[CV3]

Completed face and hair. Other than some clean up. Moving to the top of the stick where I am going to do a eagle head. above the grip.

 

[cobalt]

you have got a good depth of cut there nice and clean, will look good with the eagles head on . a lot of work in it , looking forward to see the progression

 

[rdemler]

I don't have carving talent,but I know what I like.That is excellent!!

 

[CV3]

I don't have carving talent,but I know what I like.That is excellent!!

Thanks rdemler. All it takes to learn to carve is a sharp knife abd a box of Band Aids. There are some good how tos on youtube. It is not that hard to learn. It just takes time.

 

[rdemler]

Time is always in short supply for me.Maybe someday I'll have time to carve.

 

[yaxley]

Excellent work and enjoying the sequence (WIP). Is the "cedar" juniper? The reason I ask is I make a lot of sticks out of juniper and love the reddish/brown hue and excellent character. Yours looks very similar.

 

[CV3]

I am not sure Yaxley. I order some sticks from Kentucky Walking Sticks to fill some orders. He has nice air dried sticks. Two of those were cedar. It carves very nice. It is a titer drain different than cedar I have use in the past. I contacted him and he was not sure what type of cedar it was. I want some more.

 

[yaxley]

Very difficult to tell from pictures but it sure looks like juniper...especially the shaggy bark. It makes for excellent sticks (color and character) and is my favorite to date.When I was in Utah they would do "controlled" burns in the forest and I'd select the juniper that had scorched bark because it was even prettier than the regular.

I finish mine with tung oil. FYI

LAter, Bill

 

[CV3]

Sounds like we both spent time roaming the west. For a 15 year period I lived and or worked in almost every state west of the Mississippi River. I sent most of it in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and Texas. I use a marine Tung oil or marine urethane on just about all my sticks. Tung oil is my choice for most natural wood sticks. The urethane mostly on the painted projects.

 

[cobalt]

NOt familary with tung oil ,i use danish oil on my shanks and polyurethane on the carving

 

[CV3]

Tung oil is a old finish. It was used by the chines sense 400BC it is a good long lasting finish. It needs good ventilation when being applied. And it will darken the wood some. It takes time to build the finish to its beep luster but to me it is well worth the effort. There are allot brands out there. My choice is one called Waterlox.

 

[yaxley]

Tung oil was even used on "The Great Wall of China." Yes, it will darken the wood some but I've never seen that as a problem for me. It is a very forgiving finish, meaning the application is easy. I use a paste wax over the dried tung oil and really like it.

Tung oil, when dry, is considered non-toxic.

I never heard of marine tung oil and thanks for that tip, CV3. I was in a marine supply place today and they didn't have it but I did find it online. Will give it a try.

LAter, Bill

 

[CV3]

Bill,

A heads up on the marine Tung oil finish. It gives a higher gloss finish that the regular Tung oil. With Waterlox there is a tung oil marine sealer and a marine finish. I only use both when I want High gloss look. I use the Tung oil marine sealer like regular Tung oil most of the time. When I first ordered I got the finish and it is really a top coat.

 

[yaxley]

Thanks CV3. The regular tung oil I can get in a gloss, semi-gloss, or satin. I assume the marine tung oil is always on the glossy side?

LAter, Bill

 

[cobalt]

looks like i am going to have to try it.

danish oil is made from tung iol and one third varnish and gives a stain finish

Anything new to me is always worth a shot