ancre Le Fleuron by Gaetan Bordeleau - FINISHED - 1:24

[SJSoane]

 

Gaetan,

 

Gorgeous, spectacular craftsmanship by you and spectacular French design by the shipwrights!

 

Mark

[cog]

Very neat and crisp carving. I love those sharp lines you establish

 

Also remember the scale, twice bigger, twice looking better!

 

It may be so, but you still need to do it, and get that result!!! Superbe!

[Mau]

Hi Gaetan. Beautiful work.

 

Are you using cherry for the entire model or only for the sculptures?

 

Mauricio

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Hi Mauricio,

 

In comparison with the previous model, the 74 built at the same scale,  70% wasmade with cherry.

I even paid $50 US a  judge in a competition to tell me this: ''The biggest issue with this model was the choice of wood used. In many cases, the grain appeared out of scale.''

 

I must have some comprehension problems, 100% of the actual wood for this build is cherry.

Even sculptures are made with cherry. According traditions, sculptures were made with boxwood. How could we know if different woods can be use if nobody try it?

 

I also experienced cherry for sculptures in the 74 also and I was please with the results.

I was very satisfy with the resulting colors on the 74.

For Le Fleuron, I wanted to try a different  wood combination and I understand that when at least 3 peoples look at the model, there is a good chance that at least one will not like it.

[mtaylor]

What's not to like?  I'm loving the wood color and finish and all the details.  Beautifully done, Gaetan.  If I can produce something with only 1/10th of your quality, I'll be overjoyed.

[druxey]

The use of cherry is an aesthetic choice - yours, in this case, Gaetan. It sounds as if that judge had a preconceived notion of the 'correct' wood to use, which apparently wasn't cherry!  I don't use cherry myself, but love your choice of doing so on this model. So there!

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Hi Druxey, you are so right about preconception. I also saw it in an article about exacto versus chirurgical blade #11. To my great surprise exacto blades seems more popular than #11 blade. But I guess that this misconception will change when they will try #11 after few days.

 

To come back to cherry which is easily available for me. I do not use holly as you simply because it is not available in Quebec, but I bought some planks many years ago.

 

I will show other cherry sculptures, but before I will pass by Paris to show you some dolphins. To be able to begin the dolphins (photo 1), some additionnal drawings are required. The first reference I found is  (photo 2) This picture could be coming from Paris but I do not know. I prefer another one : Fontana del tritone 1642 (photo 3)  by one of the best sculptor; Gian Lorenzo Bernini. In the same order Antonio Canova did Cupid and Psyche (photo 4). For those wondering if cherry can take details, I did in 1999 a copy of this work (photo 5). To finalize the drawings, I did combine a picture of another french for the body and the face of Bernini dolphins (photo 6). Finally,  to have an idea why there are so much ornementation in this period, look a table from the Baroque period (photo 7).

[SJSoane]

 

Gaetan,

 

Your cherry copy is spectacular! You are clearly a gifted artist.

 

Mark

[dvm27]

Since real ships were not made of boxwood or pear I find it unusual that the judge would find your choice of wood objectionable, unless the criteria was making a perfect model of an antique model. The choice of wood is purely aesthetic and the cherry is gorgeous.

 

For those not familiar with no. 11 surgical blades, they are the same size and shape as the x-Acto blades, but thinner and rather flimsy for wood work in general. They are designed to cut skin and really do not hold up well for hobby work. However Gaetan seems to prefer them and perhaps they are ideally suited for very fine carving as they are certainly sharper.

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Greg,

#11 main handicap is surely as you say difficulty to hold as soon as there is torsion in the blade.

exacto blade  has the advantage of the disadvantage of #11 blade.

 

To make it easy, 2 reasons why I prefer #11 blade:

 

easier to cut than with exacto because the blade is sharper.

 

May be I could compare this to be using  a veritas plane and an ordinary plane.

Better control can be achieve  with veritas plane, and the better I control the blade, the better will be the result!

[druxey]

I must agree with Gaetan. The scalpel blade is designed only for fine, light work. Many modelmakers use X-acto blades for carving - a mistake, in my opinion. Purpose-made micro carving tools, designed for that job, will give far better service and results in wood. I use #11 surgical blades for cutting card patterns, trimming rigging and other work of that nature.

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

I began the  second dolphin. I received the last link to be able to process photo control  from camera to printer.

To take a picture with an  DSLR camera,  you need to control 2 things : light and color.

How much light is entering in the camera is the white balance, a feature of the camera itself. To control the color, a photo of a calibrated Color Checker passport  is taken which is a color chart.

 

The monitor is calibrated taking into account the ambient light. On the picture the monitor can adjust at a lower height than what his original base would allow. Even if Apple do not want anymore that we remove the base, I did not like the height, so I cut the base and replaced with a better one.

 

The program Adobe Lightroom, corrects the picture and apply  printing adjustments.

 

The printer, the last component of the chain, also needs calibration. The paper also  have a  specific profile depending his features. Color Munki Photo is a  spectrophotometer use for the calibration of the monitor and the printer. It also can be use as a light meter to measure ambient light in Lux.

 

To verify  the calibration, a print is compared with the monitor and they should look like similar.

