BUXUS WORKSHOP AT TONY'S (10-10-09)

Bob Hill and his chainsaw will have something to say about that.

I'm also bringing my mugo, wired and carved already for the gentle art of bonsai.

Jerry

Its going to be a good weekend I can feel it Looking forward to seeing your pine being styled. I will be bringing the Italian Job with me less wire, guys and constraints. Its come a long way in 3 years Oh and a BIG hawthorn

See you Friday for a pint my friend

All the best

Andy

Hi Andy,
Working and sharing with such a gifted team each year on my trees, (some following up on past years work, some new to Burrs), Renewing and making new bonsai buddies, sharing my passion with like minded passion is my idea of bonsai heaven.

This is how I want to practice bonsai.
No big I Am's, no ego's in the way, but equals sharing with each other freely. This is as good as it gets.

I'm going to have a early night.
Get some sleep now before the snoring starts.

Here is a heads up on the weekend coz I know most of you guys partake in the forum.

Carving WILL NOT take place in the main workshop room as it drives everyone nuts... so a place (Inside) has been earmarked for this.

Its Fiona's Birthday Party... please bring LOT AND LOTS of surprises for her.

If you are arriving on Friday and want to eat at the Brown Cow, they stop taking orders at 8.00 PM I have asked if they will stay open longer but they said no...sorry. There are some good takeaways nearby.

Make sure you bring everything you need with you... Italians, Portuguese, Welsh our electric sockets are different!

Bring some wine to share on Saturday night... and maybe a few party poppers for Fiona

Bob Brunt is your front of house manager for the weekend

If you do not have material to work on for the whole weekend... fear not... an amazing mature Large Scots Pine will feature throughout the event as a 'social' group activity... anyone can join in.

Ivo promises to be on his very best behaviour... evening bringing his own Coffee and Coffee peculator because we in the UK cannot make good coffee... as the Portuguese say... "its dirty water"

Less than 48 hours and it all happens... Fiona and I are hoping to 'go live' for the IBC from Burrs during the event... so keep checking the site over the weekend.

regards

Tony

Definitely not enough of this type of thing going on in the US!!

Sounds like a great weekend.

Super material everyone. Congrats and please post photos of the work thats done.

Thanks
Neil

I am exteremely envious.
Have a great time all of you and please, before & afters of every project posted here next week.

Justin Hervey wrote:I am extremely envious. Have a great time all of you and please, before & afters of every project posted here next week.

Justin... we will be attempting to post projects 'live' but this depends on my 3G mobile broadband signal... watch this space affraid:

Tony

Damn Damn Damn wish i could be there Brian

Bear wrote:Damn Damn Damn wish i could be there Brian

Hi Brian you will be there is Spirit.. a good single Malt if Fiona has anything to do with it

keep watching the forum... There may even be some Videos posted as Kev is bringing his camera.

Keep well my friend

Tony

Nervous and excited in equal measure.
God, what have I let myself in for???

See you guys on the morra,
Okk, Okk,
Simon

Tony wrote: Its Fiona's Birthday Party... please bring LOT AND LOTS of surprises for her.

Well that let the secret out! I'll pretend to be surprised and gush appropriately at all the right moments.

Tony wrote: Italians, Portuguese, Welsh our electric sockets are different!

The Welsh have electricity?!?

Tony wrote: ... Fiona and I are hoping to 'go live' for the IBC from Burrs during the event...

Why is "Thriller" going through my head here?

Nice job and great pictures. Thanks

This post was so educational. Thank you! I do have a few questions:
1. What criteria do you use to decide if a tree will survive this type of intensive work?
2. Will you eventually use any type of wood preservative?
3. How do you know you are not destroying the vein that supports the branches you want to keep?
Thank you so much!

Carolee wrote:This post was so educational. Thank you! I do have a few questions:
1. What criteria do you use to decide if a tree will survive this type of intensive work?
2. Will you eventually use any type of wood preservative?
3. How do you know you are not destroying the vein that supports the branches you want to keep?
Thank you so much!

Hi Carolee, thanks for your kind words... Matt and Steve did a good job didn't they!
Here are your answers:

1) This may come as a surprise but the work done on this tree was NOT intensive. The tree was VERY healthy, the removal of the 'DEAD' interior of the tree will not affect the health so long as sufficient 'wood' remains near the outer part of the tree. Also... the ratio of foliage to remaining live is large.

2) The tree is a Buxus (box) it is VERY VERY Hard and does not require preservative (not in my lifetime anyway)

3) In 'Box' there as in most deciduous trees there is not a direct coloration between the roots and foliage as there is in say...junipers, yews etc. So long as there is sufficient 'live' left to feed the remaining foliage the tree will be fine.

After care is important but Trees are amazing... they survive far worse than the work we throw at them.

Hope this has been of help... now back to organising Burrs... its less than 18 hours before everyone arrives

Regards

Tony

Ed and Erik

Thanks for your virtuals its great to see you guys 'thinking outside the Box'

Ed.... the tree is 'wild' and tortured...you idea is a little formal.. nevertheless it is a good solution.

Erik... love it, this is what I will be doing you have 'captured' the image well.

You guys must take the great wooden ship over the water to the UK next year for Burrs.

Tony

I hope you all have an excellent weekend. Good material, good artists and great company!! All the best.

I was browsing threads about buxus and among others I saw this one.
This is an old thread but knowledge never gets old, so I will post a question that spring up my beginner's mind.
I have not seen (...or so I think) anywhere that Tony has used jin liquid after carving. He has only darkened the color of the "wound" with some ink diluted in water to achieve the effect of aged wood.
Why is this done this way?
Isn't the use of jin liquid a must?
Thanks in advance!

HI Alexandra,

Jin is NOT always the option, the inside of a 'hollow' tree is rarely white... and here is the cold cold North of England they are dark.

Thank you, Tony!
I have also read elsewhere that since buxus wood is so much hard, it needs almost no preservative (i.e. lime sulphur)

Great tutorial (bookmarked). Thank you for sharing and I am glad this thread got resurrected.

Any current pics of the tree?

I wish we can put all these type of tutorial by category in a separate folder.

LOL Poink88 I did the exact same. This is an awesome tutorial how to hollow out trunks. Thanks Tony and the gang for sharing!