Lunacity: Rod Handle

Thanks for reading my blog.

One side effect of chronic pain is that some nights you  don't sleep.  "Lunacity" is my term for when you find yourself in that place.  The best thing to do is to get up and create something when you can't sleep.  Not sure if there needs to be a full moon, but it can't hurt!
The other night I was in Lunacity.  I don't usually make things for myself, but I recently broke the handle on one of my fishing rods and the pole was just sitting there lonely.  This was a rather inexpensive item in which the pole and the handle were one unit.  If you break the handle, the pole is also broke.  Unless, you fashion a handle and attach the pole to it.  Of course, you have to cut the pole from the broken handle.

Here is the handle almost ready for painting.  In both pictures, the rectangular piece attached in the groove is to hold a reel.  A screw from the other side holds the piece down so the reel is secure.



















I carved a handle out of a piece of red oak.  Fishing rod handles are generally too short for my hand.  So the one I designed was extra long to fit my hand.  I finished it with polyurethane and a blue Sharpie to get the iridescent purple color.  I've tried to preserve it but have had no luck finding something that doesn't result in a pretty, deep sea blue.  I've tested Polyurethane, its water based cousin Polyacrylic, epoxy, lacquer, enamel top-coat, and shellac.  All ruin the purple.  So, I've left the handle without additional finishing.


Here a reel is attached to the handle.  The pole has also been attached to the handle.














Okay, the reel is upside down.  But it shows the underside of the handle.








A close-up view of the end of the handle.  I carved it to be easy to hold.




Is the handle lucky?  I caught two largemouth bass in a couple of hours of very informal fishing interrupted by rain and stormy weather.


Have you ever been to Lunacity?


Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.
Use Contact at either Etsy shop
Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166
FACEBOOK
   Timeline: facebook.com/hal.papan
   Email: hal.papan [!at] facebook.com

I blog about wood carving and most anything else at
www.stickstaffcane.blogspot.com

Proud member of the following ETSY teams:
Acorn to Oak
The Wood Carvers of Etsy
Etsy Woodworkers
NCTriangle
It's A Madcap Live
On Fire For Handmade
Promoting Treasuries With a Cause
Inspired by History

Pixies on a Double Whistle: WIP

Thanks for checking my blog.

In progress is a pendant that has a Pixie on each side and it is a double whistle.

Thanks to Janice, my wonderful daughter, for the Pixie art work.

A wi re will be strung around the top and then run up to form a pendant loop.  There may be beads and Pixiedust!








Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.
Use Contact at either Etsy shop: www.stickstaffcane.etsy.com or www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com
Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166.  Listen to the whole message.
FACEBOOK
   Timeline: http://facebook.com/hal.papan
   Email: hal.papan@facebook.com
   Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/StickStaffCane/117272031678314

Nittany Lion: Carving is done. Next step is...

Thanks for checking out my blog.

I know I have several things in progress.  But, today I finished the carving part of the Nittany Lion bust.
At the end, there is always lots more sanding than I plan.  This project was no exception. 

 

















The photos show the bust just needing a lot of sanding.

After sanding and finishing with Natural MinWax Stain, I added the blue and white stripes of Penn State.  The blue is a blue stain and the white is a brilliant white acrylic.

I sanded down to a 600 level.  The surface is very smooth.  If you touch your finger on the display over the lion you can feel that it almost feels like stone! 
But seriously, since oak is so hard, the surface gets very smooth.

What is next"  The bust will be mounted on an oak rod attached to a black marble/slate foundation.  I'll tilt it forward a bit so it gives the impression of looking down at you... as in a tasty morsel?

I will put the finished project on my Etsy shop at:
https:\\www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com

I plan to have it ready by June 15th for the Maker Faire in Raleigh.

Work in Progress. Nittany Lion Statue

Thanks for checking out my blog.

5/10: It started as a block of oak, 3 x 3 x 6-in.

I draw some milestones on the wood, then rough out major features.