[SJSoane]

 

Gaetan, the calibration of monitor to printer as you show it here is impressive. I have always had difficulties with this.

 

 

Mark

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Hi Mark, I did have to read a lot to be able  to see the entire sequence, but colors are nicer everywhere, and this is very pleasant for the eyes to see nice colors.

 

Also, I might change the printer under  guarantee just because to print I need to uncheck a box, but this has still to be finalised with Canon.

 

I did my best to try to calibrate with Apple parameters, but the results of a human eye cannot compare with a calibrated spectrophotometer.

May be I should have a calibrated eye!

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

What was  I thinking this morning  while having a coffee?

 

I do not know where to put and I do not want to start for the tenth time a new thread on the subject of rope diameter.

 

Why  the relation  between the  number of ropes versus diameter of the rope is an hyperbola.

 

If we add cables one next to the other and draw a graphic to show the relation between these 2 elements, it will be a straight line at 45 degres, both parameters progresses simultaneously  at the same rate.

 

When we turn ropes together, a new factor appears : compression.

The more cables there are, the  more squeezing force develops.

 

This compression force affects the diameter of the cable which increases slower than the number of ropes.

 

This deceleration in one axis, affects the straight line; brakes it in the direction of the diameter, causing the straight line changes in a curve shaping as a parabola.

 

[michaelpsutton2]

Simply fabulous work. But what I what to know is......how much has God got to love you to get a workshop like that? I guess I was never that virtuous as a boy!

Edited March 22, 2015 by michaelpsutton2

[cg451]

Gaetan,

 

I was directed to this thread as an excellent example of the use of cherry wood. "Excellent" does not even start to capture the incredible, amazing, and outstanding work you've performed here (I'm using "performed" in the metaphor of a concert musician playing a solo for an enraptured crowd).

 

Your build logs will be a source of finding how high the mark can be set. Thank you!

 

Bill

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Thank you very much Bill.

 

When I began that build, I decided to use 100% cherry wood for many reasons. One of these  to show that decent results can be achieve for the body  and for the sculptures too. To always buy exotic wood can be pretty much expensive. More differents colors can be use, but in this build, which is the first time I try to use only 1 kind of wood. In Canada and the US, it is easy to get  cherry wood. Also among the local woods this is probably the more stable wood we have.

 

Here are some results for the dolphins. Eyes are glued. Scales are still to be done.

2 sides  are correctly shape and the union of the 2 sides is done with a curve.

 

This is an interesting work requiring concentration, where you need to take your time to enjoy the work. To facilitate the work you must work within the capacity of the tool and do not try to overuse it. I like to finish  the parts with diamond bits, it works slowly but it is easier to control what you want to achieve.

[kees de mol]

Have no comments, just amazed by what I see here... again

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

another  dolphin  in the family, 2 more to go

[ChrisLBren]

Gaetan,

The sculptures look wonderful !  I'm also a huge fan of the look of using one wood exclusively for a build.  I had no idea you could realize sculptures of this quality with cherry - goes to show it all has to do with the skill of the artist.  

Chris

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

 Hi Chris, I do not think skill is involve, cherry, fruit tree is involve and also the scale. Another reason I tried the cherry version is that I found expensive the price of exotic woods in the previous build, especially ebony.

Except for the top, the rest is now complete.

[ChrisLBren]

Spectacular

[mtaylor]

Gaetan,

 

I just am in awe of everything you do.  That stern is gorgeous.

[Trussben]

Simply gorgeous.

 

Ben

[kees de mol]

Those fish are very well made. In the overall pictures you post, they even look better!

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Thank you Sirs,

 

Kees de mol, the reason is, on the fish picture, it is natural wood, and then 1 coat of tung oil is applied.

[cabrapente]

Gracias Señores,

 

Kees de moles, la razón es, en la imagen de los pescados, es de madera natural, y luego se aplica 1 capa de aceite de tung.

glad to see your work, as always.

I have done tests with tung oil. Should we wipe it the end? to my remains me very sticky.

one cabrapente greeting

Edited April 5, 2015 by cabrapente

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Greetings Carabrente,

 

When applying oils, there is always an excess.

When it is for small parts, I use a kleenex,

When it is for large area, I use a towel.

 

Tung oil advantages

 

In comparison with linen oil by example, tung oil is more a pure oil, a clearer oil, with less contaminate.

The main purpose: enhance wood grain.

Interesting effect: make the wood look like 100 years older, and this instantly!

Important advantage: no reflects  when taking pictures, especially with the flash. 

 

I would think that in comparison with other oil as Teck oil and shellac by example, one important thing to avoid: do not apply too many coats. Often 1 coat is enough, occasionaly 2 coats are needed. If you apply too many coats, a build up effects appears which is particularly visible  when taking a photo with a flash. This crust is acting as a mirror.

 

Tung oil penetrates easily in wood, but not through the glue. When I glue 2 parts together, I always try to put the minimum glue so that there are no excess overfilling. When dry, excess glue  acts as a fence, oil does not penetrates and then the color is different.

[cabrapente]

a very instructive explanation.

Thanks for such a quick response

one cabrapente greeting