Homage to Bob Smith - Cairns - Tamarind

[wattynine]

I only met the man once, so I cannot give you his history except from what I hear from the people of Cairns and that is simply he loved his bonsai and was an advocate of the art for North Queensland. On paying this homage I hope I got the name right or that someone can correct me if I am wrong. This tree was purchased from him around 6 or so years ago and I have recently found out he passed away not long after.
The tree started life as an aerial graft and I only found this out about two years after I bought it when I repotted it and found a ball of sphagnum moss at its base. Anyway that was about 6 or so years ago and this tree has been cut back and re-styled and re-potted a bunch of times. Three months ago I re-potted it and it took so long to come back I thought I had killed it but around three weeks ago the shoots developed and I praised and thanks the bonsai god for his input.
I like this one so I am interested in hearing thoughts good or bad on where it is going, or direction it should go
cheers,
Watty

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[Ash]

Hi again Watty,

Yes Bob Smith was his name. He operated a nursery at Whiterock on the south side of Cairns for many years. Your tamarind has an attractive shape and it has a promising future - however I am going to have a dig at that loose and shoddily anchored wiring Watty!

cheers

Ashley

[wattynine]

Thanks for the interest and post Ash, always willing to listen and take advice from you.
Probably time I upgraded my wire, I have used it time and time agin, attempting each time to straighten it out but after a while it just won't twist or bend where you want it to due to previous use, anyway that's a poor excuse and I take your advise, duly noted.
As I endeavour now to improve on the "stumps" that I have, probably time to improve on some techniques as well.
Regards and Merry Christmas
Watty

[GavinG]

You can anneal (soften) used wire I believe by building a straw fire around, under and over it, and letting it cool slowly. Or (please correct me if I'm wrong) 200degC in oven for (guessing) ten minutes, then cool slowly - this may take some domestic negotiation. Copper wire - I'm not sure about the aluminium. You can look it up.

By all means anchor your wire more firmly, but as the tree stands, it's done its job, and you can be proud of it. Long life to both of you!

Gavin

[bodhidharma]

The tree has a great future W.N. You need a vice and multi grips or good pliers to straighten your wire. Simply put the end in the vice and turn in the opposite direct to the twist and then repeat on the other side. I do it regularly.

[wattynine]

Thanks Bodhi, my wife thinks I am an absolute whack job sitting in front of the vice with my pliers, sometimes for hours straightening out bent wire, so I am already at that point, comes a point though that the wire has that "internal" twist to it that you just can't get out. I imagine she'll have a riot when I am sitting around my little smoke fire like an indian cooking worms.
Have read about the small fire to get out the twists, it gets mentioned I am sure in Koreshoff's Bonsai Encyclopedia, never done and it sounds like GavinG has heard about but not done it also.
Must give that a shot when I am done with this lot of wire............ What am I talking about, for sure it'll go straight on another tree!!
thanks for responding
Watty

[wattynine]

This one is a dead shame, no pun intended.
And a unfortunate cause of death as far as I can figure.
As all of my trees are out in the open I commonly get birds sitting all over them including bloody magpies, crows, minor birds, and my guess is one of these bigger buggers sat on the end and pulled it out of the pot, it dried out, end of story.
Shame I really liked this one and it had a story and a history.
Watty

[Graeme]

Mate, that really is a crook bit of news, sorry you had to tell it. At least you've got another pot to use for something. (Have to look for something good in every catastrophe)