The Brainstorm

I can't remember whether I've posted this one before but even if I did I think he deserves a second look. I have no idea of what came to him after he pulled the light chain but it must be something he approves of. I did this one back in 2003 and for the life of me I can't find a record of what the nameplate says. "What I've Lost On Top........." is the only part of the phrase I can locate. I know it has something to do with his being bald but he just as well could be having that "Brainstorm". Whatever, I think the expression is a great one.
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There are a few more photos in the Gallery and as always, comments are welcome.
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Oh....and thanks for sticking your pin location in that map. I'm still trying to figure out how my buddy John up in Alaska ended up in the middle of the Atlantic!

Stretching His Rope-Part 3

I was finally able to get back into the shop today so I finished the base and the main part of the figures body.
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Before mounting the body I suggest you do a little experiment in front of a mirror, standing in a similar manner as this figure. If you look closely you'll note that you lean in the direction of the supporting leg. If you try to straighten that leg up you'll lose your balance. Remember this little detail when you mount the figure. If you look at the photo you can see I placed him just a little off-center. Don't want him to fall off the bookshelf!
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In the photos I also suggest a good reference book: Cowboys & The Trappings Of The Old West. I use that book on a constant basis to find new ways to do things. Naturally, there are others out there but this is one of the best.
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In the next part we'll do the arms. Lots of photos in the Gallery.

A Few Notes of Interest

You've probably noted that my posts have been a little slow lately. The reason for this is that things have necessitated our spending half of each day travelling back and forth to Joplin, Missouri for medical appointments. Nothing serious, just preventative. This, along with taking care of Boomer's pnemonia problem keeps us petty busy with not much time left over for woodcarving. Rest assured that I will get the new posts up as quickly as possible and within the next several weeks things should get back to where they should be.
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If you look over to the right you'll see a new Icon titled "Out West Blog Guest Locator". This is different than the "World Hits Map" in that it allows you to place a pushpin at your location and make a comment if you want. Also, unlike the other, entries will not be deleted after so many are received. So please take a moment and stick a pin in the map. Thanks!
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Lastly, I just want to again mention how much I appreciate your comments and your continuing interest in my carvings and my methods of carving When I look at those maps and see the number of visits that accumulate each day it makes it all the more worthwhile.
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Again, thanks!!

Stretching His Rope-Part 2

To the left is the template I used to make the base for this project. I used a piece of 1" Oak for the larger base, a piece of 1/2" Basswood for the second level and finally a piece of 1/8" panel for the top. The wide area between the Oak and Basswood pieces is large enough for a nice routed edge incorporating an attached Brass nameplate. It's little details like these that make your carvings really look sharp. If you want to use a nameplate you can find one online at www.signsbygwynn.com. I used their A-30 size brass plate for this one. The title of the piece will be in Double-line Block and my name in Script. You can just fill out the order on line or give them a call. They'll get it to you cheaper and a lot quicker than you can get it locally. Tell them I sent you.
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The attached photos show the whole process of making the base and locking in the wheel. In the next part we'll start working on the figure.
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Good luck! Lots of photos in the Gallery.

Stretching His Rope

The wheel is finished so now we start the figure. The drawing to the left has all the pieces along with the measurement of the body which will give you the sizes of the other parts. As his arms will be stretched while to make his loop we'll attach them. But don't worry about that now we're only concentrating on the body blank.
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You'll note that the wheel he's leaning against is tilted back a bit. I did this to give a more pleasing appearance to the piece. Having it stand straight up would make the whole piece look stiff. Also, as how he comes into contact with the wheel is very important we will do the base before we actually carve the body. This might sound kind of odd but you'll see the logic as we move along.
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So, let's get started! Lots of photos in the Gallery.

Pedro

Okay....I know I promised....No more Mexicans....but I thought you might like to see one with a complete body attached. This little guy only stands about 8" tall but he's a pretty neat little figure. I know I always smile when I see him....maybe it's the size of that hog-leg hanging on his cumberbun . I did this one several years back, based on a figure I saw down in Santiago, Chile of all places. There is a carver there named Rudolfo Gutierrez who is, I think, the best caricature carver in the world. A good friend of mine was fortunate enough to purchase several of his pieces and allowed me to make some quick sketches and this well-armed campesino is a result of that. To me he illustrates the requirements of just what all good caricatures should have:
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- A good pose. While he is pretty well straight legged, the bent arm and the cocked angle of his head gives him a relaxed, life-like look. The last thing you want when doing a figure is for it to look like it came from a block of wood. To me that's "corner-carving"!
- A facial expression that transfers to the viewer. You just can't help but smile when you look at this guy. You just know he's been up to something.
- A good costume. It's clearly Mexican in this case but even if he were fitted out in a suit it should be done in such a way that it compliments the figure.
- Lots of color and a few little details that show you really enjoyed creating the piece. Collectors love pieces that stand out from what they normally see.
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I looked through my files to see if I had more views of this piece but couldn't find any. Maybe someday I'll do another and invite you along for the ride.

Wagon Wheels-Part 3-Wheel Rims

This part might present a problem for some of you in that you don't have the materials, equipment or the expertise to accomplish it.

Well, don't worry....I'll tell you how to do it in a way I know you can manage. However, let's get the more difficult method behind us first.

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Years ago, when I was in a model wagon building phase, I went to a local metal shop and had them cut me a bunch of metal strips that I could use for wheel rims. With their metal shear they clipped them off in just a few minutes while it would have been impossible for me to accomplish on my own. While you may not want to go this far with your wheel I thought you might like to see how I managed this detail with mine. It is all explained in the attached photos so I won't repeat it here. If you do want to try it this way you'll at least know whats involved. Personally, I like metal rims as the real wagons had just this type of rim and the metal ... well, it looks like metal.

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As for other ways to make the rims I'll give you two different methods. The first is the most simple in that it only requires some poster board. Just cut some strips 1/4" wide and about 24" long. Lay them flat on some newspaper and paint them silver. I'd leave the back side of the strip unpainted so you will have a good surface for some glue. Using the same methods as described in the photos for the metal rim cut your strips so they match tight against the wheel. Apply a little carpenters glue around the rim and clamp the rims in place to dry. You should have a little overhang on each side of the wooden wheel.

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Another way is to use some 1/16" thick leather. This material would also would work the same as the other two methods. If you've been to the Charles M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana you probably saw a fantastic display of model wagons made by Dale Ford using leather as the rims. Here is a link to his website showing some of them: http://www.westernfineart.com/more_dale.html

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So there you have my methods for making wagon wheels. Like I said earlier, nothing fancy but good enough to get the job done. In the next part we'll start on the figure that leans against wheel.

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Lots of photos in the Gallery. Comments welcome too.