Peter Bloch turns 200-pound logs (figure A) into beautiful wooden lampshades. Just lifting the logs is an accomplishment in itself. But the end of result of hours of cutting and turning is the warm and welcoming light cast through the beauty of New England Aspen. Peter didn't start out to be a wood turner. In fact, he had no woodworking experience before visiting a wooden toy factory in college. Here he felt an inexplicable attraction to the wood, and an admiration for the artisans who so carefully practiced their craft. It would be years, however, before Peter took up the gouge and began teaching himself the art of woodturning. "It took me five years of experimenting with different wood and techniques before I felt satisfied with my results," Peter says. "I think the breakthrough came when I began working with Aspen wood. Aspen has just the right translucency." It is the clarity and hardness of this particular wood (figure B) that gives the shades both beauty and strength. "While they appear delicate and thin, the shades are actually quite strong." Peter will take a two hundred-pound log and remove all but nine to eighteen ounces of material, while recycling the rest. In the final stages of turning a shade, he will be guided by a bright light and by feel. The light helps him determine the overall thickness of the shade and, by touch, the smoothness of the wood. After the piece is turned and sanded, he will finish it with multiple applications of polyurethane. Peter turns both the shades and the stands that make up his one of a kind lamps. "When you first see one of my lamps, there's a sense of disbelief in most people. They find it hard to believe that the shades are made of wood, because they've never seen a wooden lampshade before!"
RESOURCES :
Peter Bloch Information
Peter Bloch
New London, NH 03257
Phone: 603-526-6152
Email: peterbloch@woodshades.com
Website: www.woodshades.com
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