[Bandaid]

Thanks for the update Al, I've been following your progress and you've got a great carving in the works.
I would be interested to know how you plan to do the teeth seeing as the mouth is open. Also are you using your home made burner tips for the scales?

Reg

[AlArchie]

G'mornin', Reg!

Well, I'm going fishing today...weather is right and so far the big lake looks good! flat to 2ft swells, so if that holds it might be productive. Any higher seas, and I don't like fighting the lake.

The scales are burned in using the home made tips on the old hobby style pen. they work pretty well, but probably not quite as accurate in placement as the wire pro-style ones.

Teeth will be made from latex-silicone caulk. I put a dab on a piece of cardboard, then dip the end of a toothpick into the caulk, and then touch that to the jaw, where I want the tooth. If I have the right amount on the toothpick, when I pull the toothpick away, it drarws the caulk drop to a point. The stuff is viscous enough to hold that shape till it dries. If it doesn't come out right, I just wipe it off with a paper towel. I've put tiny teeth on trout and large ones on a walley in this same manner, and they all looked good.

I'll update again when the scaling is done and I start insertig the fins.

Al

[Kenny_S]

Al, Looking good.

[Bigredcarver]

Love it....

One suggestion I've heard of for teeth is sand in white glue...Bass don't have much for teeth but the sand wiill show some texture.

Your project is very motivational for me...time to finish the one I'm working on!!!!

[Bandaid]

Thanks for the reply Al. Glad to hear you enjoyed your day on the water. Fishing is like hunting, just being outdoors is the best part, getting something is a bonus.

Reg

[jamesfa]

Al the carving is coming along great like to various in progress pictures.
it must of been some job to hollow out the mouth cavity.

Keep us posted on progress

Frank

[Nancy_G]

That open mouth is what I wanted to ask about. Did I miss the space where you talked about doing that?
That's far beyond my understanding.

[AlArchie]

There are at least two ways of working that open mouth on the fish. One I used on a walleye I did a ways back is to cut the head away from the body along or behind the opercle or gill plates, then drill a couple holes all the way through and then work the remaining wood away with gouges. The head is then glued back on. Either a small veiner or "V" tool is used to remove some stock fron the joint,and then that void is filled with a wood filler, and worked smooth. Kinda like putting the head onto a carved duck.

For this bass, I just went at the large open mouth with a 1/2" brad point drill bit, to about the depth I wanted, making a series of holes, taking as much of the stock out as I could. From here on it was just a matter of going at the remining waste with various rotary cutters, small sanding drums, and stones to clean it up.
Finished with some fine sandpaper wrapped around my finger.

I still haven't decided if I'm going to bother with interior mouth detail. Probably should, but this fish will be mounted close to the base, in a downward configuration, chasing a crayfish, so it will be hard to actually see into the mouth. guess it'll depend on how ambitious I feel.

Al

[Kenny_S]

What ever you decide AL, it will look super. I have tried carving a fish when I started carving years ago, That is a SAD story and a SAD looking fish for sure. I leave the carving of fish to you experts for sure.
I like your Fish WIP.

[whitecree]

I still have a hard time believing somebody would have the patience to burn each and every scale in like that. I'd be a twitching wreck even attemptin as much as I see you have done thus far.

Nice job, by the way!