[AlArchie]

There's a new pic of the latest fish I did on the picture trail site.. He's all done except I have to figure out a bse and mount. This is a bluegill done in tiger maple with eyes turned from brass stock with black acrylic pupils.

Al

[icarve2003]

Beautiful job Al. I like the natural finish, that Tiger Maple is really nice.

What did you use to get the fins so thin? I'm working on my first fish right now and I'm nervous about doing the fins and tail. Should use the Dremel or carve it with a chisel?

You turned the eyes out of brass, eh? That's interesting. They look really good.

Chris.

[AlArchie]

Thanks, Chris! Â*The fins really are not as thin as they look.
I would estimate they are about 3/32 to 1/8 inch thick, but are tapered down to zero on the edge. Â*I take a dremel sanding drum and sort of cup the fins, hand sand them smooth, and then take a small v tool and cut out the veins on the fins. Â*I start by doing one v on each edge, then one in the middle and then cut each gap in half with Â*a new cut till the cuts are next to each other, resulting in them being less than 1/32' apart. Â*Do this to both sides of the fins. Â*From what I hear, some carvers burn in the veins, but I like the control i get with the v tool.

I turned the eyes because I didn't have any of the right size glass eyes, and I really wanted to get this one finished. Â*If I was doing a painted fish I would have held for the glass eyes.

I'll get you the size for your 17 ' trout in a while and get back to your other post with that.

Al

[Callynne]

Â* Â*Al, that fish is terrific! Â*I love how you did the eyes! Â*Is that one of the ways to do them (I'm not familiar with fish carving) or did you just think that up yourself? Â*Either way, it's very impressive and I like it a lot! Â*Great work! Â*Callynne

[AlArchie]

I've never seen eyes done this way before, but that's not saying someone hasn't done them. several years back I carved a brook trout for my wife from a piece of 200+ year old white pine that my neighbor recoverd from the bottom of the Cheboygan river in Lower Michigan. I had glass eyes for that one, but thought that making them out of brass would give an interesting touch to a very beautiful piece of wood. This is the first time I have done another brass eyed piece since, and I like the effect, too. It definitely needss the right piece of wood to work, though.

And thanks for the compilments. I'll have to post this again when I figure out a base display for it.

Al

[AlArchie]

Finally finished this guy! ed a few pics of the completed display on the picturetrail site under wildlife. Fish is mounted on a Lake Superior rock that looks like it might be a feldspar of sorts with quartz and mica inclusions. Mounting rod is polished 3/16' brass. Fish is aproximately 7' long and 4 1/2' high. Total display is about 9 1/2' high.

Al

[Nancy_G]

GORGEOUS !!
Al, you're amazing. I sure wish you had made it this far south on your trip.....I could use some lessons.

And you could have shaprened some of my tools

[AlArchie]

Nancy, if (when) we get down your way, I'd gladly sharpen your tools, but give YOU lessons????? c'mon now!

Thanks for the comliments, though.

Al