEGPIB/gallery_swchina1.jpg Wild to Table - ROASTING BAMBOO After collecting bamboo in the jungle outside of a small village, we roasted it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450836188220-0RWB0D987DCLXW7T4B3N/gallery_swchina11.jpg Wild to Table - BAMBOO'S INNER CORE It takes some time to get through the outer layers, but once you do, the inner core of young bamboo is delicious. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450836418012-JHY6FJY01UB6JSHBDZEI/gallery_swchina10.jpg Wild to Table - WILD CILANTRO I had never seen wild cilantro, but this was growing right on the path as we exited the jungle and headed back to the village. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450836186417-NE1A9B95132IWN3C8T0O/gallery_swchina9.jpg Wild to Table - WOOD EAR MUSHROOMS Also called Cloud Ear Fungus, these mushrooms were growing on fallen trees in the jungle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1450836180363-LGKK5R6VUAESLY8P532C/gallery_swchina3.jpg Wild to Table - SAUTÉED WOOD EARS Ready to eat! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1452711411837-LJT3Y1VHX2WNGLCDLOWH/gallery_swchina16.jpg Wild to Table - A SET TABLE A example of a Dai meal, much of which comes from the surrounding jungle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1458780570918-VOWQF9LJUUDA79DH5IAZ/banner.jpg Wild to Table http://dewolfemery.com/baoshan-pork daily 0.75 2016-08-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451889209318-V5R8NZ6D568YU46W3DL3/GALLERY1.jpg BAOSHAN PORK - ROASTING PEANUTS On the way to the restaurant, we passed a man roasting peanuts in this ingenious contraption. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451889208857-TRVFX3NY0MM54SK490SZ/GALLERY2.jpg BAOSHAN PORK - TWIRLING OVER THE FIRE The lid is sealed on the peanut cooker so that steam cannot escape, and then the peanuts are twirled over the fire to cook as evenly as possible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1458781301448-H3CNYUASEJL5VTIZ9YUC/PORK_GALLERY11.jpg BAOSHAN PORK - THE GRILL The grasses Liu Li’s family uses for smoking are collected in the countryside, stored under cover to keep dry, and then used to lightly smoke the pigs on this grill. While technically a grill as opposed to a smoker, the system works because the grasses don’t cook the pig too much. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457824281367-DFIQG5LSIUWBIKIZ9K50/PORK_GALLERY10.jpg BAOSHAN PORK - ALL YOU NEED From left to right: a large knife for splitting the carcass, a skinny knife for poking holes in the skin before smoking, a curved knife for shaving the hair off, and a straightforward killing knife. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457824106117-0GWVZLV2B7767K5PI6LY/PORK_GALLERY8.jpg BAOSHAN PORK - THE ARRAY At the top of the image is a half pig yet to be carved. In the middle to the left are the organ meats, which have been charred. In the middle to the right is a large bowl of julienned skin. On the bottom to the left are some boiled bits, and to the right is a cutting board with one of our hosts at work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451889211112-G961QZWZ692386U7KPRH/PORK_GALLERY3.jpg BAOSHAN PORK - SMOKED The skin is lightly smoked to give it color and flavor, though it has an odd chewiness to it as it never reaches the crispiness of cracklin'. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451889211302-XOMHY1LVSJXBXR0B4ULE/PORK_GALLERY4.jpg BAOSHAN PORK - BELLY In the West, this piece of belly would most likely be cured and then smoked into bacon. In Baoshan, smoking just has different cultural appeal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457824106494-A0RHFP2593Q8BDM4LN9B/PORK_GALLERY9.jpg BAOSHAN PORK - GARDEN PEA NOODLES These garden pea 'noodles' were cut in lardons as an alternative to rice vermicelli. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451889212890-0JUV4C1VJFZ8O4MB3I0F/PORK_GALLERY5.jpg BAOSHAN PORK - THE FEAST On the left, soft rice vermicelli noodles are topped with smoked pork. The base for the sauce is pork stock with intestines. The stock is then mixed with ground peanuts, cilantro, scallions, Sichuan pepper oil, chili oil, msg, and a locally made salted preserved vegetable called yan cai. On the right is raw minced pork, smoked skin, and another local specialty, garden pea noodles. The base for this dish is a black, watery vinegar that was almost drinkable it was so delicious. Mixed in were Sichuan peppercorns, Sichuan oil, scallions, ground peanuts, chilies, and cilantro. In the background is a plate of boiled ear, tongue, intestines, liver, and kidneys with a dipping sauce. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451890047463-GUQG33WN2UVNNV0ME1X8/gallery_swchina2.jpg BAOSHAN PORK https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457824494008-XPJKUE0OWB6O8ZJHCR6C/PORK_GALLERY8.jpg BAOSHAN PORK http://dewolfemery.com/the-art-of-stinky-tofu daily 0.75 2022-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451890921696-QN45S0IR2N7Z2N70MLMQ/Jin-Shue_5.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - FIRE IN THE MORNING We were up before dawn and trekking past the North Gate of Jianshui until we heard, and saw, the roar of coal fires heating the soybean milk that would be turned into tofu. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451890919502-C6OYNQO0NAKXQF93G2HQ/Jin-Shue_1.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - LIFE AFTER THE STRAIN After fresh soy beans, which come from Hubei province in the NE, are soaked and ground, they are mixed with the sweet Jianshui water and allowed to settle in cloth nets. The nets are a larger version of cheesecloth. Once the milk has been strained, the solids are sold to pig farmers (see header picture) who supplement grain diets with the high protein of soybeans. This symbiotic relationship is echoed in the Po Valley of Italy, where Parmigiano Reggiano producers sell their whey to pig farmers making Proscuitto. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451890919537-ZTM2MKP0K5POPNNHE5A3/Jin-Shue_2.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - INTO THE MOLD Whereas the solids go to the pigs, the liquids are stirred with a coagulant to curdle the milk. In Jianshui, both the old and the new are cherished. Some producers pour the curd into metal molds. . . https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451890920845-HWI0SM3Q0A89H5WX94YI/Jin-Shue_3.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - A SOFT TOUCH . . .while other artisans form the nuggets by hand using individual pieces of cloth. Ironically, the price on the street is the same for both. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451890921707-1W3GXTAEVT5FUH9G8IYU/Jin-Shue_4.