Brown Trout

[medicinedog]

The Fish(plural) look absolutely fantastic. Thank you for taking us on this journey. Using the coping saw on your fish took some *****. I guess thats why you are as good as you are. You push yourself. Its inspiring. Are those store bought tips you burn with? Bondo-reaffix looked pretty good. I know taking time to take pics and post pulls you away from your carving time but it sure is interesting, I really look forward to your next post so thanks so much. Hope we see some of your painting and base. Lar

[Northwest29]

Randy, thanks for the information. As soon as the web site comes back up I'll have to check it out.

Ron

[Orygoner]

Medicinedog... the tips are homemade. I couldn't find any small enough for the trout. These fish are about as small in size as I think I'd do scale burning on. They are about 15 1/2 inches. Since some of the smaller/younger trout, especially rainbows, have some exquisite coloration I do plan to do some smaller ones...may try knurling on scales for those, or veil painting.

The tips I made with help from the Ed Walicki website and a thread or two on the Fish Carving Forum.

[Hugh-P]

Thanks Randy, I'll keep checking, thought maybe it was an exclusive site, :~)

[AlArchie]

That brown seems to be coming along fine, Randy. What did you use for burning the scales? I know you said you made your own tips but are they nichrome wire or brass for a hobby burner?

I tried a burned cross hatch on my brookie for a first...turned out OK but I have used brass turnings before, but the tip (1/8") wore out. Have to turn a couple new sets for myself and a friend.

That's going to be one sweet looking trout! Can't wait to see it finished.

Al

[Orygoner]

Al... the wire, ala Ed Walicki. Thx for the comment. Hope to start painting the first one fairly soon.

[Orygoner]

Been busy and have had the trout sorta on hold. The first one is ready to paint tho and I will tackle that on Saturday. The second one has his scales...just finished that this afternoon. Will get the eyes and in-line fins inserted, and seal the whole thing shortly.

I thought some of you might like to see the lateral line and scale burning in progress. I put the lateral line on in pencil then burn a single line along that using the Guge bent tip. I can then burn a second, parallel line very close to the first and do it reasonably accurately and quickly. After the line is burned in, I sand down the fish body on either side.

The burning is done, to repeat myself, with 3 tips. I use the smallest to burn the perimeter (edge of head, belly, back and near the tail). The medium one is used inside of those scales to help transition to the largest scales which are on the side of the fish. You can probably pick the different sizes out somewhat in the pic. However, you do wind up with varying sizes of scales even using one size tip.





I don't know how everyone approaches the burning and I'd like to see how a good carver does it. I burn in all the little ones first, then the zone of medium ones and finish with the large ones. You can see in the above pics that I burn down the lateral line an inch or two. Then, I fill in the unburned sections above and below the lateral line.

You might also see the "bonus" carving-in-progress in the first pic. The carving in the background is a Burrowing Owl that I'm working on concurrently.

[torpidhummer]

Randy,you have graduated into a Master Carver,since we met two years ago,but quit
showing pictures of you band saw,I drule every time you display it. I'm one of those
'nuts' that work my way up to the better band saws,so now,I am "really" thinking of replacing
the junk band saw I purchased a year ago. Again your projects have been outstanding,I looking forward in seeing some of your "blur ribben" awards,are planning on going to Sacramento in July?
Oscar

[Orygoner]

Thx Oscar. Sorry about the bandsaw pics... Well, OK, not really sorry. Will look forward to pics of your new saw.

Not going to make it to Sacramento ... again. Will not even make it to the Columbia Flyway show this year due to a canoe trip back to the Boundary Waters/Quetico country in MN and Ontario. I hope to have some carvings to enter tho.

On another news note that you'd be interested in... I have signed up to take a carving class with Floyd Scholz. He'll be out here in Oregon for a 10 day class this summer and pretty close to home here. I'm excited about it...a big step up for me and I hope it shows in my carving.

[Blackjaxe]

Extremely Nice work Randy, I haven't been around in quite a while and was blown away by how much you have improved. I find that a lot of carvers and painters either do not pay attention to what they see or possibly they do not understand. I find you have graduated way past that point. By the way I made my teeth for my Hoodie the same way, used a toothpick and Liquitex Light Modeling Paste....worked perfect.

Ken