Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1101
Yes, this is very unexpected after CJRT’s previous statement that he was done. I suspect that he simply didn’t want to raise expectations. At his age, he could easily have died before completing it, and then everyone would’ve been left hanging. But he did not, and now the standalone editions of the three Great Tales from the Silmarillion will be available. It is a fitting capstone to his exhaustive work (an entire, and very lengthy, lifetime) spent getting his father’s unfinished works into a publishable condition. Tolkien fans and scholars must be ever-grateful to Christopher for such dedication.

Savoring my anticipation for this coming work makes me wonder again what the Amazon series might draw from, if the new rights deal has made previously off-limits works available. You’d think they would at least reveal some more information about the deal to whet everyone’s anticipation!
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1102
I'm curious as to what your criteria is for determining what the "three Great Tales" from the Silmarillion are, or is that a classification made by someone else? I just love that book so much from cover to cover that I deem them all great tales. I mean, don't get me wrong, Beren & Luthien, Children of Hurin, and the Fall of Gondolin are definitely parts that get your attention in a big way, but what about the rest? I feel as if an entire book could be written out of every single Silmarillion chapter, especially the ones that are rather thin on detail. I mean, who wouldn't want the entire War of the Wrath fully fleshed out, or the full account of the journey of the Quendi from Cuivienen all the way to Valinor? :'(

Also, when you read the Sil nowadays, do you put it down when you get to the chapter that deals with these stories and read the new books instead for the full tale. or carry on as you did before, keeping them separate?
This Space for Rent

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1103
JRRT, CJRT, the Estate website, and/or the publisher dubbed them that (I don’t recall which gave the name), so it was not my invention. C’mon, Val, you’re supposed to know these things! ;)

I have not reread the Sil since these standalones started coming out. For that matter, I’ve read COH only once and B&L not at all yet. I have an embarrassingly huge backlog of books I’ve bought and not read yet, and seemingly never enough tome to read. I just got a 3 month subscription to Direct TV Now, so it’s not getting any better any time soon.

I have wondered about how I would do this, though, and I think my inclination would be to read the Sil cover to cover. Aren’t some of the standalones somewhat embryonic in their conceptions? I know the B&L book has a painting of Tevildo, a distant precursor of Sauron. I’d prefer to keep with the more finalized versions in the Sil, even tho Chris “monkeyed” with them a bit.
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1104
Dear friend, if I knew everything, I would be bored out of my skull. ;)

I confess to not having picked these up yet, and now I don't feel as bad knowing you haven't even read one of them. So, how do they compare to the versions given in Unfinished Tales and the Book of Lost Tales 1 & 2 then? Are these simply the polished and finished versions of those earlier published stories, or far more comprehensive in scope and detail? I also confess to viewing the Sil as the 'definitive' version of the story, despite CJRT going back to 'monkey' with things, as you said. Tolkien couldn't quite ever seem to settle on some details, so I don't blame his son for at some point just throwing his hands up and exclaiming "Ok, enough is enough, this is the way it's going to be and that's that!" - example: this may irritate some absolute purists but I will always consider Gi-galad to be the son of Fingon, and not Orodreth, and that Celeborn is a Sindarin kinsman of Elwë and not a Teleri grandson of Olwë. :huh:
This Space for Rent

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1105
LOL you might not be bored out of your skull but you might become a "bore" as know-it-alls tend to. ;)

More true confessions. I've probably read the Sil maybe 4 times since it first appeared. I've read the complete History series once, each volume as it came out, which puts The Book of Lost Tales back in the 80s. And although I've read parts of Unfinished Tales quite a few times, I'm probably read the First Age portion of it no more than twice. Thus, I do not know any of these variant versions of First Age history nearly well enough to contrast and compare, and therefore simply stick with the Sil by default.

Though it sounds cute, I don't think CJRT ever threw his hands up. He seems far too meticulous and, well, bookish for that. I think his goal was to present the most cohesive, developed version of the story that he could. This had to have been a stunningly difficult task. And by virtue of my laziness I've rewarded his labors of so long ago by making the Sil my go-to for those stories.

