never ending project

[feb]

Hi all haven't posted in a while but I've been around. I've been working on this female bust from an Ian Norbury book " Carving Classic Female Faces" It must be for like 2 yrs I do a little put it away waiting on my talent to improve take it out do a little etc. Well now heres where I'm at I just messed up the eyes and am not sure what to do, if I fill them back in with sawdust and glue will I be able to carve them again an have them look good or can I do something else. Also I am having a problem trying to design a bass. There must not be a lot of carvers doing female busts, I went through all my chip chats cause I thought I saw this carving in one of them and I only came accross maybe 6-7 female busts. Any help will be apprieciated.

Thanks

Feb

[cut up]

I don't have a definate answer for you as far as the glue and carve. The only time I've ever used it was to fill in, but I was able to sand it with a palm sander, so I'm thinking it might be carvable. You might want to try to carve some on a piece of scrap wood. If that doesn't work maybe you could work the glue and dust mixture before it hardens.
As far as your base, it might be enough just to have a round short pedestal.
Hope this was some help. You got a pretty lady there that deserves to be finished by you.
Michael

[Robert Cahill]

I saw a video I think on DIY where a carver mixed sawdust and epoxy and then carved it. I would definitely practice it on a scrap piece to see if it works . You have done a beautiful job on that bust

[feb]

Thanks Michael and robert, I will mix some up and try it. I do want to get this done, even if I fill in the eyes and leave them blank I've seen that on a lot of carvings.

feb

[Irishman]

Hey Feb...this must be your first female carving as I have not seen one on here from you before. She's turning out nicely. I think you still have a lot of wood on the face to work with so I suggest you remove the eyes and just start over. You can always pull the nose and mouth back and take down the brow some more. You can also leave her as she is. I'd suggest shaving some off her nose to make it more feminine. Other than that she looks fine.
Patrick

[Dileon]

Feb I think you are talking about the iris, the left one (my left looks like you cut deeply in) but you need to set that eye ball and iris back some anyway. If that is the problem you may get away with continuing to carve it. I see a sight cut on the eye lid....that can be fixed with wood putty the same color as finished basswood. If you cut a few things such as the iris out glue it back in with CA. Honestly I like the eyes and would not fill them in. unless I had zero other option. Although what I see and what you see are two different things....

[Budatmaint]

Has anyone ever tried to fill with Durhams Water Putty? I've used it a lot for wood working and it sands very easy.

[happyhal]

I have no anwser for you. I can't resist asking why do we call this a bust and not a head? he he

[cgm]

I agree with Dileon as how to fix. I wood practice on scrap until ur satisfied.
Then rework the bust. That is just what I wood do. You do what ever makes you happy
Carl

[Kazook]

Carving women faces is one of the hardest things, I agree with the Irishman, you can still recover by taking the brow back and thining out the nose a bit, nice job, dont give up, you almost got it beat,