Navy Memories

my latest spinner, Kelly, has many memories of her time spent in the navy. She requested a wheel featuring a number of special things. So, how to make a wheel with an octopus, sea turtle, shark, anchors, and a cat…..Here is what we came up with:

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Uunderwater scenes with the anchors, a turtle swimming by on one side and a cruising shark on the other, seemed the best plan. I love the colors of the paint against the color of the wood.

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Hard to see in this photo but the shark is accompanied by its little flock of toadies. I had been considering the purchase of a laser printer for quite some time. This wheel seemed to make the plunge easier and I used it in seven places on this wheel. In the center of each hub is a US Navy anchor. Inlaid into each treadle is a compass rose. The footman rods have laser cut starfish designs. One more spot I will note later.

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The octopus that has climbed up onto the handle can easily be removed by a brave person. Just lift it off, assuming the tentacles don’t suction themselves to the handle. Originally I painted this critter red but discovered that an octopus can change color to suit the surroundings or mood. I changed the color to irridescent blue green. Below the octopus is the orifice height changing knob. It carries the tentacle theme. Below it is a little bronze octopus I found among my steampunk treasures. It adds interest to the front leg of the wheel.

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Kelly did request a cat. It took some creative thinking to figure a way to add this animal to an undersea themed wheel. So naturally we had to put the cat in a vintage style deep sea diving suit and send him to the sea floor. The “water” is actually poured resin. Some bubbles happened because the temperature was too cold when I poured. This turned out to be a happy accident as they add to the drama of the ocean depths. I originally planned to pour the resin thru a hole above the cat. Disaster happened as my masking broke loose and resin went all over the place. Maxine and I had a frantic half hour trying to keep the resin off the carpet and salvaging what we could for another try. Maxine had her rings on. It is a wonder they were not permanently sealed in resin! Later I re-poured the resin while the frame was laying on its side. The hole above the cat was covered with a Gloforge crafted rank patch – another reminder of Kelly’s navy years. All told this has been a wonderful project. Thanks for sailing with me!