5/13: I cut in layers, working on several areas at a time.  As a layer is completed, I draw some milestones as guides for the next layer.  The wood is on a print out of a picture of the statue on the Penn State campus.

5/14: Now the ears, eyes, and mouth are starting to take shape

I'll be sure to fix the right eye.

A rose is a rose, but a pendant is a bead

Thanks for checking out my blog.

I need to get back to work-in-progress updates, but today was something of an "AHA" day.

My Etsy shop, youwoodlikethis.etsy.com, was on "vacation" while I figured out how to increase
sales.  The most number of items are what I was calling "pendants."  But, it finally struck me -AHA- that what I was calling a pendant other shops called "large hand carved beads."  So I made some changes.

Now, my items are beads rather than pendants.  I will have to see if this change makes a difference.
They are the same hand carved items but they will appeal, hopefully to a larger customer set.

For example, are these sliders (additions to a necklace) or are they large hand carved beads.  People looking for a large bead to complete their necklace may not think to call it
a slider.


I hope others see the difference and the shop has a rosy future.

The Deep Blue Sea. Serendipity Rules.

Thank you for checking out my blog.

In making the deep blue sea for the mermaid cane, my intention was to use a single step using a blue dye. Woodworkers use Rit Dye to stain wood.  It is better than paint because it leaves the grain of the wood visible.  Also, it soaks into the wood rather than sitting on top of it.  A ding to the wood shows less if the color is not removed. 

One problem with using dye is that it doesn't always soak in evenly.  When I used the blue dye on the cane, there were some places that didn't take the stain.  I thought of a solution.  I would put a coat of polyurethane on the cane and then use a blue Sharpie to touch up.  The blue Sharpie is definitely blue. 

Why did it turn the beautiful shade of purple?   Is it a Ph thing?  What chemical reaction turned the color of the blue sharpie to a gorgeous shiny purple?

It is a color I want to use if I do another dragon.  But, it was not the color of the deep blue sea.

For no particular reason, I decided to give the purple a coat of polyurethane.

Amazingly to me, the purple turned a deep sea blue.  You can see the differences in the colors between the two pictures.  The deep sea blue had another interesting quality, it appeared to have depth.  So, when you look at it, it looks very much like you are looking into the deep blue sea.  It looks like the water you see in the Southern Caribbean.

Serendipity Rules.

A Mermaid, the Sea, and Friends. A custom cane

A mermaid calmly sits in a clam shell while her friends cavort in the deep blue sea.
The request was for a cane with a mermaid and a comfortable handle.  The internet is full of real life mermaids.  All you have to do is Google, "image mermaid -cartoon."  Because of copyright, I can't show you the images, but you could look up the muses at:
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/disney/images/1154345/title/julianne-little-mermaid-photo
http://chinadailyshow.com/chinese-skipper-snares-eats-mermaid/
    (I digress, but this link has an interesting article attached to it :-)  )
http://madmuch.com/photos/golden-mermaid/
http://www.hannahfraser.com/mermaid/slippages/photos_one.php?instanceid=57&p=37

and, of course,
http://blog.europeana.eu/2013/04/mixed-up-mermaids/
  where you can find the story the The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, DK.

Here is the finished cane:

                                                                                       

Up close to the mermaid.

Below the mermaid, a pair of dolphins are jumping out of the deep blue sea.

















A sea turtle looks on from below the dolphins on the shaft of the cane.



      
                 Top view                                                                           Side view from her better side

 On the backward looking side of the cane is a nameplate.  I added a mysterious creature looking out from the cane.

Tomorrow I will show some of the work in progress and discuss the process to get the deep blue sea.

Custom Chainsaw Sculpture

Welcome to my blog.


Someday I want to try chainsaw carving.

I imagine it is hard to learn.  I can see a large pile of  "learning" attempts.  Of course, those would be put to good use as firewood.

