Wood Turnings by Phil Stivers
21 July 2010
“Masterworks”
I’ve been a woodworker for a considerable period of time now, but one of the things that never ceases to amaze me is the wood lathe. You get a block of wood, anchor it between two spindles, and flip a switch. That block of wood now goes by at what seems like a million miles an hour, and you then take a chisel, position it just so on a tool rest and start knocking chips and shavings off. The thought of that chisel going in at the wrong angle always scares the bejabbers out of me, b
ut those who do this work tell me that my fears are exaggerated. What is not exaggerated, though, is the glorious work that is produced on wood lathes and the apparently addictive nature of the tool itself. Those who do it tend to do a lot of it and to continue pushing the envelope, forever looking for ways to advance the art. In a sense, I suppose, it’s like jazz musicians getting together for an informal jam session, each one pushing the others to new heights.
And with that I would like to introduce you to one of our friends. I say our friend because my partner in this venture, Joe Dusel, knows him a lot better than I do, being a fellow instructor at Palomar College.
I met Phil Stivers over a decade ago at Palomar College in San Marcos, California, where he was just completing his course of instruction, earning degrees in both cabinet and furniture making. Shortly afterward Phil began his own cabinetmaking business and did quite well with it. Flash forward to 2008 or thereabouts, and Phil turned to a new field for him, the lathe. Make t
hat a new passion for him, because that is how he has approached his latest venture.
Some of the works we show here fall into the “how the hell did he do that?” category, which is true, pretty much, for the output of any wood turner who progresses beyond a certain level of expertise. And looking at his output, it’s clear to me that Phil has done just that. But having seen some of his earlier projects, and knowing how well trained he was at Palomar College, and knowing, too, that he has been an instructor there for many years, well, c’mon, now, I expected this sort of thing from the lad. And didn’t. I’m quite sure I couldn’t do things like this. So, really, no matter how hard I may try to assume an absolutely impartial, bordering on imperturbable, point of view, I really cannot do it. The wood turner’s art is too inspiring for that.
Some of these are fairly simple bowls, but I like them just the same. One that came to mind was the 7″ bowl of silver maple. (It’s the smaller bowl in the picture at the top of this blog). Phil describes it as a popcorn bowl, but in looking at it, my first thought was, “This man has never seen me eat popcorn.” But really, anyone who does is in for some sort of culture shock. Think punch bowl.
Another simpler item I liked is Phil’s collection of dinner plates made of walnut. They have about them a simple grace that would enhance anyone’s table. But more than grace, there is about them the refinement that comes from work produced by a woodworker at the peak of his powers.
But with wood turners, as I said, there is always the “wow” factor, and this is certainly true of Phil Stivers. He had more items on his website than I can use here because of space limitatio
ns, but there are a number of items that blew my mind. One of these is the square bowl of walnut Phil made. Phil describes it as an experiment with some leftover timber, but yowser! The really intriguing thing about it for me is that Phil did not use a bandsaw when he turned this bowl. He did the entire thing on the lathe.
Another fascinating item is the walnut Anniversary Box. It’s the little item posed next to a quarter. It is all of two inches high and an inch in diameter, and how Phil did it is beyond me. Truthfully, though, this sort of thing is like a magician’s bag of tricks. Sure, you can get someone to tell you how they’re done, but when you do, all the air comes out of the balloon. There should be some mystery about it. Although with something like this, even if I knew how to do it, I doubt I’d have the courage to try it, and as for the rest of us. Well, they’re nice to look at, right?
Phil also did a propeller from Box Elder Crotch which I like a lot and his Orbits from Sapele with gold leaf ornamentation. Both of these are further entries in the “mystify Brother Joseph” category. What tools does one use to shape wood in this manner; what are the techniques to be used; and how do you do it on a wood lathe? Problems of the craft. Speaking of which, the te
n-inch Tapered Goblet from Ambrosia Maple is one that absolutely blows my mind. How in the world does anyone turn a piece as delicate as this one?
I don’t want to leave Phil, though, until I’ve discussed his Shaker Boxes. There is a purity of line about these boxes that has always appealed to me. Phil has, as you pretty much knew he would, taken these ancient motifs to the next level with his decoration, but he’s done it in a way that is true to the work of the original innovators. The other cool thing for those who are in this area and have an interest in doing such things, is that Phil is now teaching a class at Palomar College on Shaker Box Construction. It’s not often that you get a chance to work with a master.
Joseph
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One Response to “Wood Turnings by Phil Stivers”
July 21st, 2010 at 11:32 AM
Very nice work! Makes me want to take up turning.
Joe