Wood Magazine 83 by Larry Clayton

Author:Larry Clayton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Wood, Home and hobby woodworker
Publisher: Meredith Corporation
Published: 1995-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

REAT

A COLLECTIBLE THE

Primitive describes the style but certainly not the look of this beautiful carved heron. Based on old-time decoys, this is one carving that's sure to attract a lot of attention. 74

Project prep

Stock: White cedar, red cedar, pine, basswood, or other carving wood. Sizes: Body, 4x7x15"; neck, 2x4^x4'/2"; head, 2x4x10". See the Buying Guide for precut kits. Carving tools: You can use gouges or power-carving equipment for this project.

Although protected by law today, herons once were hunted. Their plumage and skin prized by milliners for fancy hats, these graceful shoreline waders put money in the pockets of many a turn-of-the-century bayman.

These professional hunters along the eastern seaboard relied on decoys to attract the birds within gun range. Such working decoys, usually carved by the hunter himself, were often no more than rough-hewn approximations of the bird's shape. But some carvers modeled and painted their decoys more realistically, thus establishing identifiable carving styles. Later, when folk-art collectors took an interest in the decoys, some of these carvings became more prized than the birds themselves once were.

Carver Frank Russell of Cambridge, Vermont, based this carving of a great blue heron on those old-time gunners' decoys. "I call this carving a decorative contemporary primitive," he says. "It's in the style of the old, primitive working decoys, but it's strictly decorative."

The completed carving should look like an old decoy that's been dragged out of an outbuilding or an attic. Given that, you can take a lot of leeway with your heron, detailing it, painting it, and distressing it as much or as little as you like.

First, cut out the blanks

Photocopy the body, neck, and head patterns from the WOOD PATTERNS™ insert in the middle of the magazine. Attach the patterns to the appropriate stock with rubber cement. Carefully register the two views for the head and body.

Bandsaw the Body Side View first. Saw the flat surface for the neck joint, then make a continuous cut along the bird's back. Remove the waste from the back in one piece. (We'll call this the top waste piece since it will face up when you cut the back view.) Then, saw along the bird's breast, which will be the bottom. Save that waste piece, too.

This is a convenient time to drill the hole for the leg stake, so stand the body on its neck-joint surface on the drill-press table. Chuck a V? bit in your drill press, and tilt the table to match the hole angle shown on the pattern. Stabilize the body with clamps, then drill a hole 3" deep where shown, centered side-to-side.

After drilling the hole, put the top and bottom waste pieces back onto the body. Fasten them with a few wraps of masking tape. (Don't put on so much tape that you hide the pattern line on top.) Bandsaw the top view. After sawing the body, cut out both views of the head the same way. Then, saw out the side view of the neck. Draw a centerline along the edge all around each part.

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