These are amazing.  Take a moment and go to the website to see more creations.  Check out:

http://www.customchainsawcarvings.com/Freehand_Custom_Carvings/Gallery/Pages/Sculptures_Gallery.html

Here is a taste of what you will find.



http://www.customchainsawcarvings.com/Freehand_Custom_Carvings/Gallery/Pages/Sculptures_Gallery.html#15

REMEMBER

Tiki Statues

Welcome to my blog.

You have to take a break from care taking.

A walk on the beach is a terrific relaxer; especially if you are trying to lose weight.

On a walk at dawn, I found some driftwood.
There is much history to the Tiki Statues.  They occur somewhat similarly in different Pacific cultures.

I carved a set of four for a custom request.  These are destined to be fitted with torches to grace a pool area at a house near Austin TX.

 This one is inspired by a Tiki statue in a lobby of a hotel.

 The fourth one is still a work in progress.  That one is inspired by the Easter Island statues that have the elegant features.

The last two are profile shots of the first one.

As these are a gift, I don't know if I will be able to capture them before they have to go.

Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.
Use Contact at either Etsy shop: www.stickstaffcane.etsy.com or www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com
Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166.
FACEBOOK
Timeline: http://facebook.com/hal.papan
Email: hal.papan@facebook.com
Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/StickStaffCane/117272031678314

Work In Progress: Nutcracker Ornaments

Welcome to my blog.


I've been working on a template for a Nutcracker ornament.  It is a work in progress (WIP).   Like other WIPs, it may not look like these designs as these are pre-prototype.  I'm documenting my progress so an Instructable or magazine article will follow.  Both are things I'm interested in pursuing.

Here are some examplars...



















My prototype got to hang on my daughter's Christmas tree.

Inspiration from Eli Adamit

Welcome to my Blog.

There are some wonderful carvings out there.
I'll be searching for some notables to learn from them.

Look at the faces on the carvings from  Eli Adamit.

http://lumberjocks.com/eli_adamit/projects

Here is one example:


Genghiss Kahn

And you can read about his method in his project file:
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/56452

Here is an image from the Field Museum website:


http://fieldmuseum.org/happening/exhibits/genghis-khan

Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.
Use Contact at either Etsy shop: www.stickstaffcane.etsy.com or www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com
Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166.
FACEBOOK
Timeline: http://facebook.com/hal.papan
Email: hal.papan@facebook.com
Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/StickStaffCane/117272031678314

Work in Progress: Grateful Dead Tribute Cane

Welcome to my blog.

From 1965 to 1995, the Grateful Dead played their own style of rock and roll and are included in the Rolling Stones top 100 bands.

Several images are associated with the Dead including the skeleton, the skull, and the marching bears.


From Wikipedia,

Owsley "Bear" Stanley wrote that the "dancing bears" designed by Bob Thomas for History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear's Choice) are marching, not dancing.^[58]

Here is one of the marching bears on my tribute cane.  It is made of Sweetgum with the inner bark carefully preserved.  I think a dark stain on it will highlight the cameo sections with the bears.

l

The official Grateful Dead web site has this news!  (http://www.dead.net/)

Break out the banjo, dust off the camcorder, and gather your family and friends around the fire this holiday to sing not only the songs of the season, but those of the Grateful Dead. We're readying our YouTube page in eager anticipation of the 2013 Dead Covers Project. We'll be accepting submissions at the beginning of January and featuring participant videos on Dead.net throughout February so there's plenty of time to zero in on the perfect take. Details on how to submit your video are coming soon.


Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.
Use Contact at either Etsy shop: www.stickstaffcane.etsy.com or www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com
Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166.
FACEBOOK
   Timeline: http://facebook.com/hal.papan
   Email: hal.papan@facebook.com
   Page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/StickStaffCane/117272031678314

Good-bye to a few favorites

Welcome to my blog.

I had to say good-bye or good-buy to a few of my favorite pieces: Mother Nature in Disguise (MNID), Googly-Eye and the Stacker.

