A work in progress...

This post is in response to several requests I've received, asking that I put up some pictures of a work in progress. Depending on how fast work on this piece progresses, I'll try to update at least once a week.

The stock for this piece is a red cedar log, about 4' long and 15" in diameter. About one third of it sliced off with a chainsaw, and it's been drying for about 2 years. The first step is to cut profiles in both planes; this provides outlines to work from, and makes it a lot easier to keep everything proporional. In the photo above, the front profile has been marked and partially cut.

In this photo, one side of the front profile has been cut. To maintain proportions, the cuts have to be exactly perpendicular to the flat face of the stock. Since this is 'green' wood, the cut face is then sealed to minimize uneven drying and cracking.

Both profiles have been cut, and the wood sealed again. The side profile was marked from both sides using a cardboard template, and a laser to transfer the outline to the wood. After the sealant dried, I covered the piece in damp towels to reduce drying of the freshly exposed wood; I knew it would be several days before I could work on it again, and I didn't want it to self-destruct!

The next step is to mark the high lines on each profile, and then start rounding off the sharp corners between the lines. The center line of the back is also marked, and the depression between the lats is removed with a V-gouge.

Final rough shaping of the upper back is finished with a rasp, and bone and muscle details are drawn on then carved. These details are very prominent now, but will be much more subtle once sanding is complete. The piece is stood up so that the details are visible; if the work is laid horizontal, strong overhead lighting completely washes out the details. Note the big white knot between the shoulder blades. That's one of the interesting challenges of working with wood; you never know what you'll find in the middle of a log! (sorry for the fuzzy picture; I'll try to remember to get a better shot before I start the next session.)

The back and shoulders are mostly finished; I still have a lot of work to do on the lower leg and the base. My wife says the right dimple is too low; now that it's been pointed out to me, I agree that it doesn't look quite right, so I'll probably flatten out that section of the lower back and recut the dimple a bit higher.

Side view. From this angle you can see that the right leg is forward. The white is sapwood; it's softer and a bit tricky to work, but I think the color variety give the wood character.

I started hollowing the piece out about a week ago. While working on the back, I actually heard the wood crack a couple of times; the moisture difference between the center and the surface was creating considerable stress, and I knew if I didn't get it thinned down pretty quickly I would likely lose the whole thing. By this point, probably about 70% of the original log has been cut away, and I still have a lot of wood to remove. I've already filled two large trash bags with red cedar shavings (but my shop smells really nice!).

Time to clean up a bit! This pile of shavings was enough to fill a 3rd 40 gallon trash bag. The shop is a mess, but the piece is finally getting lighter. That 4 ft log was a beast to move around the shop!



The front contours are mostly finished, and the inside has been rough-sanded. There was substantial damage and cracking in the right "cheek", so I had to hollow the whole section out. With air-dried wood, you sometimes have to change your plans and work with what you've got. I once found live bees inside an old log!

I had initially left a large hunk of wood at the base to make the piece easier to handle. After many hours of sanding I was finally ready to tackle the lower leg, so I cut off the base, shaped the calf and ankle, and mounted the piece to a temporary base. A heavy initial coat of finish was applied to harden the surface wood and highlight flaws (there were many!). After it dries, I'll fix the flaws and sand and prep for the finish coats, then start working on a permanent base (probably marble).

After two spray coats of satin poly, the piece is just starting to develop a bit of shine. Cedar is very absorbent, and it takes several coats before the finish starts to build up on the surface. Planned on starting the base today, but it's just too hot!

Abstract

May 2011
Black Walnut   39" X 17" X 15"

Not my usual figurative work; I decided to try my hand at a purely abstract piece. I also used a new lamination technique, which allows for more depth using thinner stock lumber but requires a ridiculous number of clamps. Black walnut is an extremely hard wood that I haven't worked with in some time; I'd forgotten how hard it is to get toolmarks out of this stuff! Maybe too many new things at once, but it was a fun piece to make. I'll probably go back to figurative work (and a softer wood!) for my next piece, but I may revisit this style at some point; with a little practice, it may have some promise.