Progression Photos on the "The Greatest Story Ever Told" Walking Cane Project

Realizing that the story and photos of this walking cane project are decidedly Christian in content, if you are offended by such things, you should read another Blog. This project is a cane that I was commissioned to build, which tells the story of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and will be used to talk about the customer’s faith as he uses the symbols to tell the story. I hope that if you are offended by the content, that you will at least enjoy the woodworking process that is used to create such a walking cane.

Also, since I can’t sit down and do the entire blog at one time, I will start today, and finish it as I have time,
adding the detail photos of each step as I can get them loaded and typed up.

The Design:
The customer came up with the concept of a cane of symbols, and worked with me to develop a list of symbols to tell the story of the Gospel, and I translated the ideas into pictures that I felt that I could carve and paint well enough to depict the message.

The final photos will go into the project posting, along with the “Story” of the cane and it’s symbols, when I get to that effort in a few days.

This blog is to show the details of the work, and the progression.

Thanks for reading,
Mark DeCou
www.decoustudio.com
email: mark@decoustudio.com

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The start of the process was a concept sketch used to communicate with the customer.

This is the concept sketch for the lower three carvings:

Here is the concept Sketch for the next three carvings:

Here is the concept Sketch for the top four carvings:

Here is the concept sketch for the handle:

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Photos of the Finished Cane:

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Making the Handle

The raw Wood is Olivewood, that I cut down at my parent’s place, as the tree was dying and needed to be removed. I rough planked the log with a chainsaw. Here I’m beginning the process of of preparing the wood on the Jointer.

The Front of the Handle has a piece of synthetic ivory that I used to Scrimshaw some original artwork, depicting the “Right Hand of Christ” on the Cross, with a hand-wrought Silver Nail through the palm, and one drop of red blood. The name of this cane was given by the man that commissioned the work, “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”

This is the back end of the handle, with the customer’s name in a style similar to his signature. He anticipated that this cane will be an heirloom in his family, and so he wanted to have his name on it for future generations to appreciate. I have found that many of my cane customers have come to realize that more than one person in their family wants their cane when they are through with it, so I always recommend that they plan ahead on how that transistion is to be done, and to whom in the family.

Here is the “meaty” hand I used as a model for the Scrimshaw. Look, 40 some years of woodworking, and I still have all of my fingers!

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Details of the Cane Carvings:

Starting at the bottom, the tip is a turned brass material, with the serial number, my signature, and on this side, the Triquetra symbol engraved.

On the other side of the tip, the “Infiinite” symbol has been engraved.

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“Carving #1: Creation”
This carving depicts the Hand of God, creating the Sun, Stars, Planets, Moons, and Earth.

The concept sketch converted to the wood ready for carving:

The Rough carvings:

First Carving after the Painting, Antiquing, and Finish was applied:

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Carving #2: The Fall:

The final painted carving:

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Carving #3: The Flood:

Here is the Final Painted Carving:

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Carving #4: The Law:

The Rough carving

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/2621188952_146d21d73a.jpg

The Final Painted Carving:

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Carving #5: The Sacrifice for Sin:

Ready to Carve:

The Rough Carving:

The final Painted Carving:

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Carving #6: The Manger:

Ready to Carve:

The Rough Carving:

The final Painted Carving:

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Carving #7: The Ultimate Sacrifice:

The Rough Carving:

The final Painted Carving:

The Hand with a hand-wrought silver nail:

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Carving #8: The Empty Tomb:

Ready to Carve:

!!

The Rough Carving:

The final Painted Carving:

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Carving #9: The Glorious Return:

The Rough Carving:

The final Painted Carving:

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Doing the “Work” Photos:
The customer asked that I have some photos taken where I was working on the cane:

Carving the Shaft

Doing the Scrimshaw Work on the Handle:

Doing the Engraving Work on the Brass Tip:

WARNING: (This text, all photos, project design, and the concept is protected by Copyright 2008, by the Author, M.A. DeCou, permssion is required before using for any purpose.)

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com