[Lightningbolt]

Work In Progress- Green Man Cane

Ho boy, here I go again... out on a limb that is! I'm presently working on a new cane and if you've been following another great thread entitled "Cane Making" then you can see the pictures and detailed description there about how I attached the handle to the staff by mortise/tenon joinery. Initially it was just an experiment over the weekend to see how my tenon cutters (used for building rustic furniture) would work for the joinery, so I didn't put a lot of thought into wood selection... picking up a piece of red maple for the handle and a piece of laurel for the staff. Folks 'round here call it "mountain laurel" (and so do I)

Anyhow, the handle is on and today I sketched on a green man just under the handle and may I add that this is my first green man so it's a bit exciting! The first picture shows the initial sketching and the main facial features begun.

The second and third pictures show the cleaning out of waste wood around the leaves. At this point I must state that leaves are probably a little more time consuming to carve than is just carving the hair on a woodspirit. I could be wrong and subject to change my mind later since this is my first green man. Also, the cane is only 1 1/4" in width so the small size of the overall carving could also be a contributing factor.

At this point I'm not sure if I'm gonna stop when the green man is finished and I often find myself thinking about what else could improve the cane, or should I just leave good enough alone. Sometimes too much carving can be a bad thing so I'll just have to continure evaluating as I go but right now that cane is locked to me like glue... but it's gonna have to sleep in the chair by itself until tomorrow morning!! ...then the madness starts again.

Enjoy!

[Kenny_S]

I must say bolt, you are one your way with the Green Man Cane. I like the progress you have mad and the eyes. Can't wait till it is finished. I have been busy get carvings ready to sell at the shop displaying them and helping the little bride with her 5th carving. I am helping her less and less. I enjoy helping her as just more time we can spend together sharing the same hobby. Now, to get her to sharpen her own tools. That gal can sure dull tools fast!

Thanks for the WIP on the Green Man cane.

[Irish]

Beautiful start especially the roll of the eyebrow ridge! You have wonderfully deep set eyes that roll and melt into those upper leaves. Very, very, very nice.

If it were me and this is only a suggestion as to what I would do ... since you have created a tenon joint that will be obivous in the center top of the handle I would add one small leave on each side of that joint. Stem end pointed towards the tenon and leaf end pointing outtowards the ends of the handle. That way you are accenting that area, saying "Hey, look here!" instead of ignoring that area. It would unit the two different woods as well through the use of the repeated leaf design plus emphasis the joinery!

I'll be watching your progress, thanks for sharing the early stages.

Ooops, OK, I'm going to have a second opinion ... you might want to post the tenon photos on this thread. That way, a year from now someone reading this thread has all the images in one spot.

Just my thoughts.

Susan

[Colin_Partridge]

Cane looks great I think you will have a winner there. It certainly looks like a green man to me. I have no contructive comments I think you are doing a great job I also cant wait to see the finished carving.
Colin

[squbrigg]

Nice start Lighteningbolt, great design and I like how the handle joins the shaft, smooth ans even. You have a great start to the Greenman. Please keep us posted on your progress. Looking great.

Bob

[Just Carving]

Okay, Lightning! Now you done it! You've intrigued my interest in canes! I never had much interest until I finally noticed your work including the mortise and tenon joint--neat idea, and your relief carving of the Green Man and the leaves on the cane. I have thought of some ideas that I could do! Great work! I'm keeping my eye for progress pics--keep 'em coming.

One question, or favor: As Irish requested--could you include some pics of the construction of the mortise/tenon joint? I'm familiar with the principle--but to see how it is applied to a cane would be all that much better! Thanks!

Bob

[Callynne]

Great job already, Lightningbolt, I really like him! I absolutely have to do a green man, so many things I want to carve and so little time!

I really appreciate all the photos, especially the one showing how to make the handle on the cane. Photos do say so much more than words! Thanks again for sharing him with us, I think he's going to be fantastic!! Callynne

[Clifford_Parker]

Very nice start Lightningbolt. I really like the way you shaped the handle into the shaft of the cane. The greenman looks good too and I am sure it will look great when it is finished.