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - ON THE GRILL After the nuggets are dried by the sun in bamboo baskets placed on roofs, they are grilled by street vendors over small coal fires. Dipping sauces vary, but the Jianshui special seemed to be made with ground peanuts, garlic water, garlic oil, fresh chili paste, soy sauce, ground Sichuan peppers, msg, salt, and black rice vinegar. The combination was divine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451890923414-3MTDBCIKUF4RSMAOXNJL/Jin-Shue_6.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - A CONTROLLED ROT There are three varieties in this shot. The left-most nuggets, which are slightly moist when grilled, are the most common in Jianshui. As the artisan extends the fermentation period (middle of the grill), the nuggets turn darker and become more pungent. On the right is an aberrant variety called Baojiang tofu, which was the equivalent of tofu burrata to me. While the outside remained slightly crispy, the liquid inside burst in our mouths when we bit into them. We were told Baojiang tofu was made in Shiping. The corn kernels on the right side of the picture are from an older era. Each time a local takes a piece off the grill, he puts a kernel to the side so that he can tell the matron how many he’s eaten. Simple displays of trust, if done right, can be so elegant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451891550043-ZZ5Q349V30NZS4CULEKW/Jin-Shue_main.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451892106511-UH76GFCWCI7GYNP7TPES/3_MG_7912.JPG THE ART OF STINKY TOFU https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451891581905-S9ZOPXZES65O6ARR6RJ3/Shirping_5.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - THE CAULDRON & THE CAGE The onset of the process was essentially the same as what we had seen in Jianshui. I never figured out exactly what the cage was for, though consistency of stirring is my best guess. Frankly, it didn’t matter; I just loved how medieval it made the whole operation feel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451891578158-CBCN8W9E6BI1E4D969EV/Shirping_1.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - FLATS INSTEAD OF NUGGETS The flat molds used to press the tofu in Shiping are less ornate than those of Jianshui. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451891583065-0W9HA2GI6UNQJS14N5Q7/Shirping_6.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - WHAT WEIGHT WILL DO The flats are covered with cloth and then pressed, one on top of the other, so that water seeps out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451891578014-G08JN58LMMG13D5HYLFM/Shirping_2.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - A BRIEF DRYING The flats are then laid up against the wall to dry before salting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451891581201-GLCZSF61DQ45IRCZEAXH/Shirping_3.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - SALTING RATHER THAN DRYING Instead of the multi-day drying process that Jianshui tofu goes through, Shiping tofu is salted on the outside. While salting dries out the tofu faster, some of the natural funk that makes Jianshui tofu so appealing is lost. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1455826287066-TISXC1HRHLQ7F1M1FLXG/_MG_7833.JPG THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - BAOJIANG TOFU I remember Baojiang tofu for its explosion of texture. Just like having to wait for xiao long bao dumplings to get to the right temperature before popping them in your mouth and having the liquid pleasantly explode, I had fallen in love with the texture of Baojiang tofu and couldn’t wait to figure out how it was made. Surprisingly, the locals were none-too-pleased to discuss the topic, which seemed odd considering how delicious it was. We eventually learned that Baojiang tofu was made with Shiping tofu but was made further north. Moreover, the very thing that made its texture so interesting was that it was soaked in a chemical, they said. We were horrified and fully understand why the locals didn’t like their handmade product being bastardized by other producers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451891580253-H3ALC9F9GFF7F4PK9ARF/Shirping_4.jpg THE ART OF STINKY TOFU - THE REAL THING The flats of Shiping tofu are cut and grilled on similar fires to those in neighboring Jianshui. After our embarrassment over the Baojiang preparation, we just sat down with the locals and enjoyed their fare. The dipping sauce of chili powder, ginger water, and garlic paste was an interesting change after the influence of sichuan peppercorns in Jianshui. I found Shiping tofu less thrilling than that of Jianshui, but each to their own. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451892553285-DB9LKFT6YKQCWORWGK9C/_MG_7957.JPG THE ART OF STINKY TOFU http://dewolfemery.com/crafting-zinfindel daily 0.75 2016-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451894432620-Z21CPM14GCJJBHMUEGVQ/ZINFINDEL_1.jpg CRAFTING ZINFINDEL - IN THE FIELDS Tom Watson saluting Dionysus. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451894431500-CEYMEYAJCGJ7XV9JPOIR/ZINFINDEL_2.jpg CRAFTING ZINFINDEL - STEMMING & CRUSHING Xander Bremer with a pitchfork in hand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451894433665-NPOFG3K9AYGZKHPAW5NW/ZINFINDEL_3.jpg CRAFTING ZINFINDEL - STILL CRUSHING Ed was pretty adamant that Bud Lights would catalyze the whole process. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451894434854-P4Y75KJQJXJEGTS0WHYD/ZINFINDEL_4.jpg CRAFTING ZINFINDEL - PRESSING IN THE LOFT About a month later, we poured the wine into a bladder press in the design loft. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451894436109-R45FZ2UV4DAPVE09DPP3/ZINFINDEL_5.jpg CRAFTING ZINFINDEL - RESTING FOR A DAY After pressing, we let the wine sit for a day so the sediment would sink to the bottom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451894438398-3ZTE24UHLXN8EH0Y44FU/ZINFINDEL_7.jpg CRAFTING ZINFINDEL - IN BARREL The left barrel is older French oak and the right one is new Hungarian. We mixed the two prior to bottling, giving us a nice balance without that cloying oaky flavor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451895145681-C0W5YZQJA02XOIALK9LD/image-asset.jpeg CRAFTING ZINFINDEL https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451894702508-9SSJVI8HA1KBB01J62M9/zinfindel_main2.jpg CRAFTING ZINFINDEL http://dewolfemery.com/food-for-thought daily 0.75 2016-09-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468396323863-PLXON22YQG0WE6AVU6TI/image-asset.jpeg FOOD FOR THOUGHT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451897423369-Q3QBOB60D3PONBFT8BWK/_MG_8270.JPG FOOD FOR THOUGHT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451897828688-A32MH26JMK8RHPGX4ZKL/image-asset.jpeg FOOD FOR THOUGHT https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475285853252-PBRPRUHDU7LFCTK02JFT/_MG_6285.JPG FOOD FOR THOUGHT http://dewolfemery.com/somerset daily 0.75 2016-09-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468965867267-A6F4N1DNHPSTI2529PRJ/image-asset.jpeg SOMERSET https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468965888570-DX8Z667KZEBESJ9DHWRI/SOMERSET_GALLERY_2_JULY.jpg SOMERSET - THE SIMPLER THE BETTER After talking to bladesmiths about the best type of steel to use for a straight razor, I found a razor maker who wisely cautioned me to forego all the fancy steels and pick 01 tool steel because it is flexible, and a straight razor needs to be flexible so it can adjust to the contours of one's face. