Stumbling Towards Windmills

Once an artist always an artist.  Every once in a while I get sucked back into creative adventures. 

Recently I have been making props for a local ballet company's production of Don Quixote.   I believe it is an opportunity to stretch myself and who knows where it might take me.  Plus it is so fun!

Start of the jousting lance.  Used a 9' 4x4 post of Western Red Cedar.

New tool that was used to shape the lance. 

I have no access to a lathe big enough to shape a 9' pole so I had to whittle the beast down with a 10" drawknife.  Working the lance with the drawknife was a cross between doing sit-ups for hours and riding a skinny horse all day.  I now have a new respect for anyone working with a drawknife and a shave horse.  

As with any new tool there is a bit of a learning curve... and I had a slight mishap on the second day of working with the drawknife.  What initially looked to be a simple cut turned out to be something a bit more ugly.  

Doesn't look too bad but later...

Going to have quite a scar.

The yellow wood is Alaskan Yellow Cedar scraps that I have from the building of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse door.  I had to build up the vamplate (bell-shaped guard in front of the grip) so I could get the proper bell shape. 

Starting to look more like a lance and less like a small sapling.

I am about halfway done with the lance.  More photos later of the finished lance.  

The following pictures are of the scabbards I built for a pair of Spanish fencing swords that I have.  The ballet company is borrowing the swords for the run of the show.  

Start of the scabbards.  

Don Quixote's scabbard and sword.  

Gamache's scabbard and sword.

Scabbard faux chapes.