Mock-up of base for carving

    I did two things today - apply the first coat of sanding sealer and put together a mock-up of the eventual base I will make for the carving.  Sanding sealer?  Not much to say about that, except that I didn't put any on the head and feet because that was where I had to hold the carving while I sealed the rest.  Later tonight I will apply sealer to the head and legs, and tomorrow I will put a second coat over the whole thing.

    I decided, after much thought, to simply support the carving on its base with a single rod extending from the belly of the bird down to the base.  I ordered some clear acrylic 3/36" diameter rods from an online acrylic products company, but for the time being I used a 3/36" wooden dowel in my trial run.  I carefully drilled a hole in the centerline of the belly at an angle that would support the bird in a diving pose.  I then drilled a hole in a 1.5" thick piece of pine board from the garage, and put the assembly together.  This is the result:

     The result is very close to the vision I had at the start.  I wish that the diving angle were a little steeper, but the hole in the belly is already drilled and I can't redo it without making a mess.  What I have done will suffice, for sure.  A small concern that I have is that the wooden dowel bends somewhat under the weight of the carving, which I didn't think it would do.  I didn't get the hole quite under the center of gravity of the carving, and it leans a little forward.  I am hoping that the clear acrylic rods will be a little stronger and support the carving without bending.

    By using the clear rod as an obvious support, I don't have to be too clever about making the support look like reeds or grass, which would have taken a lot of work.  I would also have had to make the flat part of the base look like water or else the realistic reeds would not look right.  I can now go back to making the flat part of the base an abstract form with a simple, rippled surface.  The plain base and the clear support will not call attention away from the carving.  Viewers will accept the base and support for what they are, and move their attention back to the carving itself.  That's my hope, anyway.

    The piece of scrap wood in the photos above is too big, but I will use it as a starting point for trimming down the rectangular shape or for possibly creating a more visually pleasing shape such as an oval.

    Maybe another hour today, for a running today of 109 hours invested so far. My first post on this blog was May 3, so I am coming up on three months of work.  I could have gotten to this point faster, but if you have to rush, it's not a hobby any more.