Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Wounded freedom - Experimental sculpture using woodturning and wood carving techniques

























Tools and materials I propose:

Bandsaw

Carving knives set

Lathe

Wood turning tools set

Chuck kit

Wood Carving Detail Knife

Rotary tool

5 minute epoxy

Cordless drill


You can find the carbide cutters I used in my friend's Kostas site:

https://www.annikas.gr/



In this video I tried to use the lathe as a primary tool in wood sculpting. My bird is based on a bowl which I then shaped using carving knives. I made it out of basswood which is a wood that can be carved really nicely and easy. 


The project begun with a circular piece of basswood which I cut on the bandsaw. 


I then drilled a pilot hole and mounted the piece on the lathe using a screw chuck. 


I used a bowl gouge to shape the exterior side of the bowl. Then I used my carbide cutting tools to shape the tenon for my chuck. 


I sanded the bowl and then I reversed chucked it. I hollowed the bowl with the bowl gouge. As a finishing pass I used the round carbide scraper tool. I sanded again.


To remove the tenon I used a spoon carving knife. Then I used a flat scraper and sand paper to remove the tool marks. 


Once I had my bowl ready it was time to start the carving process. I first designed my shape with a pencil. Then I cut most parts out with the bandsaw. 


With my carving knives I carved the final shape. When using the knives it is important to pay attention to the grain of the wood. This way you get easier and cleaner cuts. 


Once I finished the carving I used a drum sanding bit on my rotary tool to smooth everything out. 


I wanted my bird to look  like it’s been hit by arrows in the air. So I epoxied three nails after I first drilled their holes. 


I sanded everything from 100, 220,320 and 400grit. I then finished my piece with about 5 coats of clear. I lightly sanded between coats with 400grit. Especially the first coat really raised the grain. So sanding after that was essential. 


It was a really interesting project for me. I am happy with the end result. But that was it. See you soon with a new project video.



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