Norse style carved bench

[Clayton Johnson]

Hello!

I am new here, and would like to share my current project with you. It is a carved bench that is being done in Norse styles. I currently have the ends finished, and am working on the front panel and backrest.

Here are some pics...

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/DSCN9088_zpsc8f5764a.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/DSCN9088_zpsc8f5764a.jpg.html)

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/8_zps3a1e0268.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/8_zps3a1e0268.jpg.html)

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/16_zps24474f9c.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/16_zps24474f9c.jpg.html)

And the front panel/backrest...

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/2_zps78fe2e21.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/2_zps78fe2e21.jpg.html)

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/3_zpse8ec521c.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/3_zpse8ec521c.jpg.html)

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/4_zpsf3936bc6.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/4_zpsf3936bc6.jpg.html)

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/5_zps68e4efaf.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/5_zps68e4efaf.jpg.html)

And some accents that I carved for the front panel and backrest...

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/92_zps4105339a.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/92_zps4105339a.jpg.html)

[Barry Richardson]

Wowzer! Very impressive! Do you use a scroll saw for the initial cutout? What species of wood?

[Mel Fulks]

That is the tightest pierced and carved work I've seen. Thanks for posting ,are those small piercings typical of Norse work,
or is that your own take?

[Clayton Johnson]

Thanks! Most of it is in basswood, but some is in walnut. I would say it is typical of Norse art. For cutting the larger carvings out I use a jigsaw. First I will drill a hole with various sizes of drillbits, and then put the blade down through the hole and cut.

For the accents it was similar, but I would drill a hole and then thread a scrollsaw blade through the hole and then cut it. The pierced spaces on the accents were just big enough to take the end of a scroll saw blade of the type that is without the pins.

Also, I have pictures of all of my other work on my website here:

https://sites.google.com/site/clayton707/home (https://sites.google.com/site/clayton707/home)

Thanks!

[Mark Yundt]

Welcome to the forum. Beautiful work!

[Clayton Johnson]

Thanks for the compliment and the welcome!

Another thing that I have gotten questions on in other places is the issue of strength for it's intended use. The blanks for the front panel/backrest/ends were made out of doubled up 1" thick boards, edge and face glued together. I used a lot of clamps! So in reality, even with all of the wood removed as I am doing, the parts are still very strong. It was a slight concern of mine at first, but as I saw them come out the concern kind of went away. Here is a picture of the ends right after they were finished. The one on the left is slightly turned, so gives an impression of depth and strength.

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/EndsDone_zps2ab6b05b.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/EndsDone_zps2ab6b05b.jpg.html)

[randall rosenthal]

nice work!...i always liked the "woven " theme

[mike holden]

Wow! just....wow!

[Clayton Johnson]

Thank you! Here is another progress photo of part of the backrest. Making good progress. I have now fiilled up one of the larger trashcans in my shop with wood debris. That has never happened on any of my other projects!

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/10_zps7fcebaab.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/10_zps7fcebaab.jpg.html)

[Clayton Johnson]

And another of my progress on the backrest....

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/11_zps9ee3c5c3.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/11_zps9ee3c5c3.jpg.html)

[Clayton Johnson]

I finished carving the backrest and added the accents that I carved for it. This is a picture of the inlaid walnut initials that I carved. They are 3/8" thick and sit flush with the surface that is around them. Now all that is left on this part is to sand it and add finish.

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/14_zps4b037999.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/14_zps4b037999.jpg.html)

[Clayton Johnson]

A couple pictures of the finished backrest. It is 50" long (127cm) long by 28" (71cm) tall.

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/18_zpsacf1ec62.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/18_zpsacf1ec62.jpg.html)

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/19_zps67705486.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/19_zps67705486.jpg.html)

[Clayton Johnson]

Hello! An update on this project. I finished the front panel, and now am on to working on the seat panel.

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/26_zps989a5bae.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/26_zps989a5bae.jpg.html)

[Clayton Johnson]

And finished!

http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z470/Clayjo707/Carved%20bench%20project/Right2_zps018b8bbc.jpg (http://s1191.photobucket.com/user/Clayjo707/media/Carved%20bench%20project/Right2_zps018b8bbc.jpg.html)

[Joe Ruden]

Beautiful work. I can not imagine the time spent creating this. Not to mention the time sanding.

[Clayton Johnson]

Thank you! Yes, it was a lot of work but our family likes it a lot.