Dragonfly: Part 1. In the Beginning...

Yes, it has been too long since the last blog entry! I thank Doug, the instigator of this, and the next several blogs, for the impetus to add some new blogs! This is about a dragonfly that has been waiting a year to be created and its fruition.

I decided this was going to be a dual pattern design: in the foreground is the dragonfly, the background is the hint of reeds from a pond - the perfect place to find the dragonfly. Here are the pattern placed in the brocade engine. Never mind the black and orange clamp - its just the cheap and easy way I pull the slide holding the cutter all the back when I am chucking up a piece to be engraved.

Yes, it is hard to see the patterns.... so here is a side view of both patterns.

The reeds are on the left, the dragonfly on the right. So, previous to this, the designs were drawn up and then machined into the patterns. Just a side note, I am slowing bringing on the ability to cast bronze. I have a background in wood and stone carving and I have always wanted to cave and cast my patterns rather than machine them. I always new I would need a machine shop to repair and restore the equipment so I have started out using what I have - a CNC mill to make my patterns. In the future (hopefully, less than a year away) I will bring on casting capabilities and bring more of a living quality to the patterns through hand carving.

Part 2 coming right away.... Setup.