Author Topic: Marbling Wood  (Read 13483 times)

Offline Bryan Milham

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Marbling Wood
« on: January 31, 2013, 06:00:30 PM »
Earlier this year I came by a Marbling Outfit (paint effect). I've not tried it yet but will when I turn the right thing to use it on.

Anyway, poking around the www today, I came across this video of Alan Lacer demonstrating (on the American Woodworkers site) the marbling of spinning tops etc.

Two things I'd like to add to the content - the kit I bought used Borax as a thickening agent for the water (he used a seaweed extract called alginate)

Also, he used distilled water to thin his Acrylic paints, from my modelling days (plastic not catwalk!) Tamiya acrylic thinners are isopropyl alcohol. I found water tended to 'granulate' the paint if thinned too far. But I'm not sure how it would affect the floating of the paint on the surface of water.

Anyway - here's the link http://videos.americanwoodworker.com/video/Marbling-Wood.
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Offline David Buskell

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Re: Marbling Wood
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2013, 08:33:06 PM »
Hi dr4gonfly,

I've seen that Alan Lacer vid and it's not the most helpful. I say that as I saw Carol Floate demo marbeling at the AAW show last year - really upfront and personal. The effects she achieved were amazing. Do check out her website, she's  a very good turner and has used marbelling very effectively on her work.

Carol had some kits made up and like a fool, I thought I could get all the bits in the UK!! No chance, only got the Oxgall so far. However there is a supplier on EBay of all the other bits - just search on "marbelling supplies". If the kits are still there at Tampa, I'll spend $20 and get one but I think Craft Supplies USA and Binh Pho sell them as well.

If you subscribe to the One Good Turn newsletter, Brian has a great article on marbling which is a lot clearer (IMHO) that the Lacer vid.

I found that the carrageenan  has been the hardest thing to trace but the E-bay suppliers in israel and Northern Ireland have plenty.

Have fun, it's a great effect but best to make up a batch of pieces before setting everything up.

David
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Offline Bryan Milham

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Re: Marbling Wood
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2013, 09:24:56 PM »
David,

thank you for the connection to the Carol Floate site. I'd seen her work before but never realised it was marbling work - but it is stunning.

Soon after I found my boxed set, a member of one of the clubs I attend (and a sometime contributor to this forum) produced a couple of pieces, they were the only work like this I'd seen.

The system was used years ago to produce those wonderful old book inner leaves. So the methods to do it are old, as are the pigments and other requirements. It is probably that oil paints were used once, I remember doing something like it at school (too many years ago).

Now we use acrylics so I'm quite sure the stuff added to the water (I thought alginate but you say carrageenan - thanks for the correction) will be different to the old ways. Though a look at Wikipedia shows that they are both gelling or thickening agents. Which I imagine is what the Borax in my box does.

Also if you look in craft shops there are so many types of pigments available, from the oil, alkyd and acrylic paints to alcohol based inks and stains, there is lots of room for experimentation here.

Maybe we need to find a modern day bookbinder and ask what they do!
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thebowlerhattedturner

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Re: Marbling Wood
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2013, 10:15:14 PM »
Thanks for posting this, very interesting.
   If the alginate/carrageenan is a thickening agent I wonder if gelatine would have the same effect? or possibly potato starch?
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John BHT

Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Marbling Wood
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2013, 10:43:31 PM »
Beginning to wonder if I have some malignant virus. Clicking the link all I get is a website about sewing. Tried via Google as well and same thing. Is it just me?

Pete
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Offline Bryan Milham

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Re: Marbling Wood
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2013, 11:15:28 PM »
Hmmm. I've just clicked it and got a 410 Error (Page Gone).

Wonder why they took it down.

Tracked it back to American Woodworker and back out to this 'new' page, try again.

http://www.americanwoodworker.tv/videos/5051_marbling-wood/
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Offline bodrighywood

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Re: Marbling Wood
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2013, 11:18:26 PM »
You're a star, got it, thanks

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline David Buskell

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Re: Marbling Wood
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2013, 01:31:31 PM »
Yes, it would be a good idea to find a modern bookmaker. The Newlinux e-bay shop speciaises in papers and materials so there must be a market for all the bits and pieces.

I'm happy to send you a PDF of Carol Floate's pages in the AAW Symposium book if you contact me - my email is on www.cheamturners.co.uk.

I really do recommend Brian McEvoy's article in the One Good Turn newsletter - Brian has a great way of explaining things.

Most of the turners who have used marbeling use Golden Acrylics, which are the best but also expensive. Check out Jacksons Art Supplies for example! There are many other brands of acrylics so I guess it's what suits your style and pocket best.

David



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thebowlerhattedturner

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Re: Marbling Wood
« Reply #8 on: February 03, 2013, 02:40:52 PM »
This not something I have tried but it does look interesting. Would you be able to do it on a hollow form and what happens when two dipped areas meet?
Regards
John BHT

Offline Bryan Milham

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Re: Marbling Wood
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2013, 04:10:53 PM »
John,

I think if you can get it in the water, you can dip it, so yes hollow-forms are possible.

Your question about 2 dipped areas meeting I'm assuming you're thinking about rolling a form through the paint.

The video shows a shallow tray being used. But the instructions in the set I bought also shows a deeper vessel being used with a divider between the paint side and an entry side. The piece to be marbled is immersed on one side, passed under the divider and raised slowly on the other, through the paint, to ensure an even and continuous paint distribution.

Of course, this does depend upon how big your hollow-form is.
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Offline David Buskell

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Re: Marbling Wood
« Reply #10 on: February 03, 2013, 06:02:33 PM »
Yes, hollow forms are certainly possible. All depends on the size of the tray. Multi pattern pieces are also possible by good masking off. Check out Carol's site at www.cfloate.com for some examples of mixed colours/patterns.

Shame she doesn';t have time to keep her site up to date but then she is touring the US doing demos and teaching.
David
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