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john long


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December 2007; Guild Application Masterpiece. Craft Supply Rhodium Statesman Fountain Pen made with ornamentally spiral turned Red Heart wood. A Beall Model A ornamental attachment was used to achieve this appearance.
A varying sequence of spiral turning was used in an attempt to emulate the spiral forms seen in nature such as in the structure of conch and welk shells,spiral nebulae, the human cochlea, planetary motion,hurricanes,climbing vines,pine cones,sunflowers,palm trees, water spouts and the DNA helix just to mention a few.
The linearity of this writing instrument allows such ornamentation. The ornamentation is also tactile.
In using this style of sinuous ornamental wood carving I am also attempting to follow art nouveau forms from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Plastic spirals.There is some brass shine through however, but I think that the potential can be appreciated.
Some of nature's spirals. All picked up Scuba Diving.
I save my scraps. This is a combination of pink ivory, macassar and nigerian ebonies with diamond checkering. This has a great tactile feeling and grip.
Combination of checkering and regular spirals. Stained maple.

African Blackwood artist's pencil in spiral form.
Spiraled Pink Ivory Patriot Pen and African Blackwood Emporer's pen.
Beall Model A set up for spiral ornamental turning as demonstrated on the prior pens. There is complex gearing and a tension device, cutting instrument and slide.
Frontal view of Beall Model A set up for spiral ornamental turning.

Beall Model A cutting attachment.
Beall Model A overview.This is a first generation machine. Beall Tool company apparently is about to offer a third generation machine shortly.
Beall Model A modified with reciprocator set up for for guilloche cutting.There is different gearing. Mr. Beall graciously helped me with this setup when I visited him in Ohio. This was a custom made attachment created for this machine. With the later models this is now provided.
Side view of the Beall Model A set up for Guilloche cutting with reciprocator. For those of you with Model A machines the setup is actually not that difficult. By comparing this to the spiral setup one can appreciate what has to be done.Note the tightening bolt superiorly on the wooden circle and the lower brass cam arm.

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