When I start making a float I start with a block of wood about 6 inches long and 3/4 inch square, my first job is to turn the wood down so I'm left with a round section just over 1/2 inch diameter, from that initial turning I get a better idea of how the wood is going to look on the finished float, it doesn't always work out that way as the pattern can change further as you remove more material (see the Crow Quill Avon).
Then I have to decide from which part of the dowel I'm going to make the float, theres a lot of wasted material in this but its essential to get great looking floats. This time when checking the Yew dowel I thought i would get 2 good floats from the one piece. My original thought was that I would make a matched pair but after more checking I decided that one long bodied float and a short bodied float would be ideal.
I was still a bit dissapointed how my first Crow Avon turned out so here was a chance to make a second that should be much nicer, after cutting the length off for the Avon I thought the left over part would make another reverse Crow Quill. So that was the idea and I started work on them.
I'm very happy with how they turned out, this is the Avon.
And this is the reverse waggler.
Hard to believe they come from the same small piece of wood isnt it?
A closer look at the body
The Avon is 17cm long and the waggler 18.5cm.
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