Help Carving a Tree

[Texas_Jim]

I am planning to carve a tree in the round (not relief) and probably without foliage. I want to make this about 18 inches tall and the wood will be walnut. I chose walnut because I was given some large walnut limbs and because I want the finished tree to have a very smooth finish without the bark. I guess kinda like a dead tree. I plan to make more of a sculpture style rather than a purely realistic style with highly sanded and polished trunk and limbs.

Does anyone have some ideas on?
1. Is it better to join the limbs to the main trunk or attempt to carve it all as one piece, eventhough my joining skill is very primitive? The one piece idea has the disadvantage of weak points in the limbs.

2. How do I make a seemless join of the limbs to the trunk?

3. Any other ideas or pitfalls to avoid?

Thanks for the help,

Jim

[Ashbys]

Jim,

I think, because of the size and the ammount of splits the branches would take , that I would only consider doing the tree in sections, then inset a wire into each branch and epoxy it to the trunk of the tree.
It would be much eaiser to work each main brach independant of trying the entire tree. I would leave just a little extra material where the branch is to join , so I could clean cut the joints. Then a little touch of paint and you would never notice.

If your only doing a few limbs , then I think you could eaisly carve from a single piece, strong enough , unless your add weight to one of the limbs. then I would seperatly care the limb and add a support into the main tree.

But I have nerver tried to carve a tree.

Ash

[santagibbs]

I don't know if I can make myself clear or not but here goes as I just had this idea.. make the part of the limb that joins the trunk to have a slant cut on it and not straight ..so to fit it to the tree at an angle ..Threes have patterns in their trunks .. some have circles where the bark grows or ovals and also lots of deep lines in the bark. so if you join the limb into that part , then shape the lower limb to match the etching on the trunk and peg it into the trunk...that way it will have the circle etc to disquise where it is set in... I have made lots of trunks but have not tried to attach the limb..Charlotte

[Thomp]

jim

remember the tree decreases at limb joints as it grows in diamiter,
so the limb ajoining it will have a tapered socket to it. which will give more glue surface as well.

i have never joined a limb back onto a tree in a carving but have made some tables and chairs.
i think start with a well over sized limb, so you will have wood enough to make the crotch look believeable or right.

work the end of the limb and make a tapered rounded socket joint a skew to the angle you want to join it at.. fit the place on the trunk tightly.. then take a 1/2" bit and drill into the trunk matching the angle the limb will be askew of 90*,

then using a dowell centering "jig" (normal incerts used for joining 2 planks to make wide boards) press it into the hole point outward, place the limb in place and bump it hard enough to make the dowell centering jig mark the limb then drill the hole in the limb center straight down the limb and dowell it into place,

by over sizing the limb you can carve away enough wood to make the limb and crotch look real,