950 Decapod Steam Engine Relief

[AlArchie]

Here's a couple shots of the relief I gotr re-started on yesterday...mad quite a bit of progress from where it was for the last two years. This is a piece of pine beam from the Ashland Wisconsin Soo Line Depot, recovered from the fire that took the station in 1999. timber is well over 150 years old plus it was old growth pine from the wisconsin pinery.

By the time this is done it may well be a "multi-media projectc as several smaller pieces of the carving broke off either from really brittle stock or carving along checks and splits in thew wood.......I still want this one to work!
'
Al

[Irishman]

That will be some impressive piece of work when its done...as I am impressed with it right now.

Patrick

[Ron T]

Hi Al,

I'm glad you decided to get back to it. The history and age of the wood, your subject and your carving make it a piece worth finishing.

[vacation212]

Stay with it I did one out of that kind of wood and had to use a bit of glue but it turned out very nice.You are doing a very good job.

[Iowa Carver]

Wow, going to be cool Al! Good luck with it. I especially like this being an old model railroader... I used to model the Milwaukee Road around the late fifties early sixties era. Used to run right by our house headed north.

Corey

[Joy]

Such a great idea! Preserve that wood and history in one memorable piece. Very good!

[AlArchie]

Thanks, everyone! Hope I can do this piece justice. Last night another small piece of bad grain crumbled on me, but fortunately I have several more pieces of this beam that I can make replacement parts from. The front wheel is already in the "replacement" construction phase. It was in a really gnarly grain stretch and shattered when I was undercutting it.

I have a question about using other material in this carving. Some of the pieces that didn't make it through the initial roughing were the bell and some of the piping along the boiler. What do you think about replacing these parts with machined brass and small brass and steel tubing. I could also turn a new bell from the same extra wood I have and use bamboo skewers for the piping. This could be steam bent to match the design. Obviously the brass could also be bent around to do that. I'm sort of favoring the idea of doing it in brass, but am not sure of the asthetics of this move.

Wadda ya think?

Al

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Nice piece of work especially as it's got a direct tie-in with the real thing. As for that "Asthetics" thing....forget it and do it whatever or whichever way You want to do it. The last thing I worry about when I'm working on something is the possible opinionated views of some boob who happens to pass by my table somewhere. I'm not carving for him.

For the tubing I'd suggest copper electrical wire as it would be much easier to work with than brass. Also, if you do use metal make sure you use that Acid Etch primer as it's the only thing I've found that really holds the paint.

[tnartist05]

You are off to a great start Al,I will be following this old train and soon I hope to hear the whistle blowing and the smoke really rolling. Forrest

[jartzh]

You can harden wood with "wood hardener" or super glue (for small areas) it will look the same but wont take any stain.

Any fragile pieces would benefit would a little shot of super glue before you start thinning them out or detailing.

How big is this piece?
Looking good.