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468965889566-BZFRC3M15JAELXCEPIMW/SOMERSET_GALLERY_5_JULY.jpg SOMERSET - STAGES OF FINISH The precision of CNC technology allowed me to finish the curves in the tale and the handle of the razor (except for the tabs and a bit of hand sanding) while the razor was on the fixture plate. The actual blade, however, needed a huge amount of TLC after machining. Heat treating it before milling would have been a nightmare on the end mills, so I left it rather chunky at 1/16" and then heat treated the blade after milling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468965888854-L9LDRI7039KARTLCUKKB/SOMERSET_GALLERY_4_JULY.jpg SOMERSET - GETTING THE WEDGE RIGHT The ratio for width to height of a straight razor is roughly 1 to 3.5 or 4. Having no reason to break with tradition, mine is .2" thick and .75" high. The thick end of the bone wedge must measure less than the thickness of the top of the blade and controls where the blade comes to rest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468965888332-5DVB6BRPN4H81R4X7480/SOMERSET_GALLERY_3_JULY.jpg SOMERSET - SCALES The scales are made of a wood called chakte kok and are finished with clear lacquer. After finishing both scales, I slipped a 3/32" brass tube through the wood and the metal (with washers), then stuck a 1/16" brass rod through the tube and peened the ends back over the top to make rivets. On the wedge end, I repeated the process without the washers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468965890419-3SZV5XFU082LCNT3A8R2/SOMERSET_GALLERY_6_JULY.jpg SOMERSET - BY HAND Do you trust yourself? It takes a while, but it gets easier. The chin is by far the most harrowing section of all. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457828243189-XFFJEDRKSTE0BVL2XVPD/DESIGN_GALLERY_IMAGES2.jpg SOMERSET - TIME TESTED I figured mucking about with the basic structural dimensions of what bladesmiths and cutlers have established as efficient proportions seemed like a horrible idea. There is, however, some flexibility in how one shapes the end of the blade. Styles include rounded, Spanish, French, and Barber’s notch. I settled on a square cut and then focused much of my time on the curves of the handle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451944076992-S1KDLOTOB62I5VQY4BCH/SOMERSET_GALLERY_4bts.jpg SOMERSET - PRINTED This is a 3D print of one of my first iterations. The handle, just where your thumb and forefinger go, is too thin and not rounded enough to feel right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475205550781-I68V54QYYZK5YQGZ2NKY/SOMERSET_GALLERY_1bts.jpg SOMERSET - ROUGH CUT Reductive manufacturing can be a slow process. The whole CNC milling process took about 12 hours. The hole for the brass pin to connect the scales to the razor was one of the first things drilled. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475204986361-MPRDJYFWMW7X2WQHMRHW/SOMERSET_GALLERY_2bts.jpg SOMERSET - PART FLIP At this point the blade has been flipped and both sides have been finished with small ball end mills. The razor is suspended in the middle block by the tabs, which I took off later. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451944076012-N8WOFU3EBNQGK8V277IJ/SOMERSET_GALLERY_3bts.jpg SOMERSET - HEAT TREAT Jeff Pringle, an Oakland based swordsmith, and I heated the blade to 1475° F, quenched it in Parks 50 oil, and then tempered it for about an hour at 350° F. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475201553823-EGW6NLIRXK49QCSCCW8H/Cropped+Ribbon.jpg SOMERSET - CHAKTE KOK BLANKS To make the scales, I glued two pieces (blanks) of wood together with a piece of paper in between, traced an outline, and then went to work with 80 grit sandpaper. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475138946134-HU9AN0G7FV8IYSWWUXCW/Cropped+Ribbon-3.jpg SOMERSET - LINING UP I drilled holes for the rivets at both ends before softening the scales' edges. I went ahead and drilled the bone at this stage as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475139026276-KANW78PHUF26I8Q8YDDH/Cropped+Ribbon-4.jpg SOMERSET - GLUING At this point I've epoxied the wood - bone - wood combination. To do so, I kept the brass tube in the rivet holes on the handle end to keep the alignment correct. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475139085228-X1N5KO1SUKQMGS0H71VQ/Cropped+Ribbon-5.jpg SOMERSET - JUTTING OUT The final task before peening rivets and coating with shellac was sanding the wedge till its edges were even with the two scales. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468968645661-IIQKTMUCAPPT6WXIUI76/SOMERSET_BANNER.jpg SOMERSET http://dewolfemery.com/flash-burn daily 0.75 2016-07-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468965645974-F2CBRXXTAY4YVSUQKAZR/image-asset.jpeg FLASH & BURN https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939828223-3CML9LUEYWPI88QE6EWB/TREE_GALLERY_1.jpg FLASH & BURN - RESIN & SHELL This piece is called Flash. There are two different casting techniques at work. The bronze touching the wood was poured through an intricate system of resin bonded sand molds while the base was investment cast with ceramic shell. The flash on the right was a complete accident and precipitated one of those lovely moments when you realize that you’re not really in control. Of course it’s now one of my favorite aspects of the piece. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939827969-IOCWMV5X5WAD514QXQZA/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_2.jpg FLASH & BURN - SAUCED To get these shapes, I took out an old spoon that long ago I used for plating when I worked the line at RN74, a Michael Mina restaurant in S.F. Plating plaster on wood is not so different, it turns out, from plating a fancy sauce with the perfect viscous consistency so that it glistens on a white plate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939830072-1RKRV6BB4ZHR5QBF798F/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_3.jpg FLASH & BURN - POROUS & SMOOTH The transition between the porous bronze from the resin molds and the smooth bronze from the investment cast only resolved itself through the patina process. