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Hats off to a
wood-turner
By James and Dorothy Richardson | Contributors to The Christian Science Monitor
SOMERSET,
KY. – How does a guy get from the big cities of New York and
California to the hills of Kentucky? And how does a person go from
occupations in electronics, banking, and construction to working with
chunks of felled trees? Ask Chris Ramsey (aka
"Knothead") of Somerset,
Ky., and he will explain that it's about a hobby that turned into a
passion.
Wood turning is the process of transforming a solid block of
wood into something more useful, whether it is furniture, knickknacks, or
art. In the case of Knothead, it is definitely
art.
Actually, it's wearable art, since he makes unusual wooden
hats and caps. His arty headgear is custom -fitted and lightweight, not to
mention weatherproof.
His hats have gained so much attention that many celebrities
have placed orders. NASCAR drivers, other sports figures, country music
stars, and politicians are among the fans of his work. President George W.
Bush also has a couple of Mr. Ramsey's hats.
It takes patience, skill, and time to go from a piece of
fallen tree to a finished work of art. The first step is to obtain the
measurements for the planned hat or cap. The artist not only has to get the
correct size, but also the shape of the customer's head. Then he must
select just the right piece of wood. If Mr. Ramsey has a certain project in
mind, he will look for a specific size and type of tree.
Using a chain saw, his piece of wood, or blank as he calls
it, is cut to the approximate size needed and rounded as much as possible.
The blank is then placed on a lathe, which spins the blank and roughly
rounds the piece of wood. Then Ramsey's artistic side comes into play as he
trims away the rougher portions, and the shape of the finished product
begins to appear.
Next, work is begun on the inside. The hat or cap must be
hollowed out on the lathe. Then, in one of the most critical parts of the
process, a low-wattage light bulb is affixed to his lathe so that it is in
the hollowed-out area. He turns the lights off in the room so that as he
turns the lathe to trim away the excess wood and get the hat to the correct
thickness (usually about 3/32nds of an inch), the light shines through. As
the wood gets thinner, the light is brighter.
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WOODEN
WEARABLE ART: Chris Ramsey, also known as 'Knothead,' is no ordinary wood-turner. His specialty
is hats and caps, which are made from fallen trees.
JAMES & DOROTHY RICHARDSON
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If someone wants a logo on a cap, he allows a thickness of
wood to remain while he works on the lathe. The logo is then manually
etched. He doesn't need to paint, since he uses a colored piece of wood -
ebony, purple heart, or rosewood.
To get the correct shape of the finished hat or cap, Ramsey
uses an apparatus that causes stress on the wood to bend or curl the hat
and its brim into the desired form. Heat lamps are applied to make the
shape hold. After a final hand sanding, up to 20 coats of lacquer are
applied over several days. A single hat takes many days.
Southeastern Kentucky attracts artisans working in many
media. One reason Ramsey enjoys the art-rich area so much, he says, is that
there are more fallen trees here than in other places he has lived.
• For more information: Chris Ramsey, 212 Ohio Street,
Somerset, KY 42501; (606) 677-2466; e-mail: artist@knot-head.com;
website: www.knot-head.com.
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TOM BROWN - STAFF
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