Project by NoKetchup | posted 04-05-2012 05:28 AM | 2698 views | 2 times favorited | 29 comments | ![]() |
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I hope this is ok to submit, I have never carved before and have very little woodworking experience. Its a Totoro, one of those japanese animation characters.
The body is antique sugar pine butcher block I made
claws and wiskers are bocote
face parts are madagascar ebony
I forget offhand the tree the nut comes from
I used a radial arm saw and bench planar for the butcher block but everything else is 100% dremel and a piece of sandpaper. The parts are all Mr Potato head style press fit (I do have several different mouths for him that are fun to switch up).
All said it was about 40 hours, but I think it made a mighty fine xmas gift to the missus. I learned a lot of lessons and looking forward to picking up some new tools to try some more difficult projects.
29 comments so far
lizardhead
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653 posts in 3816 days
#1 posted 04-05-2012 05:37 AM
I would have called it Fat Cat
-- Good, Better, Best--Never let it rest---Always make your Good be Better & your Better Best
woodworm
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14477 posts in 4565 days
#2 posted 04-05-2012 10:22 AM
It is Gorgeous!
-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.
shinju
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221 posts in 4307 days
#3 posted 04-05-2012 10:56 AM
Very nice,great job…..shinju
-- enjoy, be well and enjoy life with all around you
helluvawreck
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32122 posts in 3841 days
#4 posted 04-05-2012 11:17 AM
Considering it’s your first attempt at carving, I would say it’s pretty dang good. Fat Cat would wouldn’t be a bad name. On the next one you could put a big cigar in his mouth and a stack full of money in his hand. Seriously, I think that this carving shows a lot of imaginative creativity. Stay at it and I believe that you will do good with carving.
helluvawreck
https://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
-- helluvawreck aka Charles, http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
nick85
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39 posts in 3221 days
#5 posted 04-05-2012 11:41 AM
That looks awesome! The nut is a banksia pod. I would suggest carving in the little marks on his belly, and maybe the outline, to ensure people know who it is…
-- "I suggest a new strategy, R2: let the Wookiee win."
MasterSergeant
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1441 posts in 3663 days
#6 posted 04-05-2012 11:47 AM
Thanks for the smile your carving provided me! Excellent!
-- Kelly, woodworker under construction
Woodtroll
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#7 posted 04-05-2012 12:14 PM
Great job!
stefang
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17040 posts in 4309 days
#8 posted 04-05-2012 12:31 PM
This is really good, especially for a first. Don’t worry about your work being good enough to post. Anything goes on as long as its woodworking. Welcome to LJ.
-- Mike, an American living in Norway.
Woodbridge
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3741 posts in 3392 days
#9 posted 04-05-2012 12:41 PM
very cute, very cool. thanks for posting your work it very good. welcome to LJs
-- Peter, Woodbridge, Ontario
AugieCoe
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44 posts in 3665 days
#10 posted 04-05-2012 01:02 PM
Love it! For the first time at carving and shaping you really gave him a lot of personality!
Great work!
-- There is a lesson in every project. Play safe!
Ben Simms
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191 posts in 3266 days
#11 posted 04-05-2012 01:24 PM
My neighbor Totoro. great movie, a little odd but I liked it. Vary nice carving I knew immediately what it was from the thumbnail pic.
-- I played with Legos as a kid and I never had the part I thought I needed, so I learned to improvise. Now I'm an engineer with a woodworking hobby.
StumpyNubs
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7837 posts in 3775 days
#12 posted 04-05-2012 01:32 PM
Did you use my body shape as inspiration?
Thanks for posting!
Jim; aka “Stumpy Nubs”
New episode of Blue Collar Woodworking is now online!
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BlankMan
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1491 posts in 4327 days
#13 posted 04-05-2012 01:45 PM
I like that! Really cute. Good job on your first carving.
-- -Curt, Milwaukee, WI
longgone
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#14 posted 04-05-2012 02:08 PM
You wife will most definitely love this Christmas gift. You have a good eye for carving and I hope to see future pieces you create.
shipwright
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8654 posts in 3772 days
#15 posted 04-05-2012 03:09 PM
Now that is just tooooooo cute!
Very well done for a first try.
Welcome to Lumberjocks. You’ll fit right in.
tip: In the future, use a landscape format photo for your first (main) view and it won’t get beheaded.
-- Paul M ..............the early bird may get the worm but it’s the second mouse that gets the cheese! http://thecanadianschooloffrenchmarquetry.com/
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