# "Automaton"



## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

*starting out*

I made something similar to this several years back and wanted to do an improved version since my carving skills have improved a bit. I am also a big fan of Wanda Sowery and others who make these wonderful machines. I drew up some sketches of the figures I wanted for this and I have started carving them out. This is the face I came up with. The hat is a separate piece of wood that is glued on.


























More to come!


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *starting out*
> 
> I made something similar to this several years back and wanted to do an improved version since my carving skills have improved a bit. I am also a big fan of Wanda Sowery and others who make these wonderful machines. I drew up some sketches of the figures I wanted for this and I have started carving them out. This is the face I came up with. The hat is a separate piece of wood that is glued on.
> 
> ...


your having fun and becoming better all the time, keep it up, good work


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *starting out*
> 
> I made something similar to this several years back and wanted to do an improved version since my carving skills have improved a bit. I am also a big fan of Wanda Sowery and others who make these wonderful machines. I drew up some sketches of the figures I wanted for this and I have started carving them out. This is the face I came up with. The hat is a separate piece of wood that is glued on.
> 
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The grin on that face suggests this going to be a cool project!


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

*body work*

I'm trying to catch up on my posting and keep these in the sequence that I made them. I cut the body out of some thicker wood and then added the legs. Check out those boots! They'll look snazzy when I get them painted. The arms will be fixed in place, but I still have some more carving to do on them. The right hand will be a separate piece that is movable also. Thanks for looking.




























There may be some resemblance to me, at least in the last pose!


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *body work*
> 
> I'm trying to catch up on my posting and keep these in the sequence that I made them. I cut the body out of some thicker wood and then added the legs. Check out those boots! They'll look snazzy when I get them painted. The arms will be fixed in place, but I still have some more carving to do on them. The right hand will be a separate piece that is movable also. Thanks for looking.
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now that is really cool, love it…gosh i wish i had some of this around the livingroom, really enjoyed this…great job…grizz


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *body work*
> 
> I'm trying to catch up on my posting and keep these in the sequence that I made them. I cut the body out of some thicker wood and then added the legs. Check out those boots! They'll look snazzy when I get them painted. The arms will be fixed in place, but I still have some more carving to do on them. The right hand will be a separate piece that is movable also. Thanks for looking.
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just caught what you said at the end mike…that was funny…i can relate to that position myself…keep up the great work, always fun to see your work , makes me smile…grizz


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *body work*
> 
> I'm trying to catch up on my posting and keep these in the sequence that I made them. I cut the body out of some thicker wood and then added the legs. Check out those boots! They'll look snazzy when I get them painted. The arms will be fixed in place, but I still have some more carving to do on them. The right hand will be a separate piece that is movable also. Thanks for looking.
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won't be long before the ole chap comes to life


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## 3DBMe (Apr 24, 2008)

mpounders said:


> *body work*
> 
> I'm trying to catch up on my posting and keep these in the sequence that I made them. I cut the body out of some thicker wood and then added the legs. Check out those boots! They'll look snazzy when I get them painted. The arms will be fixed in place, but I still have some more carving to do on them. The right hand will be a separate piece that is movable also. Thanks for looking.
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Nice character developing! I'll be following along.


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

*Arms and hands*










A little more progress on this. The left hand is just a fist that is part of the arm, while the right hand is a separate piece carved to look like he is snapping his fingers. The arms will be doweled and glued to the body before shaping them further. I glue them on one at a time and use a bit of rubber as a clamp. I'm using wire brads as the hinge pins for all the joints. I use CA glue to strengthen the areas around the holes that these pins go through. The head and the right hand are also hinged so that they can move. More to come!


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

mpounders said:


> *Arms and hands*
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fun to see you in action … you have enviable talent and skill


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *Arms and hands*
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he must be ordering a burger with fries, snap his fingers….andddddddddddd order up…...great job here, very cool


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *Arms and hands*
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Great work Mike.


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

*Staging & Mechanics*










I've been working on the mechanical parts of the toy this week. I built a 10" x 10" box with mitered corners out of oak. The back drop and other pieces are out of poplar and the stage is 1/4" birch. I used 3/4" birch plywood for the gears and collars and cams with dowels for the different rods and pistons.










The back drop will be doweled and glued in place, and I am trying to decide if I want to put the title up there or down on the oak. All the other pieces will have screws or pins, so that it can be disassembled for adjustments or repairs. It is necessary to shim and adjust things a bit, in order to get him to dance properly. The boots have to hit the pkatform just right to get him to kick his feet out.










The piston is just a dowel rounded on the bottom and running through a hole drilled in the cross bar. The tooths/cogs on the wheel push it up and down, transferring that motion to the lever supporting the figure. I'll sand and pretty things up a bit when i have it tweaked a bit more. I am working on a second figure, a dog, that will be sitting by the first and will be moved by some arrangement or another. It'll have feet of some type to raise it up for the crank to clear. Thanks for looking!