 Whimsy.  .  I used to take Googly-Eye shopping with me.  It helped me discover clothes, tools, and gifts.  Googly-eye is not a great conversationalist, but it is a great listener.  Both of these were fun to create because they captured a little bit of fun.

 Purpose.  The purpose of a cane is Balance.  I wanted to carve a cane that showed Balance.  The Stacker is my first complete attempt at the idea of Balance.  Each piece is individually cut, sanded, drilled, finished, and stacked.  There is a hollow rod running through each block.  If "conversation" was the purpose of this cane, then it really worked.  People stared at this cane long enough for me to start a conversation.


Whimsy and Purpose are some of those extra tools I use in the design and construction of my sticks, staffs, and canes.

While my Etsy shops are on vacation, you can see more woodworking at

Gifts With A Heart 2889 Jones Franklin Rd, Raleigh NC 27606.

Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.
Use Contact at either Etsy shop
Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166.
FACEBOOK
   Timeline: http://facebook.com/hal.papan
   Email: hal.papan@facebook.com
   Page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/StickStaffCane/117272031678314



Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ. I carve under the name Hal Papan.

A little blow

Welcome to my Blog.


If you get a mustache or smile whistle, what could you get to top it?  What could you get to disguise yourself as just another face in the crowd?

THE NOSE WHISTLE

You don't blow it with your nose!  It is another in the Disguise Series. 

Researches have identified 14 different kinds of noses.
http://bodyodd.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/08/02/7181806-there-are-14-different-kinds-of-noses-study-claims?lite
However, according to the article, "It doesn't appear to take into account African noses, Asian noses, Latino noses and the various other non-European and non-Israeli types of noses. A complete study would include noses from the wide spectrum of ethnicities."    Still, the article reports, "The turned up, or "celestial nose," was the most common shape in Europe, seen on 22 percent of the profile shots from this region. The research also considered it the "most attractive" snout shape, and its edge is sharper than a snub nose, which is smaller, slightly rounder and slopes upward at the tip."

So here is my contribution.  The first one is not one of the most popular or most attractive varieties.  It is just a simple nose to help you go incognito.

You will be able to buy any or all of these at my shop at
www.youwoodlikethis.etsy.com  after Dec. 8.   That does leave enough time for shipping in the USA.

I suspect that there will be variations on the Nose Disguise theme.  Any suggestions are most welcome.

Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.
Use Contact at either Etsy shop
Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166.
FACEBOOK
  Timeline: http://facebook.com/hal.papan
  Email: hal.papan@facebook.com
  Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/StickStaffCane/117272031678314



Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ. I carve under the name Hal Papan.

Wood Whispering

Welcome to my Blog.

If you are interested in wood carving or wood working, then you should check out the Wood Whisperer site(http://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/).  It is a collection of valuable tips, techniques, and plans for the novice and expert alike.  I'm certainly in the newby group and can spend hours learning from others in the WoodTalk Online sections.  There are forums (http://www.woodtalkonline.com/) from General Woodworking Talk to Project Showcases by members of the Woodworking Guild and the Modern  Woodworkers Association.  (You do have to do the usual registration to fully participate.)  It is a very active place:

65,041 Total Posts

6,971 Total Members

They have an interesting program called Sketchup that I am planning on looking at.  Let me know if you have tried it or are still using it.

Thanks.




Hal's email is hal2009@att.net.
Use Contact at either Etsy shop
Call my cell phone, leave a message at 919-656-7166.
FACEBOOK
Timeline: http://facebook.com/hal.papan
Email: hal.papan@facebook.com
Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/StickStaffCane/117272031678314



Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ. I carve under the name Hal Papan.

Welcome to my blog. 

Today I recognize some Etsy'ns who recently selected one of my items for their "Favorite" collection.


Note that Phaal Nap (Fail Nap) is a pseudonym, nom de plume, and anagram for Hal Papan. I usually write when I can't sleep. Ergo, Fail Nap. Of course, Hal Papan is my nom de couteau (knife name instead of pen name) and anagram for my real name, Alan Happ. I carve under the name Hal Papan.

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