Eagle three

I was able to get some more carving done this week and man is this a big project. I put about 4 more hours into it this week and it looks pretty much the same. I had to skinny up the wings quite a bit which took the most time but I also added some more shape to the feet and head.
The main problem I ran into was the bottom of the wings, which you can see in the picture below. There just not symmetrical, which really bothers me. I almost have them fixed but ran out of time when my helper got home and didn't get a picture. I show comparison photo's in another blog later, but don't worry it will be fine. I just have to cut away everything that doesn't look like an eagle.

Below is a good view of how much I took off the wings so they weren't so chunky. Chunky is good on babies not eagles. Also, you can see more shape to the head and beak.

I think I have about 20+ hours in this already and will probably spend that much more trying to complete it, unless it really speeds up which sometimes happens when I don't run into to many symmetry problems.

This is when production came to a grinding halt, but when all the fun started. Henry is really jammin' to some tunes.
You see, I told you, chunky is good on babies not eagles.

This was about 6 weeks ago. I was in the other room and didn't hear any noise ( this is a real red flag to a parent of a toddler who loves his brother but can't really love gentle ) So I ran in the room and found that I was wrong he can love gentle.
For you that don't know me the littlest is Harrison ( he is abut 10 weeks now ) and believe it or not, just as cute as his big brother.

Last one I promise. Henry jammin' with daddy's scwrench ( chainsaw wrench, also known as a T-wrench )

Eagle two

This is where we left off (above). A few guide lines with the sharpie and I'm ready to go.

It really helps to sit back and stare at the carving for a few minutes and making some rough sketch lines before getting after at it, just to make sure the proportions are right. With this large of a project ( 5ft tall x 18in around ) it's easy to get lost in one section and mess up the entire carving,

This is the sketch lines drawn with the tip of my chainsaw. Man it really helps to visualize it with just a few cuts.

I still have lots of work to do but its going good so far. At this point if I mess anything up it should be fairly easy to fix. It seems for me that if I make a mistake that can't be overcome ,without a fire, it's usually within the first few steps. So far anyway.

This is my oldest boy Henry. He's helping daddy water some sod that I got from work and used to patch in some of my lawn.
I threw it in because he's so stinkin' cute.

Eagle one

This big chunk of Hackberry was one of four logs I got from some random old guy driving down my street one day while I was carving in my driveway. It was really hard to understand what he was saying, but he wanted to give me logs. Well, I have no shortage of logs and didn't really want them until he said I could cut what I wanted and he'd load them with his backhoe. Load them with a backhoe, I thought ; they must be big. Well they are, I could only take two at a time because I drive a Ford Ranger, so I made two trips. The logs are 18in in diameter and 4 to 5 feet tall weighing around 300lbs, I think. I had to move them by myself twice. Let me just say a fella can move more than he thinks with the right leverage.
Anyway, This is the only one I have carved on yet and it's hard. I roughed it out about 4 months ago and it's been sitting in my driveway getting questions like, is it a bunny, is it an angel, is it a gargoyle which is fine because now I want to carve all of the above, but I must see this one done before changing directions.

The first two pictures are the original rough out work, the last two are almost up to date, minus the work on the tail and legs, that is not shown.

Now it's starting to look like the eagle is landing where I want him. Let me just say I have to sharpen all 4 of my chains which had just been sharpened prior to this 3 hour session. Usually I can get by with two chains.
Doesn't look like much for 3 hours but I'm excited again about this project and that seems to be the most important part, motivation. If I don't like the way it is looking I'm very capable of cutting it's head off and warming myself next to it's burial, but this has only happened once. Usually I can look at it with disgust for a while and then get bored and fix it.

Finished fishin'

The trash man said no more wood scrap in the trash or they would have to charge me more money. Does that make any sense to anyone? Oh well whatever, this way of disposal is much more fun and this winter will help keep me warm when I'm carving in my covered and well lit carving fort which this project is funding.
So other than a few minor setbacks all went well with the completion of the crappie which 3 different fishermen guessed first try. Don't feel bad if you guessed wrong ; aunt Jerri, because the arm fin was an inch to high the first time and that threw the whole thing off. What? you never heard the term, arm fin, well it's real scientific, and much funnier than pectoral fin.

Here she is in all her glory. Steve told me not to worry about putting a finish on it but I had to because I knew the beautiful grain would really pop with something on it. I used Thompson's water seal because it really helps repel water and is a clear finish. This picture is right after my second attempt at a finish so it looks glossy but is just wet. Second attempt? Oh yeah the first attempt I didn't check the forecast and it got well below 50 degrees that night and clouded it over so I had to strip it off and do it again

The last step in carving the fish was the scales. I took a u-gouge and ground the sharp edge flat and used it as a punch with a mallet like a thousand times for what I think looks real fishy.
I also carved the eye with my chip-carving knife.

Al, I hope you enjoy your fishy stump, I sure enjoyed carving it and I recommend sealing it every spring and setting it on a gravel bed or something to keep it off the wet ground to extend it's life.

Commission Fishin'

Commission Fishin'A friend from church asked me to carve his neighbor a fish on his walnut stump. I probably would have never attempted to carve a realistic fish, just because I'm not into fish, unless of coarse it's cooked on a plate with a squeeze of lemon. Yum.
This fish is a specific type of fish, which I will not mention in hope that you will guess what it is so I'll know that it looks right. This is important to the project because he was very specific in what he wanted. I told him it would look good or he would get a load of mulch and we don't want anymore stinking mulch.

Man I love walnut, the grain is wonderful and so is the smell.

It's been 3 or 4 months since I've been able to carve with a chainsaw, because of weather, time change and I am a father of 2 small boys as well as a husband which I would like to continue to be. I almost forgot how much I love doing it and thank the Lord, my wife and the weather for letting me do it. Anyway, I'll post the finished project hopefully next weekend.