[Lightningbolt]

Thanks for all the encouraging comments which always provide that little extra "ummph" to do the best that I can and then try to stretch it a little more!

Whew! This has been a busy day and I only got to carve on the little man for about a half hour and I'm gonna try to get in another hour tonight. I did manage to get most of the leaves cleaned up and that has been some intricate, detailed carving but still as fun and relaxing as ever! Should be ready for painting really soon.

Susan: I happened to be looking at the woodspirit carving photos of Shawn Cipa in the "Woodspirits and Greenmen" book when I was carving the facial features and that is probably why the much welcomed look of the eyebrow line took effect. I also concentrated on making the cheeks more "puffy" like his than my usual run-of-the-mill flatter cheeks. I also put in a different set of eyes than I have normally carved which I hope turned out more like those of Shawn's because they look so realistic.

As many woodspirit-type faces that I've carved over the years I'm always looking to try new things and many times I'm pleasantly delighted. I stopped with the nose and kept my old traditional one, but I'm gonna look at improving those details also on future faces. Sort of funny how our own unique style of carving continues to evolve over the years. Sometimes I can go on forever without trying to change anything then all of a sudden... Wham!

And thanks for the suggestion of adding a leaf on each side of the handle joint area. You really have a gift for "seeing" the little additional things that bring more balance to an art object and I apprecitate your eye! As a matter of fact I believe that I'm gonna give it a shot. Perhaps I will begin the stem of each leaf at each side of the joint, then carve the body of the leaf at a downward arc then swishing the tip of the leaf upward to the top center of the handle. Here the two leaf tips would almost touch each other at about half the distance between the joint and the end of the handle. Hmmmmm? Or perhaps I should aim the leaves toward the front of the handles end? Actually, I believe that I'm now leaning toward this option since the leaves would then be visible even when the cane was in use. Maybe that's what you meant anyhow. Sorry, I didn't mean to write a book on this but I do like your idea! Thanks.

To all, I went ahead and uploaded the tenon joint pictures to this thread since it appears they would be helpful to have in one place. As mentioned in the cane making thread I only intended for this to be an experiment to see if the tenon cutters that I have for making rustic furniture would work for making a tenon on the staff of a cane. But as things go I just couldn't seem to put it down, then one thing led to another until the green man was suddenly born! I have a very nice set of tenon cutters that I got from Lee Valley and this link should get you there if interested: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&cat=1,180,42288&p=42299

I uploaded the pictures a little out of order so view the pictures in the following order:
In the second picture I have the handle and shaft joined (no glue yet) showing the exposed tapered smooth shape that the tenon cutter produces. This exposed taper is really beautiful, strong, and a desired look when making rustic furniture but it concerns me when used as a single joint for a cane.

The first picture shows the joint after I tapered the mortise freestyle with my dremel. I believe that this type joint has great promise for attaching the handle to the cane so I'm now looking for a tool to make this final taper perfect... maybe something in the line of those tapered countersink bits. I'll have to look into this one because cutting them freestyle is never "perfect".

The third picture shows the top of the handle where the glue has been applied and I have also driven a dark colored poplar wedge into the tenon. That's the same method I use when making my rustic furniture and it produces a self-induced clamp and a strong fit.

I can't think of a reason why these tenon cutters wouldn't also make an enormously strong joint for a cane. The cutters fit into my high torque drill and they all have a built-in leveling bubble which ensures that everything is lined up good.

Thanks again everyone and please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. I know that I need to work on spending more time carving and trying not to write a book on this forum!

[Carvity_Carve]

I feel like I'm interrupting a conversation., buuttt..... you cane people just won't leave me alone, will you! Guess I'll have to do a green man....

Anyway, it looks good thus far! I can almost see the green in the leaves. I eagerly await more postings.