In one of the later volumes, Unfinished Tales or one of the stand-alones, CJRT expressed regret at some of the choices he made, where he later felt his editorial hand was too heavy. This was the benefit of hind-sight, having spent decades poring through the manuscripts, vs. the 4 years between his father's death and the publication of the Sil. However, he also expressed absolutely no desire to go through the process again to produce a more definitive version of the Sil. Thus, it stands as it is. In a way, perhaps the stand-alones are a compromise between doing nothing and totally reworking the Sil.

And why have I not read these materials, which Tolkien considered his masterwork, more often? Well as the Guardian article states about The Fall of Gondolin in part, it's like reading the Iliad. It's a slog because of the writing style he employed at that time. The stories are fantastic but the language tends to be dry and distant, and there is little dialog. Because of that, in one sense, filmic adaptation could really soar: these tremendous stories could be visualized and the hindrance of the language minimized. Compare and contrast with LOTR, which had so much wonder elegantly woven into every paragraph, that could not be shown on screen.

Oh, the Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/ ... ed-in-2018
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1106
Olorin wrote: Tue Apr 10, 2018 12:43 pm...And why have I not read these materials, which Tolkien considered his masterwork, more often? Well as the Guardian article states about The Fall of Gondolin in part, it's like reading the Iliad. It's a slog because of the writing style he employed at that time. The stories are fantastic but the language tends to be dry and distant, and there is little dialog. ....
Forgive me this hijacking, Olorin, but I had to weigh in on your comment about the Iliad:
..."it's like reading the Iliad. It's a slog ....".

It all depends on whose translation you are reading. ( I assume you are not reading it in the original Greek).
I read the Iliad about once a year (as often as I read LOTR) and it is the Richmond Lattimore translation (Univ. of Chicago Press, 1951)
I first read that particular translation in a Classics class at ASU.
Hands down it was by far the best translation I had ever read, so I bought a copy and it has been on my bookshelf ever since.
I can assure you (if you like the story at all) it is not a slog.
Give it a try.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1107
Oh I have inadvertently led you down the primrose path! I was actually quoting the Guardian article...they are the ones who referenced the Iliad. I myself have never attempted it. The closest I've gotten is Edith Hamilton's Mythology, if I remember correctly.
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1108
I read E Hamilton's Mythology when I was about 12, I think.
I had seen Jason and the Argonauts on TV (the one with the Ray Harryhausen special effects) and wanted to know more about the myths. So I got that one and Bulfinch's Mythology from the local Library.
Needless to say, after reading Hamilton and also Bulfinch, I soon learned that Holly wood takes quite a bit of artistic liberties with the stories. Nevertheless, the special effects in that movie were/are fantastic. I still watch it for just that reason.
(Factoid: they had to dub the voice of Todd Armstrong (Jason) with a Brit because Armstrong was American and the rest of the cast was British.)

I read excerpts from the Odyssey in HS, and that was my only formal (and informal) exposure to Classical Mythology until ASU.
Lattimore's translation of the Odyssey is exceptional as well. I also read that one every year.

And just to bring this thread back to where it belongs.... Tolkien (like CS Lewis) knew his Classics. Without doubt he had read the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Aeneid, Norse Myths and Beowulf (obviously), Nibelungedlied, Gilgamesh, The Divine Comedy , and probably others .
And that is why he was able to write his wonderfully captivating Mythology of Middle Earth...for meeee! I mean, for us! Yes, for us, Precious!

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1110
That omnium gatherum strikes me as a very slick coffee table adornment, which is an Ok thing for people who like that sort of thing.
I doubt if I will be a spending any "Treebeard" funds on such extras.

Re Fall of Gondolin:
Mine was shipped a few days ago.
I ordered the un-fancy edition (about $25 with shipping)...but I got the British edition by Harper Collins Ltd.
US edition is by Houghton Mifflin.
Cover Art is lightly different between the two.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1117
Deimos wrote: Sun Sep 22, 2019 9:12 am HAPPY BIRTHDAY Bilbo and Frodo! :cheering: :big_wave: :cheers:

(Yep...that time of year again....)
I just discovered I haven't logged in here for almost 6 months :oops:
Hey everyone!
I'm still on the right side of the grass :thumbs_up
Hope all of you are well!
Notifications apparently stopped in my absence.
"and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut stones, to work in wood, and engage in all kinds of craftsmanship"

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1120
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Bilbo and Frodo! :cheering: :big_wave: :cheers:

(Yep...that time of year again....going to continue to commemorate it for as long as I'm able )

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1122
Here's a chat between Bill Hunt of the Digital Bits and Quickbeam of TheOneRing.net about the upcoming 4K releases:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCEG_ZC ... e=emb_logo

The Cliff notes version....

