Another Day Carving
on Totem
i used Babe as a reference and she is 3 foot long to give you an idea of how large the statue is
Well not a whole
day but would say that carving of totem was the highlight of my day. In
actuality I only spent an hour but was able to define the figures or heads, as
well the fish also, so that they are more recognizable. I still haven’t flipped
the log to work on other areas but I believe I will do that today as I continue
the process. After flipping the fish will become more apparent and I can begin
to look at the wing mount.
I am kinda torn
on the wing mount as I kinda like the down-turned wing span, much like a real
eagle. This is entirely possible in the Pacific Northwest as log sizes for
carving can easily be found in the four foot diameter sizes; I am limited to 2
feet and under. Options would be to just carve a support pole for the back and
add wing pieces that would flop in the high wind. They could have a flexible
sturdy screw lag eye-bolt attachment hidden in the carving by a v-type
arrangement and would hang vertically and in high winds would deflect up
reducing the chance of the totem being pushed over by the wind. I have seen
many totems with wings that were more symbolic than real looking, as these
would be. When painted would look more
in the totem fashion. I am thinking about purchasing a 2x12 pine board and
carving it in the fashion I want. The totem and the wings would be of the same
material and therefore there would be no notable difference and even less after
I finish painting.
native man
So when I turn
the log on its side I need to have selected a support beam to hang the wing
panels off of. I will then need to carve the wing support notch in the back of
the totem after I carve the wing support out. I will need to select a tree from
my stockpile and get it out so I can begin to carve the wings for attachment. I
am looking at piece of wood that needs to be at least 8 foot wide and a foot and a half in diameter, as I lose a
foot and a half in overall width due to notch support and I want a 3 foot
minimum wing span on either side of totem, giving me an overall width of seven
and a half feet. I need to keep the proportions slimmer as it reduces the
ability of the wind to act on the totem pushing it over.
bear
Even when carving
safety needs to be considered. Little kids like to climb and it would be
nothing once seeing all the toehold and hand holds to have a kid try to scale
the totem. This could be tragic. I love my carvings and really like kids and
hate to hear of accidents, especially from something I am trying to create so
safety is always important. A carving this size has to have a safe attachment
capable of resisting any movement. Lag bolts with eyes attached to anchors
embedded in cement, may be what is necessary to hold this carving in place
safely. I am still working on how to anchor it down in a most efficient way but
believe the way I suggested may be it. Still any carving that is top heavy like
this always needs special attention. Also the concrete has to have enough mass
to prevent over toppling as well. This will at last be the responsibility of
the owner of the carving as it is his. I will make the recommendations but
ultimately it will be his responsibility to assure the safe placement of the
statue. This statue may go over 800 lbs.
fish
I have went so
far as to glue a statue down in front of the Road House restaurant in New Philadelphia, Ohio where a carving of
mine resided for years but has been taken down and its remains I am not sure of
. Gluing was necessary because of a child who visited the restaurant, did just as I said
before, and climbed the statue, and since there was confusion over whom was responsible for gluing the statue down almost
led to the kid being hurt. The top part of the statue started to come down on
the child, but the child lost its grip and fell first on to concrete. He wasn’t hurt
but still a lesson learned. Never assume anything. In this situation I was paid
to place the carving in a specific location and it took six guys to get it
there. The responsibility of gluing it down went to the contractor of the new
restaurant and he overlooked the gluing of the statue. That could have been tragic.
You cannot assume anything like parents watching their kids anymore. You need
to always be on your guard. This statue weighed around 600 total pounds and
stood over 5.5 ft. tall. His name was Andy Armadillo and he was the mascot for
the Road House restaurant. I will include a picture of the statue.
eagle
Andy Armadillo with fake hat on opening day
Even while
public carving I once had a child of about 8 years old walk in behind me, even behind a safety
fence and ask me a question while his teacher was somewhere else at a logging
festival. I was busy carving, but to
look up and see a child where he wasn’t supposed to be, just a few feet from
where I was carving was a bit nerve wracking. I yelled at him and he cried but
oh well. Since no one else was watching him I guess it was my turn to correct
him. You can’t assume anything, and even now I still try and watch people out
of the corner of my eye, because even adults have little sense about what I am
doing and how dangerous it could be. If I didn’t know you were close and
suddenly turned around to see who was tapping me on my shoulder I could easily
cut that persons arm off as I swing around with the chainsaw in my hand. It wouldn’t
be a good day for either of us. So if you are ever watching a chainsaw carver
wait till he takes a break, then talk to him.
Andy without mascara on
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