How to Skull

[Peter Blair]

I know it sounds a little weird but I have been asked if could turn a skull.
My client would like it close to full scale.
Has anyone tried this or can help me with a few suggestions.
My first thought is to to turn a large hollow round and then remove the center section and reglue.
I thought I could hollow through the neck end?
Cut holes after completion?

[Dan Hintz]

I can imagine getting the basic shape on the lathe, but that would be little more than a rod with a rounded end. It's a carving, not a bowl...

[Robert Henrickson]

Just how close to 'life' does the client want? Multi-axis turning could get you toward a schematic skull, but that requires some complex turning. Several turners on WOW do heads of varying complexity, but it involves multiple axes (some with many many axes) and some degree of carving.

[Jamie Donaldson]

Check out the work of Keith Holt for some wonderfully stylized skulls.

[Mel Fulks]

I would buy a real one on ebay ,and put a faux wood grain on it. Why does Yorick have to be wood?

[Jim Underwood]

I can imagine getting the basic shape on the lathe, but that would be little more than a rod with a rounded end. It's a carving, not a bowl...

Actually you can do a lot by using a multi-axis approach without carving. Take a look at Derek Weideman's stuff:

http://the189.com/design/art/collection-of-work-from-derek-weidman/

[Michael Mills]

I would just turn it round and tell them it was Charlie Brown.

[Dan Hintz]

Actually you can do a lot by using a multi-axis approach without carving. Take a look at Derek Weideman's stuff:

http://the189.com/design/art/collection-of-work-from-derek-weidman/

Those are disturbingly good, Jim...

[charlie knighton]

Actually you can do a lot by using a multi-axis approach without carving. Take a look at Derek Weideman's stuff:

he demoed at st paul, i saw his stuff at the instant gallery, but it was one of many rotations i did not have time to attend.....pictures look good but in person is awesome....
he let the audience name the animal that he turned in the demostration......

[Peter Blair]

All good ideas, thanks.
I'll talk to him a little more but it would seem that Michael's suggestion would be the easiest. Actually I know a few people with heads 'just like that'!

[Eric Holmquist]

Another good example of multi axis head / face turning is Keith Holt

http://www.kholtartwork.com/

I saw a demo by him at the Hartford Symposium

[Robert Vroman]

Medicine is what I do to support my turning habit, and as others have said, skulls are definitely not round. I think off center/multi-axis turning, and most likely some (perhaps a lot) carving and dremel work would be the best way to go. It all depends on how lifelike and detailed the client wants it.

[Marc Himes]

It sound like a very complicated project which may take weeks to get right. If you are successful you may have a very unique line of turnings. I see skulls as a round vase shape with the chin being at the bottom and most narrow part of the piece and would hollow it through the vortex of the skull or the chin making a plug when done. Any way you do it would take a lot of carving. Please post pictures if you do it and include the process.

[Lloyd Butler]

I would likely try the lost wood method. glue a waste block between two pieces and turn it round with the necessary features and then remove the waste piece from the middle and glue the halves back together. You could hollow it before splitting it, but leave the walls thick as there would be some carving or extra heavy sanding needed for the final shaping.

Make a few paper templates to guide you in the turning before coming off the lathe, and then sand off the extra humps and add extra hollows as needed.

You may be able to get away with using 2 axis that way. One to do the bulk of the shape, and then the second to add in the chin area as there would be loads of carving/sanding to create that area.

Lloyd