The December release of each trilogy will contain both the theatrical cut and the extended cut, but it will be 4K discs only, no BluRays. Moreover, these are bare bones. So if you planned to get this and ditch your earlier boxes with all the supplements, don't.

The edition coming next summer will contain the same 4K discs plus BluRays. The BluRay discs for the Hobbit will be the same as the existing sets while the BluRays for LOTR will be remastered to the current standard, taking advantage of the complete reconstruction of the movies to do the 4K versions. There will be one supplement, a new bonus feature not yet revealed; again, all the previous BluRay/DVD supplements will NOT be included. Lastly, while there will be bling, this 2021 release will not be the fabled, long-sought "unicorn" edition. Warner Brothers is still sitting on that, with no indication they will ever release it. With each day that streaming and download numbers go up and physical media sales go down, the likelihood of that set ever seeing the light of day diminishes proportionally.

I had planned on getting the super set next summer, know it was advertised to contain new content (and naively hoping it might be the unicorn edition). Knowing now the paucity of new features and the lack of old supplements, which means I would have to keep my old sets, I will not. Honestly, I don't have a 4K TV, so even though I do have a 4K player and could play and watch the discs, I'd see no difference and if it doesn't free up space on my shelf, there's basically no point.
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1123
I will wait for the Summer release. I do have a 4K tv but feel the Xmas release to be an early and pointless cash grab. With the later release, I will get 4k versions and better-looking Blu-ray transfers (which to be be fair I'll likely never watch), but at least one new extra and some collectible I will want to have. I'll likely sell (for a pittance) the current Blu-ray sets (LOTR and Hobbit) and hang onto my old EE DVD sets if I feel like watching the extras again (which I doubt).
This Space for Rent

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1124
Valkrist wrote: Fri Nov 13, 2020 5:24 pm I will wait for the Summer release. I do have a 4K tv but feel the Xmas release to be an early and pointless cash grab. With the later release, I will get 4k versions and better-looking Blu-ray transfers (which to be be fair I'll likely never watch), but at least one new extra and some collectible I will want to have. I'll likely sell (for a pittance) the current Blu-ray sets (LOTR and Hobbit) and hang onto my old EE DVD sets if I feel like watching the extras again (which I doubt).
Val, why do you doubt that you will ever watch the LOTR EE version again?
In fact it sound like you aren't going to watch any of the LOTR movies again regardless of format.
Too many non-canonical-bordering-on-gag-me [PJ] additions?
(As far a s the Hobbit movies go I don't even acknowledge their existence, so you don't have to answer about those.)

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1125
Sorry, I thought my grammar and punctuation (and overuse of parenthesis) were all correct, but I will attempt to clarify:

1 - Once I own the 4K versions of the movies, I will never have cause to watch the Blu-ray versions again, because... why? Since owning the Blu-rays, I've never watched the DVDs again.

2 - I'm not concerned about the new set not offering much of anything new by the way of extras because I doubt I will ever watch the extras again, and if I do, I have my EE DVDs on hand to fall back on. The movies are so far back in my life now that I don't really care for more behind-the-scenes stuff, only any new and missing scenes that we will likely never see.

3 - I wouldn't be spending what is likely to be a $250+ price tag if I had no intention of watching these movies again though.... yes, the silly changes grate every time, and the Hobbit movies are 85% forgettable fluff (sorry, I mentioned them). ;)
This Space for Rent

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1126
I probably will never watch the supplements again, especially from beginning to end, and certainly not the Hobbit supplements. But I would not want to be without them. The LOTR supplements are among the best supplements ever produced for a movie. In my experience the only supplements in the same ballpark were the incredible supplements first produced by Criterion for Alien and Aliens, and which have amazingly carried over onto the DVD and BluRay releases. Anyway, it pleases me to have those supplements in my collection. My ideal, however, is that they be included in each release, so that I can dispose of the previous version in its entirety. Of course, this forces me to watch them again whenever I rebuy, as I want to be sure there are no disc faults. It's complicated being me, sometimes.

