Wood was often the only available material for making canteens in the past. They were probably used by the Romans, and there are some examples in Civil War collections. Some woods, such as the white oak used for this one, are watertight, and may even improve the flavor of spirits, if not of […]
Fine detail for stone inlay is now possible with laser-cut grooves for the thunderbird on this bottle stopper. Dennis also finds that he needs a very fine grind on the turquoise to match the scale of the detail. The laser wizard is neighbor Milo Scott, who has been exploring ways to use laser engraving on […]
Taking a break from the StoryTellers, Dennis works on one of his favorite subjects for stone inlay–the classical labyrinth. In this photo, he is carving the channels for the lapis inlay with a small dental drill. The Liggetts’ woodshop also serves as a classroom. Dennis has a new demonstration of ‘Twistwork for the People’ ready […]
Dennis has always chosen his stone inlay petroglyphs around a theme. Like the Storyteller pots of the Pueblo Indians, these vessels are related, but each one has its own story to tell. In the group photo, you can see that the Mama Storyteller carries a set of Hawaiian petroglyphs. Each small pot has its own […]
Dennis showed three new candlesticks at the February meeting of Pikes Peak Woodturners. All three are turned as a single point twist from American Cherry. The pair are made in the traditional way — one right hand twist, and one left hand twist, for a symmetrical presentation. The single candlestick holds a taper, and looks […]
Dennis spent the Thanksgiving weekend turning and selling Christmas ornaments at the Broadmoor’s Christmas House. He set up the mini-lathe in the courtyard right next to the line for Santa Claus photos and delighted dozens of children with little turned Christmas trees. Many of the men in the crowd watched wistfully as Dennis worked. For […]
This is one tough pumpkin, grown by Dustin for Harding Nurseries in Colorado Springs. After a few minutes with a serrated knife, Dennis took the fellow out the wood shop and found a power tool to do the job. It was a nice break from turning hundreds of birdhouse Christmas ornaments for a holiday […]
Marion Blair has completed the model cannons from the HMS Victory! In an earlier post, the cannons are pictured just off the lathe. This has been a terrific collaboration for Dennis and Marion, who played high school football together a few years back in King City, Missouri.
Dennis spent Saturday, September 15th, hosting a steady flow of friends and neighbors for the Front Range Open Studios Tour. This is the only studio tour in Colorado that features the artists at work. Dennis was no slouch! Several visitors asked to see him turn paper-thin bowls (as advertised in the flyers), which he did. […]
Dennis has been working in the shop to produce over 65 bowls for the October 10th Empty Bowl fundraiser for Tri-Lakes Cares. The bowl blanks were donated by Dr. Bob Gibbs, fellow woodturner and volunteer physician for Tri-Lakes Cares. The small bowl in the photo is from apple wood. The little leaf inside was burned […]