Mice carving

cjmiller · 17 Sep 2009

I've finished - well nearly for now - the carving from the wedge-shaped piece of oak burr. The full set of pics and commentary is on my blog at,
http://colin89fair.blogspot.com/
but I'll try to hotlink some pics here.
Would welcome feedback - bear in mind I had to use my mobile since I still can't find the camera lead

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZUNfpMGllK4/S ... mice15.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ZUNfpMGllK4/S ... /mice2.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZUNfpMGllK4/S ... mice13.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ZUNfpMGllK4/S ... /mice7.jpg
It took 3 days using my new Axminster multi-tool small gouge and router, and the rest is hand finished. So far it just has a coat of sanding sealer but I like the colour.

wizer · 17 Sep 2009

Is this your first carving or have you been doing it a while? It's certainly better than anything I could do. I've often wondered how people who carve 'in the round' picture what they are doing. I'm sure I'd end up carving off one of it's ears or something whilst carving another part of it. Certainly a skilled craft. Well Done.

Paul.J · 17 Sep 2009

That looks fantastic Colin,especially if this is your first attempt :shock:
Looks a lovely piece of Burr too

cjmiller · 17 Sep 2009

Hi Paul and Wizer,
Yes, this is a first attempt - well, I did make a rocking horse for the kiddies about 18 years ago but that was on a different scale altogether!
I really just followed the burrs to keep as much of the oak as possible and the mice were hiding there all along :lol:
I used to make guitars for a living with George Lowden (for the guitarists amongst you) and my speciality was finishing, so did all of the fine work with inlays, purflin and then sanding, spraying and polishing, so I guess the kinetic memory is still there along with the love of wood. I also did CDT at college but never used it to be honest, though, along with the guitars which we made from the log up, I'm comfortable with power tools.
Was across at the neighbour's last night for an intro to turning, so can't wait to get stuck into the rest of the oak burrs

cjmiller · 17 Sep 2009

Oops! I meant kinaesthetic memory (I think)

frugal · 18 Sep 2009

They are lovely.

My brain in it's wapred and twisted way was expecting something different from a thread entitled "Mice Carving", I was expecting a room full of rodents busily trying to complete their projects in order to earn their daily rind of cheese