Carved bird perfume atomizer

[autobodyman]

This summer I carved a bluebird for a birdhouse I made, my mother saw it and she really flipped over the bird. So for Christmas (so I thought) I decided to carve her two birds and install perfume atomizers into them. I got them carved and fitted with the atomizers.


I was going to carve a branch for them to sit on, the wife saw what I was doing and informed me that my mother only needed one bird, she wanted the other one, so I had to make to branch bases. This project just keeps growing, so I designed a branch base to hold the birds, While designing it I remembered I had wanted to turn some wood plates with the new lathe I got this summer so I designed the bases to accept the wooden plates I hadn't made yet.

After turning the plates and setting everything together I decided the plates needed to have some kind of carving on them. At first I was thinking a mountain scene, I have some nice photos of the Tetons from a recent trip up there, but after looking at all those trees I decided that would take me to long to carve so I found some birdhouse patterns and modified, sized and printed them out on a laser transparency (with my ink jet printer, the ink will not dry) rubbed them on the plates and that's where I am at this point. Oh by the way I am now hoping to have this completed in time for my mother's birthday in April.

The plates are 14" in diameter made from some 1½" thick plain maple, I left the bottom of the plates about ½" thick to allow for the carving.


A bit closer on the branch bases, they are walnut. I will be painting the birds but the plate carvings will just be clearcoated.

What do you think of this project so far?

Thanks ~Mike

[medicinedog]

uuuuh, Magnificent! Beyond words. Most creative thing I've seen since I don't know when. What a cool idea. Is this atomizer a specific size? Do you add the perfume afterwards? I mean you don't buy the perfume in a tube atomizer say 3/8 or 1/2 inch do you? I just love the idea of making something of art that is utilitarian. Can't wait to see the plates carved. Your method of getting the pattern on the plate is intriguing also. Is it really that simple?

Ps Mike I would love to come over and see you some time when your going to be hanging around your shop. I live over in Buffalo. Lar

[autobodyman]

Originally Posted by medicinedog

uuuuh, Magnificent! Beyond words. Most creative thing I've seen since I don't know when. What a cool idea.
Thank you.

Is this atomizer a specific size? Do you add the perfume afterwards? I mean you don't buy the perfume in a tube atomizer say 3/8 or 1/2 inch do you?
The perfume atomizer is a "kit" for turning in a lathe I just used it this way instead, they are available from different sources penstateind woodcraft and others.

I just love the idea of making something of art that is utilitarian.
It added more work to the project but I prefer to make things that can serve some purpose besides looking nice.

Can't wait to see the plates carved. Your method of getting the pattern on the plate is intriguing also. Is it really that simple?
It's pretty straight forward, just want to mirror or reverse before printing or your pattern will be backwards.

Ps Mike I would love to come over and see you some time when your going to be hanging around your shop. I live over in Buffalo. Lar

Pretty much anytime is fine, almost always here. My bodyshop is behind my house and my woodshop across the alley from my bodyshop so I live, work and play here.

Thanks ~Mike

[AL...]

That realy is something I love that Idea
Your carving is fantastic and thanks for sharing

Cheers
AL

[Sharon of the Dell]

Wow! Cool projects! Nice!

[autobodyman]

Thanks guys.
I still lack a bunch of sanding but thought I'd post the progress so far.

This took me a lot longer than I was hoping. After carving around the perimeter of the birdhouse I had to carve down to that point, took me most of a day just to get that far. I couldn't really use a router since it needed to be curved.

I was planning to scan this into my Carvewright carving machine and have it rough out the second one I need, but I didn't think ahead on that very well, the plate is 14" and the machine can only scan 14" so that doesn't leave me any width to jig the plate up, think I'm screwed on the scanning part, which means I'm going to have to carve the other plate by hand as well, dang it. I haven't kept very good track of my time on this but if I had to guess I'd say around 20 hours of carving so far (for the plate carving).



Like I said I've got a bunch of sanding to do on this yet, what do you think of it so far?

Thanks ~Mike

[twitcher]

fantastic work!!! mark.

[llc1952]

Amazingly beautiful. I am awestruck over how lovely this piece all comes together. It is a wonderful work of art.

[autobodyman]

Finally finished the bird perfume atomizers, stand and plates.

This first one is for my wife, she (like myself) isn't really into painted wood so I just used a little glaze on the bird here because I carved it out of basswood and there wasn't much in the way of grain to it. The plate is 13¾" in diameter and the bird's head comes off to access the perfume atomizer that can be filled with whatever perfume one likes. The bird also can be lifted from the base as it just has a ¼" dowel glued into the bird body that slips into a hole drilled into the base.


This one is for my mother.



She really seemed to like the bird I made last summer for the birdhouse I built which was painted. I used automotive basecoat colors with my airbrush and sprayed several coats of clearcoat with a flattening agent in it.


.....Continued

[autobodyman]

I've probably got somewhere around 50 to 60 hours or so into this project.
By the way on this second plate I was able to scan the first plate I carved with the Carvewright machine and have it rough this one out for me. Probably saved me 5 to 6 hours on the overall carve of the second plate.

What do you think of them?

Thanks ~Mike