Supersizing a female figurine

[Stigmorgan]

So last week SWMBO cousin passed away, she was a lovely lady who had suffered with her physical health all of her life and never once complained, her husband is a really nice guy and is now alone, I wanted to make something for him with a nod to Pauline, she adored the colour purple so I plan to incorporate it somewhere/somehow, so far i have drawn the storyboard to turn it, I don't have anything big enough to turn it from so will need to choose and source the wood, because of the size I plan to make her in 3 parts - legs, torso and hat. There's no rush so I'm not going to rush this. Would appreciate your thoughts/opinions on my design and possible woods.

 

[Fred48]

@Stigmorgan
A purple hat turned from figured oak. The medullary rays should shine through beautifully. Just a thought
Fred

 

[Sachakins]

Obvious choice would be to incorporate some Purple Heart timber into it as some accent points. Also Tulip wood is light in colour, would let the Purple Heart stand out too.

 

[Stigmorgan]

@Stigmorgan
A purple hat turned from figured oak. The medullary rays should shine through beautifully. Just a thought
Fred

That's my thought at the minute, I have some purple acrylic paint, I've used black before to do the same with oak and it looked great, I've also got purple glitter that would add to the pop.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Obvious choice would be to incorporate some Purple Heart timber into it as some accent points. Also Tulip wood is light in colour, would let the Purple Heart stand out too.

Had considered that but doesn't purple heart turn brown after a while?

 

[Sachakins]

Had considered that but doesn't purple heart turn brown after a while?

Sun exposure can do that. I've got a purple heart bowl I turned about 4 years back and is still purple, but darker shade, but not in direct sunlight.

 

[Bob Chapman]

In your drawings the head seems very small in relation to the body?

 

[yetloh]

What a nice creative idea. Purpleheart will eventually turn bown - one of the reasons I have never used it. Have you considered a colour fast wood dye? Not only would this give you the colour you seek but it would also enable this to be further enhanced by the beauty of the wood itself. If this is not a concern, your acrylic paint would do the job and give you a purer colour uninfluenced bu the wood itself.

Jim

 

[Stigmorgan]

What a nice creative idea. Purpleheart will eventually turn bown - one of the reasons I have never used it. Have you considered a colour fast wood dye? Not only would this give you the colour you seek but it would also enable this to be further enhanced by the beauty of the wood itself. If this is not a concern, your acrylic paint would do the job and give you a purer colour uninfluenced bu the wood itself.

Jim

I use the acrylic because it can be washed off leaving noticeable traces within the grain a bit like wood dyes, also the hat will be from a plainer/white wood so that the purple shows more, gonna leave the hat until the body is done, going to have to buy the oak for that as I have nothing left big enough for the 9" base, in an ideal world I'd love to have the bark on the rim of the base but I'm thinking that's a wish too far

 

[Mrs C]

Please don’t do this! I personally cant think of anything worse - all my curves in what I would consider to be in the wrong places set in stone (or maybe wood) for ever more? Her husband may love it - but personally I would coming back and beating you around the head with it, regardless of how good it is.

Perhaps do her favourite hat as a vase?

Apologies for being so blunt, but I would hate for you to offend the living or the dead, regardless of you intentions

 

[Stigmorgan]

Finally made it to my tree surgeons yard and oh boy I was not disappointed, he has a barn half full of stuff that is more than 5 years old, I spend 2 hours just looking through it all, I found 2 pieces of oak that will fit the bill but they were at the front and still very heavy so I may round them off then bake them in the oven to dry them out a bit, also found 2 other pieces that will do for the figurine if I can't get the oak to dry without too many cracks, also picked out a load of lengths and smaller pieces, I'll get some picks tomorrow when I have time but here's a quick video of the barn I picked through today, he also has a couple of outside areas that I didn't have time to look through.

 

[Fred48]

@Stigmorgan .
Looking forward to watching this wonderful project develop
Fred

 

[Stigmorgan]

So today I made a start on her, I've decided to use the green oak I picked up yesterday, cutting it down to fit the lathe watch a complete PITA. I have roughed out the shape and brought the rim of the skirt to final thickness in the hope that it distorts a little, a wavy edge would look good I think, I have left enough under the skirt for a base that site out 2 or 3mm from the skirt, this will give a floating look and stop pressure from the weight of the whole thing sitting on the thin rim of the dress, for now I've sealed everything in wax to stop it drying too much until I can get back to it.

 

[baldkev]

Go for it stig
I once had an offcut of a green oak beam. I want it to develop character, so i ran it over the planer, chamfered the top and stuck it in the airing cupboard for 6 weeks.
At some point i might get round to filling the cracks with lead ( strips hammered in tight ) and carefully cut them back flush to give a cool contrast. I nearly epoxy'd it, but I'd like to try the lead route

 

[Stigmorgan]

Almost halfway now, lower half is shaped and sanded to 240g, a couple of small cracks appeared in the rim which is about 2mm thick so once sanded I put a thick coat of linseed oil on which soaked in within minutes so a 2nd coat was put on, I imagine it will take a 3rd and 4th coat before the day is overgoing to leave it on the lathe until the oil stops soaking in. Took a pic of it standing once I'd turned a tenon and put it in the chuck, it sits exactly as I hoped, looks almost like its floating.

 

[Pabs]

@Stigmorgan nice packing tape plaster!

Please don’t do this!

I don't think he is making her likeness, rather incorporating her favourite colour into a figurine
This is part assumption (and please correct me I'm just fascinated by the project) on my part as don't know upon which figurine he is basing her on or if this is entirely his mind's eye. Besides my wifey would be bloody happy with a 9" base.

 

[Fred48]

Almost halfway now, lower half is shaped and sanded to 240g, a couple of small cracks appeared in the rim which is about 2mm thick so once sanded I put a thick coat of linseed oil on which soaked in within minutes so a 2nd coat was put on, I imagine it will take a 3rd and 4th coat before the day is overgoing to leave it on the lathe until the oil stops soaking in. Took a pic of it standing once I'd turned a tenon and put it in the chuck, it sits exactly as I hoped, looks almost like its floating.
View attachment 154055View attachment 154056View attachment 154057
View attachment 154058

beautiful flowing curves.

 

[Stigmorgan]

@Stigmorgan nice packing tape plaster!


I don't think he is making her likeness, rather incorporating her favourite colour into a figurine
This is part assumption (and please correct me I'm just fascinated by the project) on my part as don't know upon which figurine he is basing her on or if this is entirely his mind's eye. Besides my wifey would be bloody happy with a 9" base.

I caught myself with the handsaw and it left a flap of skin that keeps catching so had to cover it.
100% not a likeness, I just sat down with some paper and drew out some lines that look pleasing to me, Pauline and her husband had said to me a few day before she deteriorated that they really liked my little figures, Pauline also always wore something with purple on it so I'm making the figure from Oak because the grain combined with the rays will look amazing with the curves I turn into the wood, haven't decided on what the hat will be made from but it will be purple.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Went out this morning to see how she had survived the night and 3 cracks have opened in the rim and to be honest I don't mind them being there and wouldn't have an issue if a couple more opened up, they only go as far as the base. Seeing as this whole thing is an experiment I decided to try something with the finish, I made a slurry using linseed oil and Yandles own brand of hardwax polish and worked it into the wood and let it dry then buffed it off, then I applied a coat of just the hardwax and buffed it up, it gave a really nice finish then I worked in another coat of the slurry and have left it at that, I wouldn't say it's cold in the maker space but it isn't warm either which seems to help stop the wood drying too quickly but then causes the wax finishes to harden before they can soak into the wood.
I'll get some more pics later.

 

[Stigmorgan]