[Gloops]

Ready for shanking on a sweet chestnut shang bark off and fumed to a caramel colour, picked up at the stick club

 

[Rodnogdog]

Very nice carving, you're good!

 

[CV3]

looks like he is wait for a treat. Well done!

 

[cobalt]

nice piece never tried stipping th bark of chestnut .could you post a pic. of the shank

 

[MJC4]

Great looking carving. When U say "fumed" can u please explain the process.

 

[Whiteroselad]

I love the carving mate, He looks like a very contented dog. I am curious, do you carve from; a picture, photo, memory or life model? I only ask as I have never tried carving at all.....yet! N.

 

[cobalt]

I usually start from some pictures . i draw the subject bearing in mind the size i want and how i want to mount the subject.

I do like to have both side views and front views also top views .which are helpful to scale them .

When satisfied with the drawings i make a cardboard pattern then trace this onto the wood of choice .cut out with a saw .

I then drill the hole for the mounting bar ,carve into the round.

I always have pictures in front of me whilst carving it is helpful.

i also preper the shank drilling the hole into it then clarly the fixing piont where topper meets the shank to get a good trasition fix.

I do occasionaly draw straight onto the wood before carving if i am familar with the subject/

It is very useful to keep the cardboard patterens as they do come in useful if someone asks for the same subject matter.

There are some very good pattern books available for wild fowl decoys and from what I seen the heads on them do not want much modification. they are life size decoys which seems to work well when fitting onto a 1inch shank

Everyone will have there own way of working when dressing a stick/hiking pole

Painting is another matter its so easy to spoil a good carving with it to may people put it on to thick and cover up the details the put on to it. its better to apply thin coats and build it up also you often see the paint applied in one coat without slight variations in colour and without the paints being blended into one or other

you will find the best way of working that suits you with practise as we are all different doing different style

The American and English style is very different both in approach and application in dressing the shank with more attention being paid to sanding and carving the shank , rather than the topper

 

[Rodney]

You do some very nice work.

Rodney

 

[Whiteroselad]

Thanks cobalt, for your in depth explanation of how you do your carving. By the sounds of things it helps if you are the artistic type, I am definitely no artist so I will try to get on top of the more basic sticks first. Cheers N.

 

[cobalt]

you dont have to be a artist just copy a pic from the net size it so the pic approx the right diameter of say a duck neck for the shank . basically get it in the round and most of the jobs done a few tweaks on the beak

If i can carve pretty sure anyone can And wild fowl are the easiest thing to carve there is.

I do like GLoops dogs not only well carved but well painted

 

[Gloops]

Great looking carving. When U say "fumed" can u please explain the process.

Hi MJC4,

Fuming is a chemical wood staining process where the wood is placed in a container with ammonia, and it is the fumes from this that staines the wood. On a commercial basis it is done under pressure.

 

[Gloops]

I love the carving mate, He looks like a very contented dog. I am curious, do you carve from; a picture, photo, memory or life model? I only ask as I have never tried carving at all.....yet! N.

Hi , Anythig showing the suject is good, Google images is allways a good starting place

 

[Whiteroselad]

It is something that I will try for definite then, I will look into it as I hopefully progress through my stick making journey. I will take your advice cobalt and look at wildfowl when I do start. Cheers mate. N.

 

[Whiteroselad]

Cheers Gloops. When I start then that will be my first stop. Cheers. N.