[Kenny_S]

I am finishing up my Fireman's bust and was looking at both Red oak and walnut pieces for a Base. Now, my question, I don't like the walnut in the oak but kind of like the oak on the walnut. The oak base is a little bigger in diamter and 3/4 inch where as the walnut is only 1/4 inch thick.
OR,
Leave the Walnut off entirely. Opinions please.

[RoadKingMN]

I would save the walnut for another project. It would seem a shame to cover up all of that wood to get a 1/4 inch band around the bottom of your base.

[Paul_Guraedy]

Kenny, any advice given in answer to your post is really personal preference. It seems to me that most busts look better with a thicker base. Unless your bust is pretty small, 3/4" seems to be too thin.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

I go with Paul....Thicker is better. The purpose of a base is to give balance to the piece and to anchor it firmly to the surface it's setting on. I use a thin piece of basswood to seperate my carvings from the thicker base but this is only done because I think it looks good. But if I had to choose between the two I would go with the underlying thick one.

[Kenny_S]

I did not think of the over all balance and need to try something different. The bust of the fireman is from just below the chest line to the top of the hat 7 inches by total of 4 inches.
What I am hearing is, to make a thicker base, so maybe 2 to 3 inches thick.
Then maybe the 1/4 inch walnut may look better on the oak base.

Hmm, Maybe that is why on one bust I have carved, I have not liked it since I finished it. Not thick enough base. Maybe a progressive tapering up on the base to the bust base size.
Guess I am not limited to what size of base.

Thanks all for the suggestions and will try different thickness and see what I can come up with.

[Donna_T]

Hey Kenny,
When I first starting putting carvings on bases, I made the mistake of making them too thin, too. And I tended to use only natural finished wood--walnut, butternut, catalpa, spaulty woods, etc.

Then I started looking at thicker woods and different shapes that would add to the "balance" of the carving--not only did it make it look-better balance, but actually prevented the carving from being top-heavy kind of balance. And I also found I could take a cheap kind of wood--even a 2 x 4" or 2 x 6" piece of pine, cut it and shape it well, sand it even better, spray a couple of coats of high gloss color that would accent and complement the finished carving, and I got a whole 'nother look. Black has to be my favorite--it looks like ebony. But again, it has to add to the carving--not detract from it.

Donna

PS I'm in Vermont this week and it's snowed about 8" so far today. Don't tell me how warm it is back home!