On a totally unrelated note, here's a question for Deimos. You list your location as Ares-zona. Does that mean the people there are warlike, or that Arizona looks like Mars? All of the above? None of the above?
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1127
Olorin wrote: Sat Nov 14, 2020 6:45 am ...
On a totally unrelated note, here's a question for Deimos. You list your location as Ares-zona. Does that mean the people there are warlike, or that Arizona looks like Mars? All of the above? None of the above?
HAHAHA..... took more than 10 years for someone to ask about that (I joined the forum in Feb 2010). I wasn't holding my breath for it to happen, but I thought someone would ask about it before now.

First, to take your answers, I never thought of it before but parts of AZ do have the same coloring as Mars (in places)....look at pics for the red rocks of Sedona.
Of course Mars has nothing like those rock formations per se.
Also ....(getting a little political here) until recently AZ has been a solidly Red state, which means (among other things) that we like our guns-- I own three.

But the real reason I misspelled Arizona is..... [backstory comin'] one of my hobbies is Astronomy---has been since I was in third grade when my eldest brother (5th grade) first showed me Orion in the January night sky (in the cold and dark midwest). Went to the library the next day and he helped me check out a bunch of astronomy books (I was reading at an 8th grade level when I was 9). Anyway, that is one hobby that has stuck with me all these years.
Now, you are right about the association of Ares with war, Ares being the god of war in Greek mythology. And those same Greeks named the really bright red (as in bloody red) "wandering" star in the sky Ares for their god of war.
But had you gone a little further you would have learned that his two henchmen were Phobos and Deimos.
Phobos being "fear" (think of those fears people have: claustrophobia, arachnophobia, agoraphobia etc) and Deimos being "dread." That is, during a war, besides just a lot of death, fear and dread are also present.
But now as it relates to astronomy the planet Ares was also known by its Roman (Latin) name Mars, Mars being Roman god of war. (It's the same god really... all the Greek/Roman myths are similar if not identical) and once its two moons were discovered in 1877, they were named, following convention, for mythological figures. The god Ares/Mars had two henchmen, the planet Mars has two moons...perfect fit... almost. Mars is Latin and Phobos and Deimos are Greek. Go figure.

So when I picked my Avatar name, I wanted something that would not give away my sex right off the bat, and also something that sounded kind of menacing.
Having decided on the name Deimos (because I liked the menace of it both in its sound and meaning) it occurred to me I could alter the name of Arizona just enough to get the tie -in with the god Ares.
"And now [channeling Paul Harvey] you know the rest of the story!"

A couple more things (trivia).... the Avatar picture is from the Disney movie Fantasia, from the sequence Night on Bald Mountain (music by Mussorgsky).
The demon's name is Chernobog , and it is from Slavic mythology. It's pretty much the devil, really, and the story both in the movie and "musically" in Mussorgsky's work is based on the stories of the Witches' Sabbath on the Bald Mountain on St John's Eve.

The other thing: ...if you care to step outside around 10 PM or so and it is a clear moonless night , look about straight up overheard and you will see..... Mars. It's really quite bright and quite reddish, you can't miss it.
And it doesn't twinkle like the stars do...planets don't scintillate (twinkle) . You can still see it if the moon is up but it's not as impressive.
It moves, of course, through the night just as the stars do. So earlier in the evening it is more in the east and later through the night it moves to the west.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1128
Ask a question, get an answer, and quite an answer, that one! ;-) I'm very familiar with Phobos and Deimos, being both a big astronomy buff from the days of my childhood onward and someone who read a bit of Greek mythology back in the day. Given that, it's a bit embarrassing that the connection between Ares and Deimos never clicked. I think it was one of those things where I got on the wrong track initially somehow and once that happens, I can never see what should've been blindingly obvious. Perhaps no one else suffered from that effect and that is why in over ten years, no one had asked you about it.

Mars has indeed been prominent in the night sky for weeks now. Whenever I go outside in the evening after dark (which isn't that often, but more so now since the time change), I see it hanging in the eastern sky and just for a second all sorts of things run through my mind: all the science fiction stories involving Mars, the planet's prominent place in the human imagination, all our probes that went there and what they found and are still finding, and lastly, the unanswered question of whether it will ever be a second home for humanity.
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1129
Speaking of colonizing Mars...I'm certain you have read Bradbury's Martian Chronicles, yes? Still sitting on my bookshelf...still reading it for the umpteenth time.

