| Project by dlcarver | posted 615 days ago | 186 views | 0 times favorited | 9 comments |  |
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The Canvasback is carved from basswood in two pieces….... the head and the body. To make an Antique duck one must first carve the fellow of course, then he has to be painted, (sort of life-like) by that I mean, you need the colors all in the right places…...( but you don’t have to be quite so meticulous about it ), you can get away with a few cracks and flaws in the wood…. which actually enhance the Antique. After the painting, you must distress the carving. I literally beat up my carving…. I use a heavy screw driver, a piece of metal with square sharp points on the corners, I use the round shank of the screw driver as well. Certain places I know I am going to burn, I will leave heavy layers of the paint exist. Where the paint is heavy it allows me to torch burn the area and actually make the paint boil right on the carving. Making it somewhat bubbly and worn. When painting, I leave some bare spots allowing the wood to burn more easily. Before torch burning the decoy, I take a flat grinding stone or high speed steel grinder in my Foredom flexible shaft with motor and make a handmade wood grain effect. He is lifesize. He still gets the glass eyes and has several coats of satin varnish applied.
THANKS FOR VIEWING MY GALLERY!
Note: You must be careful in distressing the decoy…. I have broken a bill before. The idea of nicking it is to resemble having been shot with buckshot BB’s. So you have to nick the wood as opposed to poking the wood.
-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com
9 comments so far
DAN
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6452 posts in 879 days
posted 614 days ago
cool ! I sometimes use dark wax or even KIWI brown shoe polish to antique my work. adds about 20 years
-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever
ND2ELK
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6209 posts in 670 days
posted 614 days ago
Hi Dave
Beautiful job on the duck as always. Thanks for poting.
God Bless
tom
-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa
Lee A. Jesberger
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3710 posts in 876 days
posted 614 days ago
Hi Dave;
Great work here. The duck does look like he’s been around for quite some time.
Do you find it difficult to distress your work?
An area that always gives me trouble is distressing something I have created.
Nice job!
Lee
-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com
teenagewoodworker
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2482 posts in 665 days
posted 614 days ago
wow thats really lifelike. you do some great work and i look forward to seeing some more work!
Scott Bryan
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20732 posts in 718 days
posted 614 days ago
Hi Dave,
Wonderful post as usual. Thanks for describing the antiquing process. I can honestly say that I don’t think I could take a perfectly gorgeous piece and purposefully beat on it. It is just not in my nature to do so. But this obviously works for you and is a very successful detail on your pieces.
Thanks for the post.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
cajunpen
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5968 posts in 962 days
posted 614 days ago
Another beauty Dave. I sure am happy that I don’t have to choose my favorite piece – all of your pieces of art are exceptional.
-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/
dlcarver
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260 posts in 627 days
posted 614 days ago
LEE
It doesn’t bother me because I am creating a different project…... actually, the one I set out to create in the first place. It helps me in the painting process, by not having to be so meticulous and perfect. The antique process actually begins in the carving stage by using a body that has a flaw or two in it…. which makes them look even more authentically antique.
Thanks all for the comments !!
Dave
-- Dave Leitem,Butler,Pa.,http://dlcarver.etsy.com
mmh
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1385 posts in 619 days
posted 327 days ago
Nicely carved. Your characature and position of the duck is very life-like. What if you put the duck in an empty (large) wet/dry vacuum and then hose up some buck shot? The pellets would ricochet around a bit and dent the wood. It would be random and may occur damage you don’t want so this is only a theory for damage control. Or lack of. Please do not hold me responsible for any unwanted damages accrued . . .
-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe
dustygirl
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767 posts in 625 days
posted 327 days ago
Great looking duck Dave.Thanks for explaining how you antiqued it.
-- Dustygirl..Hastings,Ontario.. How much wood can 1 gal chuck if 1 gal can't cut wood?