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468965723425-BX0K0QSX2BN1IGBH0X8M/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_4_JULY.jpg FLASH & BURN - UP & OVER This piece is called Burn. Whereas the contours of Flash warranted exploration with a plating soon, Nugget had a natural river-like contour that flowed from the front to the back. I poured the plaster much looser and guided it into and over the crevice on the left in order to connect the two sides. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468965723250-ZKVL4FW3D7WU8FVBSQOV/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_5_JULY.jpg FLASH & BURN - ORIGINS The wood for Burn came from a large branch I found on a neighbor's beach in Maine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468965724609-2WWP1F03CUPA2UBGH1U2/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_6_JULY.jpg FLASH & BURN - A FIRE TO FINISH I finished this piece with a cupric nitrate patina, which has to be applied to hot metal. As such, the wood kept catching on fire, destroying what I had so carefully worked to preserve. Two steps forward, one step back! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451941978752-Y1TNEJPVU973O5VSLVGX/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_10bts.jpg FLASH & BURN - BLANK SLATE I would love to know the story of this piece before I found it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451941972117-2BEY7NQL9IP72SZ60BMN/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_2bts.jpg FLASH & BURN - NON STICK It took days to arrive at plaster as the medium for making the cavities into which the bronze would flow. The beauty of using plaster was that once it dried, it didn’t stick to the wood, so I could pry it off and start again. Cue endless hours of spooning plaster over wood; what could be more fun? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451941974989-9EI77USBFW52L270NM24/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_5bts.jpg FLASH & BURN - PULLED MOLD The dusty residue on these plaster designs came from the sand after the resin mold had been taken off (but before it had been glued back on). The transition of the bronze base to the driftwood eventually obscured the bottom section of plaster, but you’ll recognize the designs from the top in the final piece. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451941973779-P3GNQ0XW9I60WR01P4WO/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_4bts.jpg FLASH & BURN - THE BOTTOM This is one of the resin molds once it had been removed. The process involved applying the plaster, mixing the resin bonded sand and then forming it over a specific section of the plaster, letting it ‘go off’ and harden, picking it off the wood in one piece (such as the above picture), removing the plaster, applying wood glue to the edges of the mold, sticking it back on the piece in exactly the same spot, and waiting for the glue to dry to proceed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451941975182-HEFMQXXPN8GW57632743/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_6bts.jpg FLASH & BURN - THE MOAT In this shot, the discrete molds have started to come together into a whole system. I had 6-8 of these molds on each piece (because of draft issues). The wood glue kept failing on me, and gravity was no help because the molds went all the way around the piece. It was sort of a nightmare. At the bottom, I made a solid sand mold on the middle of the base of the trunk, thereby creating a ‘moat’ between this bottom mold and the various molds going up the piece. It was into that moat that the bronze was poured. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451941973415-QDM0YUGVIWMTZ4920IEI/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_3bts.jpg FLASH & BURN - THE BASE I made the base using sheets of wax that I molded, welded (soldering iron), and fussed with until I was happy with the shape and thought they would roughly line up with the bottom of the bronze that would be poured around the wood. The left image shows a robust spruing and gating system and the right image shows the same piece after it has been dipped a few times in ceramic shell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451941976566-KS9E5JLZORMNZIDTZ4SA/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_7bts.jpg FLASH & BURN - THE POUR The left image is the fully secured mold system with the moat in place. The right image is an action shot of the pouring. That’s Nick DiPhillipo, who was of immeasurable help and guidance to me, manning the crucible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451941976572-Y4RAA6HKYD4VZSFTE6MK/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_8bts.jpg FLASH & BURN - UNDER THE SHELL Breaking off the ceramic shell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451941977934-EHHE1JTVWWIKGQWWCO1X/TREE_GALLERY_IMAGES_9bts.jpg FLASH & BURN - BURNT SAND While the wooden glue left some residue that I had to chisel off assiduously, the sand came off pretty easily. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457830301271-EF9GVVOQ25Z9J0A83ADS/benner.jpg FLASH & BURN http://dewolfemery.com/serpentine daily 0.75 2017-10-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451980142541-3UFOSKPF58FT6WS06PPB/image-asset.jpeg SERPENTINE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939091110-G8R71FZPH6920QUTS391/SERPENTINE_GALLERY_1.jpg SERPENTINE - FOR THE EYE I am interested in how the eye yearns for but also tires of repeated patterns and symmetry. Here I anchor the eye with the S while the rest of the pattern is not quite symmetrical so as not to lose your attention. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939091590-TAJDCCN976F1JOJEJ479/SERPENTINE_GALLERY_2.jpg SERPENTINE - THE APPROACH This is the first section, which establishes the pattern and is basically planar. We will need three of four more sections, all of which will be curved, to complete the full staircase. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939092267-EOUCFRYI0B84M6OACGFR/SERPENTINE_GALLERY_3.jpg SERPENTINE - PUNCHED Arguably the hardest part of the construction was lining up the two sets of punched and drifted holes. Rather than drill, I measured and punched the flat stock while it was still straight and then bent the stock so that all four holes were in the right place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939092601-LK7XVPGX9DTVA21HCJ3E/SERPENTINE_GALLERY_4.jpg SERPENTINE - RIVETS What I love about rivets is that you can literally see every hammer blow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939093109-9A4M1HYK6FLV3AGJ41DU/SERPENTINE_GALLERY_5.jpg SERPENTINE - MORTICE & TENON This mortice and tenon joint begins the railing on the newel post. