What's on your workbench June 2022
- Thread starter bob welsh
- Start date
Nice Spoonbill head! Did you carve that?
Bill Embacher
Well-known member
Nice work Bob!
Bob
Really nice work, especially on your own head. You mentioned tupelo. What dimensions are you getting your tupelo in and can you share with me the price? Also, I've always heard carvers use the base of the tree for their tupelo, but I have to wonder if the mills really separate the base from the rest of the tree. You can't tell the base from the trunk by looking so how would anyone ever know?
Eric
Really nice work, especially on your own head. You mentioned tupelo. What dimensions are you getting your tupelo in and can you share with me the price? Also, I've always heard carvers use the base of the tree for their tupelo, but I have to wonder if the mills really separate the base from the rest of the tree. You can't tell the base from the trunk by looking so how would anyone ever know?
Eric
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bob welsh
Well-known member
I am afraid I won't be much help. A carver in the Chicago area was done with his hobby and blew out all the wood in his shop. He had several large thick pieces that I got that i use for special projects. When it's gone i'll have to scrounge some more. He had this stuff for 20 years. This season when I am in Louisiana I will look for some. I think you are correct on the butt end of the logs being preferred for decoys.
Ben
Interesting. I have a decent sized stump in my wood stack that we cut a few years ago. I quartered it and there must be enough wood for several dozen decoy heads. It is dry and as far as wood goes very soft and growth rings are nearly invisible. I haven't had a piece of tupelo trunk in my hand so I don't know how it compares to the stump, but I just can't imagine it being all that different. Anyone here ever try carving wood from both ends of the log? When I see tupelo going for $25 a board foot I suspect some mills don't separate the bell shape base, instead they remove the taper and saw the entire log where it goes to the middleman who sells it to carvers who have no way of knowing, along with other consumers who don't care. Would a carver really be able to tell their wood wasn't from the base? Or does the base wood work markedly different under knife and rotary tool than the rest of the log? Carvers always make that claim, but do they really know when they didn't harvest and process the log and try working both ends?
This is just one of those things I've always heard decoy carvers say but after being around wood and mills I'm not so sure it isn't more myth than truth. Sounds like you know of one who truly does harvest the stumps, but I'm not so sure all that $25 per board foot tupelo I found for sale online truly is stump wood and that it would even be noticeable. Guess I need to drag a whole log out of a swamp and see for myself. I happen to have access to such a place.
Eric
Interesting. I have a decent sized stump in my wood stack that we cut a few years ago. I quartered it and there must be enough wood for several dozen decoy heads. It is dry and as far as wood goes very soft and growth rings are nearly invisible. I haven't had a piece of tupelo trunk in my hand so I don't know how it compares to the stump, but I just can't imagine it being all that different. Anyone here ever try carving wood from both ends of the log? When I see tupelo going for $25 a board foot I suspect some mills don't separate the bell shape base, instead they remove the taper and saw the entire log where it goes to the middleman who sells it to carvers who have no way of knowing, along with other consumers who don't care. Would a carver really be able to tell their wood wasn't from the base? Or does the base wood work markedly different under knife and rotary tool than the rest of the log? Carvers always make that claim, but do they really know when they didn't harvest and process the log and try working both ends?
This is just one of those things I've always heard decoy carvers say but after being around wood and mills I'm not so sure it isn't more myth than truth. Sounds like you know of one who truly does harvest the stumps, but I'm not so sure all that $25 per board foot tupelo I found for sale online truly is stump wood and that it would even be noticeable. Guess I need to drag a whole log out of a swamp and see for myself. I happen to have access to such a place.
Eric
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benp
Well-known member
Like you I have never had a piece that I could confirm came from different places on the tree but all the pieces I have I can not see growth rings, I wonder if that would be the e tell. The main trunk has rings while the stump doesn't.
I'll try and remember to ask the guy the next time I see him if he knows if there is a noticeable difference.
I'll try and remember to ask the guy the next time I see him if he knows if there is a noticeable difference.
Got the skin on the prototype. I thought I would get a better feel for how it will look finished but with the ribs showing like a starving horse it is difficult to envision. I will have to give it a quick paint job to make up my mind if it is good to go or need some modification before making another 5.
Michael McCord
Active member
Got a great deal on a bare hull 16' alumacraft with a Yamaha 40 tiller. Reran some janky wiring this weekend and will be adding a floor and livewell soon. It'll be a do all rig that will see action 12 months out of the year. 
Should have taken a few "before" pics, all I have are photos of the finished piece.
AMERICAN BLACK WALNUT
12-1/4 DIAMETER BY 2-5/8 DEPTH
HAND RUBBED SHELLAC FINISH
AMERICAN BLACK WALNUT
12-1/4 DIAMETER BY 2-5/8 DEPTH
HAND RUBBED SHELLAC FINISH
MLBob Furia
Well-known member
[size 4]
Beautiful bowl, Dave. Nice piece of Walnut.
Beautiful bowl, Dave. Nice piece of Walnut.
MLBob Furia said:
Thanks Bob, it does have some character going on.
