Cowboy Caricature - finally finished (part 2)

[Wolf Kiessling]

As stated in part 1, here are some detail shots.....

[Bob Hovde]

Wow, wow, and wow! I'd still be looking at the chunk of wood - wondering where to start.

Bob

[Paul Smith]

Wolf, I love the attention to detail! Dirt under the fingernails, gold tooth. Absolutely amazing!

[Rob Littleton]

I wish I had a third of you talent.......

I love looking at your carvings you post. Details are quite amazing.

Another nice job dude.

[Chris Padilla]

Are you sure that is wood!? I can hardly tell it is wood but it another fantastic carving, Wolf, I love the details.

[John Olson]

Wolf you did another great job. Thanks for taking the time to post pictures. I know your wife wanted to wash the cowboys fingers before you posted. GKar just tried to escape had to save the wife. What knife did you use on the fingers? Or did you use a dremile?

[Wolf Kiessling]

Wolf you did another great job. Thanks for taking the time to post pictures. I know your wife wanted to wash the cowboys fingers before you posted. GKar just tried to escape had to save the wife. What knife did you use on the fingers? Or did you use a dremile?

You just HAD to ask that question, didn't you? :-))))) I will answer it as best as I can, it will be in a general manner as the EXACT sequence is impossible for me to recall. You will see why I generally don't talk about tool use.

The hands were rough carved using a Dremel. I used red (medium) Typhoon 5/8"x3/8" and 7/8"x3/16" bull nosed bits and then switched to blue (smooth) Typhoon same size bits but included also a 1/2" taper bit.

When the power carving was finished, I used a Helvie 1.5" carving knife and a Helvie 3/4" detail knife to refine the work. I alternated this using a Robert Taylor 1/8" v-tool with 30 degree angle. (I don't think I used the 45 degree angle one at all on the hands) Additionally, as necessary, I used a 1/4" number three sweep gauge, a 3/4" number three sweep gauge, a 1/4" veiner and a 1/2" number eleven gauge. The finger nails were done MOSTLY with the 3/4" detail knife and the knuckles MOSTLY with the v-tool. I also made extensive use of a Flexcut dog leg 1/16" v-tool. The Robert Taylor v-tool is a long handled tool, all the others are palm tools. Most of the palm tools are Warren, Harmon and Pfeil brand.

I keep my palm tools in a portable holder (about 3 ft long) which I keep very close to my right elbow. I am constantly changing tools and therefore keep them always in the same hole in the holder so I don't have to go searching. I can probably change tools in my hands almost as quick as you can swat a fly. When I get carried away and lay them down on the bench, they have a tendency to get lost in the chips, or whatever, and it really slows my work down. The long handled tools I hang on a magnetic strip because I NORMALLY use these when I am standing up and it is easier to have them high up. I keep them about shoulder level. Depending on what I am working on, I sometimes change tools every few seconds.

Aren't you sorry you asked that question?????????

[John Olson]

Not at all , the finished product always looks easy when done right. But when you take in the fact that you use that amount of tools on one area, you start to get an idea how difficult it is to do what you do. We are all wood workers here and know what it takes to do a good job at any thing.