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939093776-DRVPA2EEELCN5S27R4LA/SERPENTINE_GALLERY_6.jpg SERPENTINE - THE FRAME Lining up the double holes with the posts and cap rail in order to get the frame right took an inordinate amount of time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939107160-26YOHDTJXOM2JRI15WCN/SERPENTINE_GALLERY_5bts.jpg SERPENTINE - CENTER After the frame, I forged the centerpiece S. The S started as a 1" round bar that I tapered and then curved with bending forks and a series of scroll jigs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939096978-2F2LKZ9K7YCVK560G0YV/SERPENTINE_GALLERY_1bts.jpg SERPENTINE - TRIPLE DRILL Getting all three of these holes to line up gave me a firm appreciation for the spring within steel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939098793-J1ROUA65FPQC8LOM7YBM/SERPENTINE_GALLERY_2bts.jpg SERPENTINE - ROUND TO FLAT I flattened each of the pieces of tapered round stock with a power hammer and then bent them so that I could rivet through the pair. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939100715-3ZTBWS2ECZKPTV6E6ZMM/SERPENTINE_GALLERY_3bts.jpg SERPENTINE - BOLTED Once the railing was fully bolted, I unscrewed one bolt at a time, put a rivet in, and then moved on to the next bolt. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939104155-ROHWI2174P8FRSQO0RVW/SERPENTINE_GALLERY_4bts.jpg SERPENTINE - FINAL RIVETS At the far end of the railing, a set of black C-clamps is holding up one of the jigs for the rivets. Riveting involves fitting the shaft through a set of drilled holes, clamping the jig (which is cradling the head of the rivet) against the sturdiest thing at hand, heating the other side up with an oxy-acetylene torch till it’s red, and then hammering the rivet with a ball-peen hammer till it lodges into place. An inexact science, to say the least. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451939109176-UDP4NPVTGXJKH5URLWW4/SERPENTINE_GALLERY_6bts.jpg SERPENTINE - HOT WAX The final step is to heat up the steel till it becomes slightly porous and then apply paste wax with a brush. The wax creeps into the pores of the steel and prevents it, temporarily, from rusting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457830420346-IMNMEJO0SMQ56TBYDQ6L/banner.jpg SERPENTINE http://dewolfemery.com/knobby daily 0.75 2016-09-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451979603162-V0UJ74I2GW3PJBNYO2OH/image-asset.jpeg KNOBBY https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966692068-FFF82JIF6F500YLQVB0I/KNOBBY_GALLERY_9_JULY.jpg KNOBBY - THE COLLECTION The size and simplicity of these forms allowed me to use silicone molds, which are far easier to produce than the plaster molds I used for a larger piece like Chandelier. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966691950-UEVZ7ZKS1IU8ICRG2821/KNOBBY_GALLERY_8_JULY.jpg KNOBBY - RIBBON Ribbon's fluid shape and whimsical character are juxtaposed with the sturdiness of cast metal. There is a pleasant give to the material as one's hand clenches down and turns. The patina is ferric nitrate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966690581-H3YWUQ6ZRR2CEM5SGZWD/KNOBBY_GALLERY_6_JULY.jpg KNOBBY - CHANTERELLE The queen of the forest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966688004-B7YBLU4KV7P7CEWV7JBJ/KNOBBY_GALLERY_3_JULY.jpg KNOBBY - LIPS Who doesn't love a big fat wet kiss once in a while? The patina is ferric nitrate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966686858-U7ZHP8A4QWXXMGDPH0WX/KNOBBY_GALLERY_1_JULY.jpg KNOBBY - DUCK HEAD Part of the joy of sculpting with clay is that you don't know where you're going to end up when you start. A duck head for a door knob? It just happened. The underside of the bill is also a can opener. The patinas are liver of sulfate, cupric nitrate, and ferric nitrate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966690744-S5F3ZJKHOKBD353Q7TLQ/KNOBBY_GALLERY_7_JULY.jpg KNOBBY - HORN This piece reminds me of some forgotten horn that a Cormac McCarthy character might find near a fence post in the desert. The bronze is buffed and has no patina. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966689388-74JPCYAR9I6AD3IABOBG/KNOBBY_GALLERY_4_JULY.jpg KNOBBY - HELM I imagined little fingers turning a ship's wheel hand over hand. The patina is liver of sulfate, cupric nitrate, and ferric nitrate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966689001-20IQFRIME4OZ7U3WYUNX/KNOBBY_GALLERY_5_JULY.jpg KNOBBY - ELEPHANT'S EAR This one just came about, and it has always reminded me of an elephant's ear. The patina is liver of sulfate, cupric nitrate, and ferric nitrate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966687880-K5E9HDANYFH7D5F2OGXS/KNOBBY_GALLERY_2_JULY.jpg KNOBBY https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451938652882-RFMIRAAS04KTMYIB090A/KNOBBY_GALLERY_11bts.jpg KNOBBY - CLAY MODELS I sculpted in clay first and then attached the pieces to a clay sprue. . . https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451938643380-WN7T3K450GMDIO5SDJ4K/KNOBBY_GALLERY_1bts.jpg KNOBBY - SILICONE MOLDS Then I created a plastic barrier, sealed the bottom with wax, and carefully poured silicone over the clay models to make a mold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451938645527-AHSPPNB35KX33AIQ0FYA/KNOBBY_GALLERY_4bts.jpg KNOBBY - INTO WAX Next I made cuts to open the silicone mold, extracted the clay, and poured hot wax where the clay had been. Once I pulled the wax pieces, I took off the sprues, cleaned them, polished them with orange solvent, and attached them to the larger wax sprue in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451938644461-I4X546LRQH56I5VQF48W/KNOBBY_GALLERY_2bts.jpg KNOBBY - FULLY SPRUED The sprues on the left are the ventricular system through which the bronze flows into the cavity. Notice that the gates, smaller passages between the pieces themselves, are not complete on the left but are on the right. Gates are the ventricular system through which air escapes as the bronze fills the cavities. On the right is the same piece after several coats of ceramic shell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451938645943-GHQSGVTAJP6EYOVASNTV/KNOBBY_GALLERY_5bts.jpg KNOBBY - MELTING BRONZE Silicon bronze melts at 1866° F, though it was poured quite a bit hotter in this case. The ingots on the side of the crucible are there so the natural moisture on their surfaces evaporates, lest they explode in the crucible! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451938648082-PWNQ55HOV27NCTGRG7PH/KNOBBY_GALLERY_7bts.jpg KNOBBY - COOLIN' At this point the ceramic shell is full of bronze and cooling. This was, for me, a point of great relief as I had worried about my fragile wax pieces for months. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451938649439-MTJCZYVO2LA0V770P36U/KNOBBY_GALLERY_9bts.jpg KNOBBY - ROUGH FINISH I vised the knobs by one sprue to make it easier to cut off the other sprue with an angle grinder. