[cedarshavings]

I'm always apprehensive about starting something before really knowing what I'm doing but some people say "Just go for it". I'm carving a Kestrel from a book of Floyd Scholz. I've got the roughout done and began shaping it when I realized I might have cut off a little too much on the upper breast where it meets the neck and head. I'm satisfied what it looks like from the back but it just looks too skinny from the front. Is there anything that can be done about that or am I just going to have to start over from scratch?
I don't know if anyone can help without actually seeing it but I don't have a digital camera right now and thought I might try to ask anyway.

Thanks

[doris]

usually there is still plenty of wood, so you can adjust. so far, it never happened to me that wood is really missing, though i sometimes thought.....if you think you have cut away too much from front, then this means the back need be a little farther that you first intended. and as you are still in progress of carving, as i take it from your description, you had certainly not still reached the "real back"...so, i would recommend, to carve on, try to relate every thing, maybe the bird gets a tad bit smaller...hope this helps a little

[Just Carving]

Not being a bird carver, I Googled on Kestrel to see some images. Well, as I thought with birds, they don't all look alike. So, just because you have a photo or diagram that shows how a Kestrel is suppose to look, doesn't mean yours has to be the same. Somebody here will probably be able to tell you how to use wood filler or epoxy to fix what you think is a mistake. At the very least, keep going and use this project as a learning experience, and as a reminder that carving isn't perfect--its practice! Have fun!!

Bob L

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Why can't you just sand the area flat, glue on another piece of wood then recarve it?

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Yep like Lynn said...........by the time you carve it, burn it, and paint it, you will never see the seam

[Paul_Guraedy]

If you are still at the roughout stage, it is difficult to tell whether or not you have carved off too much wood. It has been my experience that there is usually plenty of wood left. Usually it does not even involve changing the pose or size.

You have been given good adivce, basically "carve on". If you still find that you have removed too much wood there are solutions. Since you are indicating the breast area the simplist would be as Lynn stated, "glue on more wood". Almost all large carvings today are from laminated blocks anyway. Certainly with large bird carvings you are better off, unless the design is extremely linear, to use several blocks or inserts. This is necessary to strengthen areas where the grain would cause thin pieces to break.

If you do decide to glue on another piece; flatten the breast as much as possible to match the two pieces. Don't worry about getting the edge to fit precisely; but do make sure you have plenty of contact between the two pieces. There will usually be gaps when doing a glue up on a piece that you have already started. I fill these areas in with moldable epoxy putty. A little judicious carving of feathers and the joint will disappear.

I have even started using different species of wood on the same carving. I have a large supply of basswood blocks and use these for the body. For the wings, tail or individual feathers, I now use tupelo inserts. Tupelo bends much further than basswood without breaking.

But, I really suspect that there is more wood there than you think.

[Ashbys]

I would add one thing,
I assume your carving full scale, but the bird unless it is going into a competion that doesn't allow it , can be scaled down to a 7/8 or even a 3/4 size if you want. Of course unless there is an absolute reason it can not be undersized .

Ash

[cedarshavings]

Thanks for the responses. Sometimes the answers seem so simple but until someone tells you it doesn't make sense. I am still in the beginning of the roughout stages and probably do have more wood than I realize and hopefully it will all proportion out when I get down to it. I think i will keep on carving as suggested and if I get down to it and still think too much is gone I may try some of the suggestions of gluing on more wood or downsizing the carving. I knew I would get some help on here. You guys are great, THANKS!

[jamesfa]

cedarshavings-
Lynn's suggestion is a good one-i have seen several of the bird carvers in our little group cut off sections of their rough-out and glue on a new piece when it doesn't look right. usually this is done early in the carving process.
and when finished you can't see the glue line.


Frank

[jaguar1712]

Once, I cut a little too much off the head of a chickadee, so I reconstructed it with epoxy putty. Works pretty well for small areas, but it can't be woodburned(can be stoned though)

This might work for you, I don't know how big the area needs to be built up...