[Phaeton]

Hi Susan.

Thank you for the encouragement Susan and flowing, smooth and simple is just what I had in mind too.

I've been working on wood projects for as long as I can remember but never a carving, and almost all of them were finished with stain and polyurethane so that part will be familiar.

for the welcome)

-Trails
Bill

[Callynne]

Thanks for the compliments, Bill, I'm glad you like my work!

The bird eyes were set in this way, a little bit of clay was pushed into the eye hole. It doesn't harden up quickly and you can adjust the eye. When you put the ribbon putty around the eye, that's what hardens up and holds the eye in place. Just be sure, before putting the ribbon putty around the eye, that the clay has been cleaned up from around the edges of the eye (that the clay is only behind the glass eye, not up around the edges into the hole), the ribbon putty will not stick to the clay.

Hope this helps! Good luck! Deborah

[Phaeton]

Hi Cut Up, Hi Ho Silver and Jamesfa it's nice to meet all of you.

I understand the cramping hands Cut Up, late night will be my best time for carving because first thing in the morning it's a real challenge just to fill out a legoble check.
I'm not sure what the carousel is, how big are they?
I'm also carving a Bluebird and have found the smaller size much easier to handle so I may try half size or miniature ducks and other smaller carvings.

Hi Frank, I'm going over to the other board now, see tou there, thanks.

Thank you Callynne,) this is just what I needed and the clay answered one of the big questions.

Warm Regards
Bill

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Originally Posted by Callynne

Hi Bill, Welcome!! I've only done one bird, a little chickadee. The eye hole was done a tiny bit larger, the eye set into place and then you made a thin ribbon 'snake' out of epoxy ribbon putty. This was placed around the eye and using a dental pick, you pushed it into the crevice around the eye and textured it to look 'right'.

I suggest you post over in the Animal and Bird catagory, we have some fantastic bird carvers who will be able to answer you better than me. Good luck, your duck looks great so far! Deborah

Yeh....she only did one bird! You should see it! Fantastic!

[AlArchie]

I've got a couple Lamp Brands, and they are good tools.....nee final honing when you get them but most of the factory tools do. Very similar in quality to Swiss Made.

Al

[Hugh]

I posted this link on another part of the forum just lately, but I'll post it again, in case its hard to find. http://www.wildfowl-carving.com/Summer2001/article1.htm It might be of some help.
The most important part of placing the eyes in the head of a duck is getting them in the right spot. First look at the plane of the top of the upper mandible, if you look at a photo of a real bird, (live ones won't stand still long enough) the plane of the upper mandible goes right through the center of the eye. The eye looks right down the length of the bill. The upper mandible of a duck has very limited movement, if any. After establishing this line, measure back from the point of the upper mandible, to establish the position of the eye. I don't drill right through, just position each eye at the proper depth, making sure that the holes are in the same place on each side of the head, hold it at arms length and check them out. Use a couple large pins, put one in the center of each hole, holding the head at arms length, check the holes out , top and front. My biggest mistake for yrs setting eyes is making them too round. The top of the eye is covered with a little putty, and the bottom has a lid that comes up over the eye. Make this lid with putty also. This should result in the eye opening being oval shape. It adds a lot of character. Hope this helps. I might have posted sooner, but have been busy, and not posting on the forum very often.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

thats a great tutorial Hugh!

[AlArchie]

Yep, much better than my "Hokey-Pokey" method. Still it works for me for setting eye depth.......oh, well.

Al

[Hugh]

Your method didn't seem hokey pokey to me. Everyone has their own way of doing things.

[Phaeton]

Hugh,

Thank you for helping me with the eye placement, I still have a pretty good eye for alignment so I think the eye pins will be a big help. I'm saving all of the post and links (great link, btw) in a step by step folder.

Thanks again

Bill