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## Dez (Mar 28, 2007)

mpounders said:


> *Staging & Mechanics*
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Very Cool! Can't wait to see him dance!


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *Staging & Mechanics*
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Mike that is awesome! He is so full of character and looks poised to trip the light fantastic. What a fabulous toy.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *Staging & Mechanics*
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git dem cowboy boots kickin it.. he's ready to jam


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

mpounders said:


> *Staging & Mechanics*
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sweet .. I'm hooked on this story now … cool blog BUD


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## CavRecon (May 21, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *Staging & Mechanics*
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Walt Disney lives!


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

*Big Dog*










I'm still working on the fit of the head to the body, but he is mostly finished. I've never carved a dog before, but he doesn't look too bad. I'm still working on the mechanisms to move his head and tail.










This is how he will be positioned with the old fellow. I will probably have the tail on the side of the man, to avoid accidently breaking it while turning the crank. I need to pick up some supplies for an idea I have for the legs/feet on the whole contraption. Thanks for looking!


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *Big Dog*
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oh yesss mans best friend


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## decoustudio (May 4, 2006)

mpounders said:


> *Big Dog*
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they are beautiful Mike


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## nobuckle (Nov 3, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *Big Dog*
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That's down-right awesome! I've never carved anything so you are way out in front of me. Very nice work.


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## Robin (Sep 19, 2008)

mpounders said:


> *Big Dog*
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I think it is all fantastic!


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *Big Dog*
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Well, just like all of your other stuff, the carvings look great. So now we're even going to see them move as well. What are you going to come up with next, *Mike*? Congratulations.

helluvawreck

https://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

*It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*










It works! That doesn't always happen, for me! I still have a little tweaking to do on one cam, but this is pretty much how it will operate. I'll be able to start on the painting and finishing next, which shouldn't be too bad.

Of course, one of the things that slows me down, is all the "testing" I just have to do! So, as a thank you to those that have followed my blog, I decided to post a little preview of it in action. Thanks for eeveryone's encouragement and comments!


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## cabmaker (Sep 16, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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lOVE IT !


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## redryder (Nov 28, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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Excellent work and must be a labor of love but…...............music please….........


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## mahadevwood (Feb 18, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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Excellent job….


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## Egor (Aug 2, 2007)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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Very cool. Great work…....


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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I love it Mike. Now you have to find some music to go with that. Nice work.


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## DavidBethune (Feb 9, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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That is really cool.. Great job!!!


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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*Mike*, I love it. It's very nicely done.

helluvawreck

https://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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very kool Mike. nifty mechanics.. I am picturing the villan shootin a pistol sayin "dance sucker, dance" lol


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## Triumph1 (Dec 20, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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That is awesome! I think the wagging tail is my favorite part.


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## Robin (Sep 19, 2008)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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I love it!


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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The dog is where it's at!!!!


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## xwingace (Apr 25, 2011)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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That's adorable! The machinery makes it sound like he's snapping his fingers while he dances.


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## North40 (Oct 17, 2007)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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No way! That's great! I want one!


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## PeteMoss (Nov 24, 2008)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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That's great! I love the smug cockiness of the head bobble.


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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I love these things! They are almost as much fun to make as they are to watch and operate.


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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What fun! I'm looking forward to the paint job…


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## KenFitz (May 21, 2007)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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Very nicely done. It's an awesome project. Thanks for sharing


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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I really enjoyed this series. Great work, & creativity!

I like the resemblance of the man, & dog. They always say, the dog takes on his masters look, or vise- versa.


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## Stevinmarin (Dec 24, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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Outstanding!!!


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## StumpyNubs (Sep 25, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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That's fantastic!

Thanks for posting!
-Jim; aka "Stumpy Nubs" 
(The best woodworking show since the invention of wood.)


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

mpounders said:


> *It's .........Aliveeeee!!!!!!!*
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Nice. I was fortunate to be in a class where we learned how to make a flapping watch but we never did any designing. I can only imagine how many hours went into generating the ideas and proportions of the working parts of that "automaton".


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

*What's inside*










You not only get to play with the toy when assembled, it's also a puzzle! After testing, I have it completely dismantled to do some finish sanding and painting. I stopped counting parts and pieces after one hundred, but it is important to be able to be able to make adjustments and repairs if needed. So I though I would post a few pictures of the inner workings, that might help if someone might like to do something similar.

The important part of the man, as far as how he dances, are the legs. these are just simple mortise and tenon joints and they need to be loose, sloppy fitting. I use wire brads for pins. The legs need to be close in length, but I actually added a screw in one heel and one a little further forward on the other foot, to make his feet kick out more randomly. You can hinge the arms at the shoulders, or the head and hand as I did. All the movement is caused by the figure bouncing his feet on the stage. This creates pretty random movements in all the jointed areas with a simple lifting action in the back.










