Creative Woodworks & crafts 2003-11, страница 42

SUPPLIES

Wood: carving wood of choice—-one piece 4" x 12" x 3/4" (for fish); one piece 9" x 15" (for ploqye}; !wo dowels 1 /4"-Dio. x 1 fT long Tools: bond or scroll saw (for cutting : biankj; rotary power carving took including. sanding drum equipped : with drums from coarse to fine; Kuizall top). cylindrical or cone-shaped; '■.' assorted diamond bits Temporary-bond spray adhesive ■...: Sandpaper, asso.'tec: grits {i 2Q to 400) . Wood repoir compound Wood burner with fine knife ftp Wooci stain for plaque. Varnish, or other finish for piaque Hanger of choice One 8.mm glass fish eye ./.■'

Patterns Located in Full Size Pattern Section No. 2!

Introduction

I don't know about you, but personally I find the look of a full-bodied fish impaled on a flat plaque and hanging on the wall to be disturbing.-. If it is a real fish, then I get upset because It had to die to get there. Furthermore, a stuffed fish never looks right to me. It seems phony and lifeless! On the other hand, if it's synthetic, either plastic or wood, I almost expect it to turn and start singing at me! I do carve them, however. I even sell some of them from the studio. I wait for a customer to order one, however.

I far prefer the flat mount. What is a flat mount, you ask? Well, that's what I call a fish that is carved to lie fiat on a plaque. In other words,., while a full fish is three-dimensional, this could be called two-dimen^:' sional. Only half of the fish is carved. The back is left flat to lie tightly' against the plaque.

Two-dimensional carvings have several advantages: they are less expensive, faster to carve, quicker and easier to paint, and they look great on the wall. The expense is cut first because it uses less wood. I can make both the fish and the plaque from a piece of 1" x 12" pine which is 27" long. Of course you can use other wood. For example, basswood or tupelo will also work. You only need one glass eye because the fish is one-sided.