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451938650939-HO03UYF2B5U6GL1X5FCN/KNOBBY_GALLERY_10bts.jpg KNOBBY - FINE FINISH I sanded until they shone. Next I drilled and tapped them so they would fit onto a 9/32" knob spindle, sandblasted them, applied the patinas, and finished them with paste wax. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457827362161-ZTO79XU8R81JL6AJ6CSA/banner.jpg KNOBBY http://dewolfemery.com/beached daily 0.75 2016-09-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475115528436-1ZZIU69WFPI63EV2HKYQ/image-asset.jpeg BEACHED https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475115603910-17SS5BQ5RMRERSA3V1CA/BEACHED_GALLERY_2_JULY.jpg BEACHED - MATERIALS The base for this coffee table is a piece of ash. Materials are fir, ash, wooden dowels, wood glue, epoxy, sawdust, and glass. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475115644284-7CQL2FK7B2TYPWL3URC0/BEACHED_GALLERY_3_JULY.jpg BEACHED - THE GOOD SIDE The original piece I dragged off the beach was almost twice as large but broke in half while my father and I were trying to take off one of the limbs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966435208-W4N9ZC6C5FMOUGSOK52X/BEACHED_GALLERY_4_JULY.jpg BEACHED - THE OTHER SIDE The break revealed the actual health of the wood, which had likely been drifting in Penobscot Bay for years. I sured up the base with several ash limbs connected to a larger limb that I inserted into the base. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966436239-BQ8V01MKCU3RFRSUER6S/BEACHED_GALLERY_5_JULY.jpg BEACHED - SILHOUETTE Contrast is king. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966436424-LJ7LYA0BY6GTLAJMBZEZ/BEACHED_GALLERY_6_JULY.jpg BEACHED - ASSEMBLY I drilled holes in the ash and the driftwood and connected the two pieces with wooden dowels as well as the epoxy & sawdust. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475115677470-58KSVC3CFJR2B3VRW5NY/BEACHED_GALLERY_7_JULY.jpg BEACHED - CONTACT There are seven points of potential contact for the glass to sit on. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468966438503-KU0BLH9P58C19TF4YCXN/BEACHED_GALLERY_8_JULY.jpg BEACHED - CRAFTED OVER TIME There is a elemental simplicity to driftwood that I adore. To think that nature can craft such beauty and that most of it wastes away on the beach, awaiting at the best a campfire, bogles me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475277405762-YWXPBD7ZSD8KCAGA2E3R/B%26W+Beached+2.jpg BEACHED - BELTING IT OUT I belt sanded the piece of ash to make it match the stump, knowing that I could make up small differences with the epoxy & sawdust aggregate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475277247277-1WV1EHQ3FX7ILRN4H5J5/B%26W+Beached+1+resized.jpg BEACHED - LEVELING The more parallel I got the base, the less material I had to take off the top. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1475277323291-1M5OMGN3PZIXABT3LW6N/B%26W+Beached+1.jpg BEACHED - DOWELS Three wooden dowels run through the ash base and into the stump. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457830516250-HMT1TZ1WJPIVIVPY5M7Q/BEACHED_GALLERY_2.jpg BEACHED http://dewolfemery.com/casual-tweed daily 0.75 2016-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937729053-JV5L4UJVOKSIJNZKIR8H/TWEAD_GALLERY_1.jpg CASUAL TWEED - BUTTONED Though we did not design it for super cold weather, the 530 gram Scottish fabric makes it warm when you button up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937728706-Z27QOPCL2MBDYJI8KKWB/TWEAD_GALLERY_2.jpg CASUAL TWEED - AT A GLANCE The absence of vents gives an air of informality that we like. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937730926-237PDFS5VSSQDHUPIHRJ/TWEAD_GALLERY_4A.jpg CASUAL TWEED - POPPED UP I like the extra long collar because it works down or up (for those windy days!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937732095-RYS9J7ME56OX4TYMCQ6A/TWEAD_GALLERY_3.jpg CASUAL TWEED - HORN BUTTONS No fake button holes here! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937733744-HANKV9795KIPKE1HII0S/TWEAD_GALLERY_7.jpg CASUAL TWEED - FROM ABOVE Slanted pocket slits are a must. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937735123-JVE8MVT70N08JEYXOO6H/TWEAD_GALLERY_8.jpg CASUAL TWEED - FROM THE BACK I’ve always had a thing for Scottish tweed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1458781951264-6XR3Q62IOS0BGH8F37GN/image-asset.jpeg CASUAL TWEED https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451981225672-W4YFDS8DMDNVK1P9JPAL/TWEED_GALLERY_3.jpg CASUAL TWEED http://dewolfemery.com/sailor daily 0.75 2016-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451979008537-XJ5FW1OCAHB6P0WOEBST/image-asset.jpeg SAILOR https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937893184-8IUT8T3SAKO9C4I34II9/CLEATED_GALLERY_5.jpg SAILOR - STANDING UP I used coils of soft clay to make models of the knots and then laboriously copied those knots by whittling away at a block of blue machiner’s wax. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937891199-CY2KZHXK79BTP1FTUOZ6/CLEATED_GALLERY_1.jpg SAILOR - LYING DOWN The bottom 'cleat' tugs gently on the shirt and prevents the cufflinks from slipping out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937892170-XM3ZFXY142P86410R1J1/CLEATED_GALLERY_3.jpg SAILOR - ALMOST COUSINS The knots are basically inverses of each other. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937891760-TOL397UF5D0VVV93V2GJ/CLEATED_GALLERY_2.jpg SAILOR - SLENDER NECKS I wanted the necks between the cleats and the knots to be as slender as possible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937893519-11FSFVDTQ7OBI8BDG28O/CLEATED_GALLERY_4.jpg SAILOR - ON THE SLEEVE Maybe I'm just salty myself, but I've rarely met a sailor I didn't like. I sculpted these so I could think about the starting line even when I'm not on it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457833462469-UACC48DDYU6JMQJX2NBV/banner.jpg SAILOR http://dewolfemery.com/chandelier daily 0.75 2016-07-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451977372702-3DUHL2JOZNMXAESCQNKP/image-asset.jpeg CHANDELIER https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937474995-DZH5CR3AST35KG7NDI2V/PELVIC_GALLERY_4.jpg CHANDELIER - BALANCE The design is symmetrical . . . to a certain point. I enjoy the casting process for a number of reasons, but in particular I love the way each piece comes out slightly differently from its predecessor. Foundry people say that you build a sculpture three times: once for the model, once to clean up the wax, and once to clean up the metal. Five hundred hours after I started this project, I agree. