bird vase

[Curt Fuller]

I gave up! Originally this was to be a vase with a lid or stopper. The vase was to be a bird with feathered cape. The stopper was to be the top layer cape with a bird (hawk or eagle) head. But a wood carver I'm not. I did OK on the first layer of feather cape but couldn't get the second layer and head to work. Ended up bagging the head (maybe someday down the road). The main body of the vase is black walnut. The first layer of cape is ash (way too hard to carve) and the top layer of cape is english walnut. It's 10" tall, 4.5" diam. lacquer finish. Actually started out as a vase, a second vase upside down over the top, and a small bowl upside down on top of that.

[Glenn Hodges]

I have heard it said that beauty often comes from accidents. If this did not come out as you intended so be it because I sure like what you ended up with. Congratulations on making a piece which is not only beautiful, but out of the ordinary. The contrasting colors are attractive as well as the carving and the lines of the work.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Hey Glenn that is beautiful. If you hadn't said anything nobody would be the wiser. I have found sometimes beauty comes out of something by accident. Looks mighty good.

[Bob Noles]

Curt,

Those are awesome! I sure am glad you explained that some of it was carved and not all turned as I was just about to put a for sale sign on my lathe.

I really like those pieces. Thanks for sharing with us.

[Michael Stafford]

Curt, I hope you can complete it at some future date and it sounds as if you will. It is a spectacular piece and needs to be completed to be a magnificent piece of art. Hang in there and you will get it done. Never rush to perfection.

[Robert Mickley]

If your giving up after making something as great as that, well then I'm taking the cutting torches to my lathe

And your right, ash is hard stuff!!!

[Jim Ketron]

Beautiful work Curt!
Keep those coming!

[Travis Stinson]

That's awesome Curt! Really hope to see you finish the rest.;)

[Jerry Clark]

Wow Curt, that is gorgous-- great idea and nice form and choice of woods. Maybe someone that carves would donate a head-- and it ain't me. Thanks for sharing.:D

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

I am really at a loss.
Can't even figure out how you did the three woods, but it's a wonderful thing you're doing.

Bruce

[Curt Fuller]

Wow Curt, that is gorgous-- great idea and nice form and choice of woods. Maybe someone that carves would donate a head-- and it ain't me. Thanks for sharing.:D

Hey now, that's and idea! Anyone want to donate a head???

Thanks everyone for the compliments. I now have tons of respect for wood carvers. But I have to say, it's a heck of a lot more fun to watch shavings fly off a piece of wood on the lathe than to whittle until you're cross-eyed with a knife.

[Corey Hallagan]

Yes, what everyone else has said, very kewl piece!

Corey

[Bill Stevener]

Curt, that is one nice piece of work. I hope you post some photos when it's completed.

Bill>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>:)

[Ernie Nyvall]

Looks like you are a carver to meCurt. Great work.

Ernie

[Carole Valentine]

Curt, I was looking at this on another site and am baffled as to how you combined the three woods. Could you explain how you did the layers? As for your "giving up"...I only wish I could "give up" on something that beautiful!:)
I have an incredible respect for carvers. It is something that I simply cannot do, even if I had the proper tools.:o

[Curt Fuller]

Carole, the walnut base is just a tall vase hollowed to about 3/8" with a 1" opening and pretty straight sides. I left the tenon on until it was done. Then the ash part is another tall vase but with an opening that would slide upside down over the walnut vase. I drew the feathered type design on the ash vase and cut it out with a small x-acto type saw and then carved and sanded it, slid it over the walnut vase and glued it. Put it back on the lathe and finished the bottom of the ash vase which now became the top of the combo of the two and cut the 1" opening into it. Then the top layer (english walnut) is a small bowl turned endgrain to fit upside down over the top of the walnut and ash vase. I cut the feathers out with the x-acto saw and carved and sanded it and glued it on. Put it back on the lathe and finished the top of it and cut the 1" hole through it. The did a little more carving and sanding on the top before parting off the tenon on the walnut base.
Originally the plan was to leave a lot of wood on the top piece, enough to carve a bird head from. But the english walnut was so hard and my carving skills and tools so poor that I just cut the head off and ended up with what you see. Carving the feathers wasn't too tough but the head just was beyond my ability.

Hope that makes sense.