We should first think about colonizing the moon before Mars...long before Mars.
For one thing it's a heckuva lot easier, and cheaper, to launch a spaceship from a place where the weight of the ship is only one sixth of its weight on earth.

For another you don't have to dodge all the junk cluttering the outer atmosphere.

Third, if we don't establish a presence there soon, the Chinese will , and then moon and all its resources will belong to them.
Harvard law school does not yet have a course in Interplanetary Law, and as the Chinese see things (and having the muscle to enforce it) "possession is nine-tenths of the law."
Those resources include not just the minerals but also the greatest place to set up the manufacturing of high tech products that require low ( or no) gravity.
And that same "low gravity" resource means it will be the Chinese--and not the countries of the free world-- who will be sending out manned spacecraft to the other planets .

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1130
Oh yeah, forgot to mention it, but you know what was the very first thing the Mars rovers got pictures of?



.
.
.
.


Mars Landing.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1131
So has anyone read "The History of the Hobbit" by John Rateliff? It was first published in 2007 and then republished as a one-volume edition in 2011. It somehow evaded me when it first came out. I became aware of it eventually and was going to get it but by then it had gone out of print. I was reminded of it again just a bit ago and upon finding that Amazon had a one-volume edition in stock, I took the plunge and ordered it. I don't know if I will ever actually read it and even if I do, it will at least temporarily be one of 467 books I've bought and haven't read yet (and yes, that's a real number...my book database lets me track read status). I'm somewhat of a completist and at least want to have it on my bookshelf (even though at this point, I have a handful of books on top the shelf and have told myself that no more books can go into the house until some go out).

So, what have I just bought?
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1132
Thanks for reminding me to check my shelves... I have it in the 2 volume HB set.
Obviously I haven't read it, else I would not have had to check.
And btw I have 468 books yet to read (haha.....not really...maybe half that many)...No database.
Also, I am not a complete-ist. I think the closest I've ever come to reading the entire works of one author is Ray Bradbury.
I think I may have missed a few, but only a few. And I'm not counting his screenplay(s).

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1133
I read many years ago. For those who like Christopher's history of ME volumes, it's a good read. The most interesting part that I remember are the fragments of Tolkien's attempted retelling of TH to make it match the style and more serious tone of LOTR, and correct the inconsistencies. There is a chapter, or part of it of it, in the book.
KRDS

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1139
First... major-ly jaw drop (or three) :jaw:
I have no words to describe your work. It leaves everything else you have made in the dust.
(Altho' I DO have words to describe what I'm feeling...it is called major-ly envy).
The window is a nice touch. The book stand is very well done.

Second, ....haha...you played that one mighty close to the vest, never letting any of us know that you were working on it. How very tricksy! ;)

Third... the plans were acquired a number of years ago, correct? From a man who drew them up based on photos...they were abut $25 , I think?

Fourth...any detailed pics coming soon...what about the black "strap hinges" on the left side of the blotter?
Does the top row drawers open? (I'm assuming they do) . What kind of wood(s) did you use?
And , finally how long did it take you ?

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1140
Deimos wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 6:04 pm First... major-ly jaw drop (or three) :jaw:
I have no words to describe your work. It leaves everything else you have made in the dust.
(Altho' I DO have words to describe what I'm feeling...it is called major-ly envy).
The window is a nice touch. The book stand is very well done.

Second, ....haha...you played that one mighty close to the vest, never letting any of us know that you were working on it. How very tricksy! ;)

Third... the plans were acquired a number of years ago, correct? From a man who drew them up based on photos...they were abut $25 , I think?

Fourth...any detailed pics coming soon...what about the black "strap hinges" on the left side of the blotter?
Does the top row drawers open? (I'm assuming they do) . What kind of wood(s) did you use?
And , finally how long did it take you ?
I did share the progress as I went on my Instagram stories and also made a thread over at the FOU which you must have seen.
https://www.flameofudun.net/forum/art/2 ... post238005
Yes, I did start with using the plans I bought from Bearkatwood, but quickly found out upon doing lots of research that there were 2 different desks, 1 for LOTR and another for the Hobbit. Since the plans were designed around the Hobbit version, I spent some time redesigning them to work for the LOTR version, which I prefer.

