Grey Myrtle Trunk - a long way to go

[MelaQuin]

I have a slight reputation for carving and this Grey Myrtle has just been given to me for obvious reasons.

Grey Myrtle 200908.jpg

The ex owner dug it up but doesn't have the years necessary to develop it. Neither do I for that matter, but I probably have a few more. For some reason I like this tree. Yes, I know it needs years of development to get the branches to thicken and foliage pads to develop and No, I haven't really started seriously thinking about it other than to like what I see.

I am taking it to Stanwell Tops Weekend Workshop on the 19th of September to sit outside in the open air and start carving. I am planning on lowering the height of the broken trunk by a few centimetres, removing several of the existing branches and doing long, deep carving down the length of the broken area. Once the carving is done the branches will be styled and wired. A mate has a very solid and nicely styled Grey Myrtle and while this is a loooooong way from the other, I think eventually it will make it in it's own individualistic way.

It is always nice to have something interesting to carve and I am looking forward to working on this. Tho I have been warned it is 'ironwood' and suitably hard. Good fun!!

[aaron_tas]

this one certainly has its own character, and with your influence, esp. your carving work, this one will be an interesting one to watch...

i wish i could go to the tops

[bodhidharma]

Good one Mel, looks like a dye grinder job with a tungsten tip i reckon

[Chris]

It is always nice to have something interesting to carve and I am looking forward to working on this. Tho I have been warned it is 'ironwood' and suitably hard. Good fun!!

I am looking forward to watching how to rip into a tree with care

[MelaQuin]

No die grinder, just a Dremel. And it will have to be with standard bits because the original damage has done most of the work, I only want to carve gullies and channels and I will need finer bits to do that than my aggressive tungsten bits. It will be the lovely bonsai adage... 'make haste slowly' so I don't break anything. I want to get the carving done ASAP so I can start training the branches that I will keep. It's got such a long way to go, no sense wasting time.

[Matthew]

Ive noticed that once the wood has died back on this species it is very hard which is good for preserving deadwood but also that its no so easy to chop out too much at once. I only have one ive been training for 12 months now and find they are fantastic material to work with if you are lucky to find one with good trunk movement.Mine is going into a bonsai pot first time next few days. They back bud everywhere and grow quick. Ive found that they like to stay quite moist up here and humidity dosent worry them at all.

nice trunk

[FlyBri]

Gday MelaQuin & Co!

I don't know how this one slipped past me... Looks like a great challenge, and I'd love to see what you achieve.

Can you tell us the botanical name of the Grey Myrtle?

Thanks in advance.

Fly.

[bonscythe]

Just did a quick search Fly and it seems to have alot of results saying the Grey Myrtle is a Backhousia myrtifolia. Another common name seems to be Ironwood, which may explain the deadwood characteristics oultined above?
- Pat

[FlyBri]

Thanks Pat!