The Process

Thirty-two years ago, equipped with an odd assortment of chisels, gouges, and knives; a Dremel rotary tool, and a $200 bandsaw from Builder's Square, I set about to carve people out of wood.  Today, I use the same basic equipment (still using that old bandsaw!) and the same basic carving process that I used back when I started.  In this section, you can see how I make a carving of Teddy Roosevelt as a Rough Rider. 

 

First, I draw the all important plan.  If you don't know where you're going, you'll get nowhere real fast.

In the next step, I use the side view as my plan to cut the carving out on the bandsaw (the front view determines the width of the carving).

The next step is to carve the head.  I use various gouges and knives to do this.  This is the most fun part for me.

The next step is to carve the body.

Next, the head is attached to the body and the entire carving is sanded with a rotary sander.

Next, I detail and finish the carving with polyurethane.

Now the carving is ready for painting.  The glasses are made using copper wire, solder, and lots of patience.  A pile of clay is used for positioning during soldering. 

Here are the painted and finished pieces (head, body, and base) ready for assembly.  The final step is to glue the whole thing together.

That's how I do it.  The faces and figures may change, but the method is the same.  If you have questions about the specifics of how I do this, send me an e-mail or call me.