The entire desk is fully functional (drawers and lid opens to the interior) and made from clear (superior) Alder and finished with a pecan stain. It took just about 4 months to complete the desk, bookstand and window frame.

I need to update the FOU thread with the rest of the progress pics and plan on doing a write up for the RPF and will post it here as well.

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1141
Oh... I forgot you post your projects on instagram.
FoU ... I never saw it. But then, I'm rarely over there anyway.

The cross piece supporting/stabilizing the legs....wedged mortise and tenon?
If so, do you cut them freehand (with your own jig) or do you use a commercial M-T jig?

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1142
Deimos wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 7:53 am Oh... I forgot you post your projects on instagram.
FoU ... I never saw it. But then, I'm rarely over there anyway.

The cross piece supporting/stabilizing the legs....wedged mortise and tenon?
If so, do you cut them freehand (with your own jig) or do you use a commercial M-T jig?
The tressel style stretcher is a mortise and tenon joint. Since there were only 2 in the legs they were freehand, I drilled a large hole with a forstner bit and cleaned up with a jig saw, chisel and files. And since it is captured between the legs and can't be disassembled I made faux wedges and just glued them on. The tenons where a fairly snug fit, so no need anyway for the extra work.

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1143
Very good. I've been known to "faux it" on not a few things. :thumbs_up
Looks great tho'.
I've noticed that you used alder for a number of projects. A woman in my woodworking class used to make really nice headboard (stained it mahogany)

I've never used it. I use maple a lot (for smaller stuff) because I like that it is such a light color that it can be stained with almost any other color, except I have to prep it quite a bit to take stain evenly.
And it looks great with just plain varnish... I prefer boat/marine varnish --McCloskey's---to any poly-based finish.
So why do you like alder?
The place where I buy my wood does carry it...depending on your reasons for liking it, I may try it.

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1145
Deimos wrote: Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:26 am Very good. I've been known to "faux it" on not a few things. :thumbs_up
Looks great tho'.
I've noticed that you used alder for a number of projects. A woman in my woodworking class used to make really nice headboard (stained it mahogany)

I've never used it. I use maple a lot (for smaller stuff) because I like that it is such a light color that it can be stained with almost any other color, except I have to prep it quite a bit to take stain evenly.
And it looks great with just plain varnish... I prefer boat/marine varnish --McCloskey's---to any poly-based finish.
So why do you like alder?
The place where I buy my wood does carry it...depending on your reasons for liking it, I may try it.
Around here (Vancouver, WA) Knotty Alder is very popular for interior woodwork. When we had our kitchen built, that was the wood we chose as we liked the rustic look. As we have carried the same wood through out the rest of the house (trim, doors and built-ins) I have worked with it quite a bit, only downside is it a little soft (similar to poplar). After comparing wood grain of some of the reference photos I had and then doing some stain tests on some scraps I had left over is why I chose that to build the desk out of. It was also far cheaper than everything else and the desk still cost over $600 in materials alone.

Here is the reference pic I was referring to.
referrence desk.jpg
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Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1146
Looks familiar .... :laugh:
Yes, you did excellent work. Has anyone approached you to commission one?
And would you post the links to your W-I-P pics on FofU and also the RPF, please?

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1149
Image
This was concept art for Sauron for Peter Jackson's trilogy. We all know what he ended upgoing with, but I thought this was interesting because it definitely fits within the vague but menacing descriptions given by Tolkien, and is suitably terrifying. I really wish they'd used this appearance in the movie at some point during the Third Age because a) he was not just an eye, and b) if executed properly this would've been downright freaky.

Now the interesting thing is, I swear that the first place I ever saw this was in the images gallery on the FOTR DVD. A few years ago when I bought the extended BluRay set, I rewatched all the supplements for old times sake, but also to see this image again. And I could not find it. So, I don't know if it was omitted from the gallery on the bluray release, or if I only just imagined it being in the gallery on the DVD. It's not in the Art of FOTR book, either.
"Olorin I was in the West that is forgotten...."

Re: Pure Middle-Earth discussion.

1150
Well, some of us still have the DVDs and never did buy the BDs.
Now, I haven't looked at the "extras" disc at all, but if you really did see it, we DVD types should be able to still see it, thereby assuring you that you are not imagining things.
Except that I can't watch the DVD at the moment... too much other stuff demanding my attention.
Maybe someone else who has the DVD can watch it and let you know ...

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

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