Timber iQ October / November 2020 | Page 31

PERSONALITY PROFILE How to turn wood into art By Leon Louw For woodturner Carel van der Merwe, every piece of wood tells a different story. Carel was introduced to woodwork in school, and it has, since then, become a lifelong passion. Carel, how did you become involved in woodturning and creating these fantastic pieces of art? I am a trained electronic engineer and lived in Pretoria all my life. This is where I met At Smit who is one of the pioneers of woodturning in South Africa. My first training in woodturning was with At, who started to plant the seeds of artistic woodturning. I was fascinated by the natural beauty and flaws in the wood and by creating something unique and different every time. One of the highlights for me was certainly training with Nick Agar of the UK, who is one of the leading artistic woodturners in the world. What role does wood play in your life and where did your passion for wood begin? I grew up on a farm where I was introduced to, and learnt to, identify the different types of trees by my father. Another big influence in my life was the well-known woodturner Butch Smuts. He taught me to always look for the unique elements in pieces of wood, which may not be visible at first. These surprises that you find in wood, together with the possibilities of what you can create with these unique elements, almost became an addiction. Every piece of wood tells a story and can be used. I have even used firewood on the lathe before. What is your favourite wood to use in turning and how and why does it differ from other types of wood and timber? Wood with natural defects, or wood with ‘burl’ growth is what I normally look for. ‘Burl’ growth is when the grain of the wood has grown into a deformity. I prefer using indigenous South African trees, and normally use what is left after a fire or a big storm. Root ‘burls’ from burnt trees are of particular interest as they have natural defects, which can be used to create stunning pieces. Up to about ten or fifteen years ago, these were the main items produced on a lathe. In the past few years there has been a major drive towards creating non-functional artistic pieces and in many cases, it is substantially enhanced with carving, texturing, piercing, colouring and even resin and metal inlays. How important is the lathe that you use, and what should potential buyers of lathes be aware of before buying a new piece of equipment? Starting out, one should be aware that the lathe should suit the needs of what you want to turn, but a set of good quality chisels is also required. It is further important to be able to sharpen the chisels yourself. While turning an item, it may be necessary to sharpen your chisels a few times. In many cases I turn large items which are also unbalanced when I start turning them. I therefore have a very heavy lathe with a large capacity and electronic variable speed. For safety reasons it is important to easily adjust the speed to suit the item that you are turning. WHICH TECHNICAL ASPECTS of the lathe is important? A cast iron lathe bed is heavier and more stable. The wood is fixed on the lathe by means of a self-centering chuck. A good quality chuck is therefore very important to ensure the wood will not come loose while turning. Electronic speed control is another What is the big secret of turning deformed wood into a piece of art? The defects in the wood all tell a story. The secret is to find a way to let the wood talk for itself. It sometimes takes weeks of exploring different options before putting a piece on the lathe. One has to be patient and at some stage the idea will take shape. How many different techniques can one use on the lathe? The great thing about woodturning is that there are so many possibilities that you will always find something that will interest you. Many woodturners prefer to make utilitarian items like pens, salad bowls, pepper mills, table legs and so on. Although these items can also be enhanced with artistic elements, it is normally not the main purpose. www.timberiq.co.za // OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2020 29