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937473831-51Q28YZZB2N4JOBUB7LN/PELVIC_GALLERY_1.jpg CHANDELIER - THE BIG WELD The sculpture is made up of two halves, each of which uses 8 segments, that are then welded together in the center. The tension between the welded center and the leather straps keeps the whole piece from sagging in the middle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937473549-0X875HIUIDVY9W3LNP4R/PELVIC_GALLERY_2.jpg CHANDELIER - HIP TO SOCKET I used an enormous amount of filler rod to enclose the gaps between the different bones. I also had to play with the orientation of the segments so the shape would wrap around back towards its origins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937474777-HVY7BZNTYPWU1QREQCAJ/PELVIC_GALLERY_3.jpg CHANDELIER - PATINA Once the sculpture was assembled, I gave the metal a once over with liver of sulfate as a baseline patina. The green is from cupric nitrate, the final layer before wax. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937485071-VVOJ4NNDX4KQJPLBQNBK/PELVIC_GALLERY_9bts.jpg CHANDELIER - HIP TO HIP I played around with several different ways to orientate the bones. This was not the winner. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937479510-DENUK0GYJ3JNDD8DZQ0U/PELVIC_GALLERY_1bts.jpg CHANDELIER - THE JOY OF MOLDS I first attempted pulling the waxes with a two-part silicone mold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937480777-BCIQI6HIT5460P9D8WGJ/PELVIC_GALLERY_3bts.jpg CHANDELIER - PLASTER MOLD Though it took a full two days to build this plaster and polyurethane mold, it was superior in every way. This is a shot of half of the mold after the wax has been poured and given time to solidify. From here I cut off the sprue and began the careful process of finishing each piece before dipping them in ceramic shell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937481095-YW3SMK85LS5MA17SW409/PELVIC_GALLERY_4bts.jpg CHANDELIER - CERAMIC SHELL The lost wax process used to be executed with plaster molds, but nowadays most professional foundries use a dipping and dusting technique to create a ceramic shell around the wax. The two sprues on the end have been shellacked but haven’t been dipped whereas the two in the center have the first coat of zircon on them. It took about 9 coats for me to create a solid shell that wouldn't crack. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937482513-5060KSZOTQNLSL3KS034/PELVIC_GALLERY_6bts.jpg CHANDELIER - BREAKING CERAMIC SHELL I felt tremendous relief when I finally got to metal because, for the first time in months, I was no longer paranoid about the sun melting my precious wax pieces. In this shot I’m using a pneumatic chisel to take off the shell. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937484694-EC50OVSQI2F45KCW4AFQ/PELVIC_GALLERY_8bts.jpg CHANDELIER - CUTTING OFF THE SPRUES To get the sprues off the bronze, I cut them with an angle grinder and then slowly took off material with a series of flap wheels and pneumatic tools until each sprue was flush with the rest of the casting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937483307-C7K9MWR40LZV1KH4AY5U/PELVIC_GALLERY_7bts.jpg CHANDELIER - WELDING Welding non-planar pelvic bones together took a bit of work, but it happened. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937486604-4JSPZYXVJSP72LE3AAO3/PELVIC_GALLERY_10bts.jpg CHANDELIER - PRE-PATINA The finished bronze in all its sandblasted glory! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451981323987-7XB22J69U1MP64M1941W/PELVIC_GALLERY_3.jpg CHANDELIER http://dewolfemery.com/bacon daily 0.75 2016-09-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936882594-K9PQ1ZXPML3PS7R648WQ/BACON_GALLERY_1.jpg BACON - IN THE SITTING ROOM I wanted the angle of the chair to be such that I could read alone or converse with people in the living room. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936883528-TUN2UKBOAGHF63C8HMW6/BACON_GALLERY_3.jpg BACON - FROM THE BACK The frame is made of 11 pieces of square-stock steel roughly 1/16" thick that I TIG welded together. The middle section of the frame (tightest curve) is solid steel that was bent using a furnace and a gig. I attached the wood to the frame by insetting T-Nuts into thin mahogany strips that I then glued to the bent ply. The patina on the steel is gun bluing with a lacquer finish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936883508-VUWFI1E9VFJJKZ4RUFUP/BACON_GALLERY_4.jpg BACON - AT PEACE The lumbar curve takes a bit of getting used to when you first sit down but it makes your back feel fantastic after a few minutes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936886720-NWVJA1TPIKHO3SICEGHH/BACON_GALLERY_5.jpg BACON - FEET After playing around with rubber feet, I just decided to make my own. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936886119-33YUQCFZGWWFOM12VOUP/BACON_GALLERY_6.jpg BACON - CAST BRONZE I hand-carved modulan feet and then used the pattern to cast them in bronze. I then milled flat, tapped, and cut ⅜" pieces of steel that would fit the bottom of the legs. Once I welded those onto the legs, I countersunk then tapped the bronze feet and then sent a bolt up through both pieces to secure them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451937018620-RBU0DC69E2IMQ0Q1ANYZ/BACON_GALLERY_2.jpg BACON - CONNECTION POINTS Lining up the middle swoosh with the lumbar curve was not easy but it worked out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936892831-KB07ULM056DQ08VK86QW/BACON_GALLERY_7bts.jpg BACON - FROM CLAY. . . I started with sculpting clay as I thought I would sculpt wood for the base. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936889581-YJN2CXYJ45CVY5S57PQ7/BACON_GALLERY_3bts.jpg BACON - TO FULL SCALE SKETCHES From this sketch, I bent square-stock for a prototype frame that worked except for that pesky middle section that kept crimping because the angle was too tight. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936892140-GERSM598QU8ERYF05MZS/BACON_GALLERY_6bts.jpg BACON - THE BUCK The ply was seven pieces of white oak with two pieces of south american rosewood on the top and bottom. I built the male/female buck and then epoxied each layer, vacuum sealed it, clamped it, and waiting impatiently for the epoxy to go off. At this point the pieces of ply were still 24 X 96". https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936888681-WN6LPQYDDF7727R6DTOB/BACON_GALLERY_1bts.jpg BACON - ATTACHING THE BENT PLY This was towards the end, once I had shaped the epoxied ply and built the frame. The mahogany strips with inset T-Nuts already had bolts through them, so all I needed to do was glue the strips to the bent ply. The gigs, janky as they are, allowed me to clamp with full force. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936890933-NDB7TEDNDB1M1FCXAHKJ/BACON_GALLERY_4bts.jpg BACON - SILVER BRAZING The curved transition points between the pieces of metal were devilishly hard to finish to my satisfaction. I put down steel with both MIG and TIG welders, brazed on copper and, in this shot, even brazed on silver. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936890897-EE9G07GWI3I93Q8DE0QN/BACON_GALLERY_5bts.jpg BACON - THE SLEIGH So many pads of sandpaper! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451976989909-I2SAB4WI0X50B875LJUB/image-asset.jpeg BACON https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1468398146608-V5SJVG54C4SN9O3WQHOK/reclining.jpg BACON http://dewolfemery.com/inlaid daily 0.75 2016-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936532333-9BNRK2EAEUDSPBGAT5GD/NUEZ_GALLERY_3.jpg INLAID - STANDING TALL The legs are slightly tapered on the two inside corners. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936534364-SSUHKNT481NT7E4K8QVK/NUEZ_GALLERY_5.jpg INLAID - FROM ABOVE I cut the top three times on a bandsaw to inlay the wood and then waited impatiently for the glue to dry in order to proceed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936531030-VI34OKBHB11HHZ63S199/NUEZ_GALLERY_2.jpg INLAID - FROM THE SIDE The table measures just over 27" tall and the top is roughly 17 X 17" . https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936533850-ZV743E3GBBS4DWD4I5Y5/NUEZ_GALLERY_4.jpg INLAID - UP CLOSE My first dovetails. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936537395-3231J4G2AVZB5R0N1N1W/NUEZ_GALLERY_2bts.jpg INLAID - GLUE'D UP What would we do with a paucity of wood clamps? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936537794-R0W5EERV3U3XT4XW4YRC/NUEZ_GALLERY_1bts.jpg INLAID - SUPPORT FOR THE DRAWER More clamps for the support system for the drawer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936538847-UKX4YGTVUNTH1YHHNMBC/NUEZ_GALLERY_3bts.jpg INLAID - IN THE FORGE I started with two pieces of steel that were roughly 4" by ⅜" squared. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936539228-KULA0JW120ESSKRDQUQG/NUEZ_GALLERY_4bts.jpg INLAID - IN THE VICE I put them in the vice hot and hit them with a hammer to put in the first bend. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936540909-Q7U59WCRPNYSO5RKKHKZ/NUEZ_GALLERY_6bts.jpg INLAID - L-SHAPED I forged two pieces instead of one so that I could use the best one. That worked out nicely as the piece on the left is off plane. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936540206-QVD4RF2VJL720TNHT78A/NUEZ_GALLERY_5bts.jpg INLAID - THE TWIST What’s interesting about this handle is that the twist is made and then pounded straight to minimize its effects. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936541478-37S070TRB3IDZWZT6XWW/NUEZ_GALLERY_7bts.jpg INLAID - BENDING I wanted a small, delicate handle but towards the end of the forging, I was worried the steel would snap on me. Luckily it didn’t. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936542081-UV48GUTNMTZ80OVUM73Q/NUEZ_GALLERY_8bts.jpg INLAID - READY FOR ACTION Relatively planar with the brazed bolts. Next step: drill through the wood! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1451936494452-KVU2KJR2PKJJLAGTB9R0/NUEZ_GALLERY_1.jpg INLAID https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457825713673-U0I9M9105P5QD3MBT2GZ/banner.JPG INLAID http://dewolfemery.com/about daily 0.75 2022-12-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1457832968087-0LV61U6X3Z9M5AS0J4BJ/ABOUT.jpg ABOUT http://dewolfemery.com/vikingo daily 0.75 2017-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488148526259-AFBQR94EET9ZJAAG0QBH/AC3B0185+v2.jpg VIKINGO - HIGH POINTS The points on the bottom of the eye extend slightly further than those on the top. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488159458236-WRSBRXFDDGN5VUGX8UBY/AC3B0149+v1.jpg VIKINGO - THE LONG TAPER The taper begins far beneath the actual eye and, I hope, appears subtle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488148507341-PARRSNHUGTCU35VFN6AQ/AC3B0206+cmb+v1.jpg VIKINGO - BURNISHED EDGES I finished the top and bottom edges on a sanding belt. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488148762125-JNJ77CITTA9ZXM1FSM3R/AC3B0232+optn.jpg VIKINGO - SCALE I love the transition between the rustic look of scale (iron oxides) and the smooth finish from the belt. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488148690806-6EHD9UU6URS7MCMCAM1T/IMG_1938.jpg VIKINGO - STARTING POINT This was the starting point for the project. Jim had used a power hammer briefly and then his apprentice had marked out guidelines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488148732261-SDILQMZAOBI8F8ALZRWA/IMG_1972.jpg VIKINGO - FANNED OUT One of the parts of smithing I love is that the order of operations has to be so thoroughly thought through. The first step was to isolate the ears, which later became the points on the eye. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488148817110-3OOWIKLDJ0S14ETBGGXU/IMG_1980.jpg VIKINGO - WRAPPING The next step was to wrap the stock around itself in preparation for the forge welding. While it is far from a traditional Viking technique, these types of bends are demonstrably easier with an oxyacetylene torch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488150099552-8XTRFHH8CV69RZX2YDW0/IMG_1991cropped.jpg VIKINGO - LAST NUDGES I'm just about to forge weld the eye closed in this shot. We sprinkled lye and placed a thin sheet of high carbon steel in between the halves to help the weld. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488150164433-0MXTNSEGWWQUITT57Y2K/IMG_2035cropped.jpg VIKINGO - FORGING THE TIP At this point, I'm about to add a high carbon wedge into a slit in the front edge of the blade. Once I forge welded that, the wedge became the edge of the blade. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488149171243-9JR7KLOB8HMQ1HQCXWYZ/IMG_2078.jpg VIKINGO - FULLERED At this point I've fullered the cheeks considerably and created the basic shape of the axe. The last step with a hammer, which I've yet to do, is to taper the edge of the blade. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488248005177-KB4KOX7J9HKNZR3NRX1K/IMG_2149.jpg VIKINGO - WHIPPOORWILL WALNUT The haft is made from a piece of walnut from a farm called Whippoorwill, where my godfather grew up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488149531747-OMQXD3W51PX55T44ZO3N/IMG_2165.jpg VIKINGO - STAYING IN PLACE Making the haft was an arduous process of tapering the wood so it would fit through the eye. Though time consuming to make, it's an ingenious method because every time you swing the axe, the metal digs a little deeper into the wood. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488160247763-A5F33BCRM6CBBF0JG7MA/image-asset.jpeg VIKINGO https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52334db3e4b0d03caffd0dd8/1488162363999-2T9E55M2VCB2FSXXTJBQ/AC3B0232+optn+3+copy.jpg VIKINGO