The handle at the end turns a shaft with several cogged wheels that provide different actions. There is a back piece with a lifter bar that attaches with a dowel to the back of the figure. A crossbar with a hole drilled in it, holds a simple dowel piston that is lifted and dropped by the larger cogged wheel (4 times per revolution) and this raises and drops the lifter bar that is attached to the man's back.










The cogs and hubs are just circles that are cut out of plywood on the bandsaw, with a hole drilled for the shaft turned by the crank. I usually glue a smaller disc to the side of a large wheel so the set-screw doesn't have to be so long to fix it to the shaft. The hubs just retain things in place and the cogs are just used as cams, so nothing has to be very precise.










The crank shaft and smaller cog wheel provide the motions to the dog's head and tail. The crankshaft is gust to disks with a center hole drilled for the shaft and then a second hole is drilled through both toward the edge. A short piece of dowel is glued in place and then the dowel throught he center is cut, so that the connecting rod rotates around it when the handle is turned. This provides the back and forth action to the dog's head. The smaller wheel with 6 cogs simple has a hinged lever that rides on top of the teeth. The lever has a screw for the axel and attached to the right side of the box. I used a bit of elastic to attach it to an eye screw, that gives it a snapping action as it raises and drops when the shaft is turned. This raises and lowers a wire brad, used as a pin, that gives the motion to the dog's tail!










The handle is constructed in a similar manner to the other drive pieces. I do have to use some wood putty to patch some voids sometimes, but I have concerns about using solid wood. Not sure if grain changes wouldn't make a componnent too weak and cause it too fail?










I just need to get on with the painting and finishing, now that I think I have everything all sanded and such. Should be through soon! Thanks for looking!


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## wizzardofwood (Jul 18, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *What's inside*
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sweet lots of pieces


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## tinman_362 (May 12, 2011)

mpounders said:


> *What's inside*
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This is so cool. I inadvertently made a cheesey automaton then I see a real one being made. I had never heard of this until I made one. Mine is nowhere as neat as this one but I'm hoping to make a better one next time. They seem very Tim Burton-ish. I'm gonna have to go back and read everything you have on this. Thank you so much for the info.


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *What's inside*
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They are fun to make! Be sure and check out Wanda Sowry's work 
She does amazing stuff! Also google Dug North. They set the bar pretty high!


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *What's inside*
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I was wondering how it all worked. Now I know.  Good luck with the finishing.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

mpounders said:


> *What's inside*
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Great Automata!

You have to love this stuff- your imagination can just run wild!

Lew


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## Rustic (Jul 21, 2008)

mpounders said:


> *What's inside*
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that is a lot of parts


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

*cowboy boots*

I'm continuing the painting portion of this toy. I've stained and finished all the mechanical pieces and almost have the man painted and ready for assembly. One of the elements important to me was the boots. I have several other carvings planned with boots, so I wanted to try something detailed, as far as the appearance of the boots. I did some research and thought this guy would look good in some Lucchese lizard-skin boots! I spent about 3 hours drawing and burning the designs on the boots.










I wanted enough details to make them appear realistic. But that doesn't always mean putting in every detail. On a larger boot, I would have did the stitching and other things, but on something this small, the stitching would be too small to see, if it was in porportion to the rest of the things. I used to try to put in almost every single hair on something I was carving, but sometimes just indicating a feature or a shape is more realistic.










I spent about and hour and a half painting the first one, trying to get the colors and stuff like I wanted them. The other boot only took a half hour! I didn't want them too wild, but I didn't want just plain boots either. This guy is not shy about standing out in a crowd! Not much more to go! Thanks for looking!


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *cowboy boots*
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> I'm continuing the painting portion of this toy. I've stained and finished all the mechanical pieces and almost have the man painted and ready for assembly. One of the elements important to me was the boots. I have several other carvings planned with boots, so I wanted to try something detailed, as far as the appearance of the boots. I did some research and thought this guy would look good in some Lucchese lizard-skin boots! I spent about 3 hours drawing and burning the designs on the boots.
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Nice job Mike. Do they come in a size 9? (UK shoe size)

Your attention to detail really paid off.


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## MShort (Jan 15, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *cowboy boots*
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> I'm continuing the painting portion of this toy. I've stained and finished all the mechanical pieces and almost have the man painted and ready for assembly. One of the elements important to me was the boots. I have several other carvings planned with boots, so I wanted to try something detailed, as far as the appearance of the boots. I did some research and thought this guy would look good in some Lucchese lizard-skin boots! I spent about 3 hours drawing and burning the designs on the boots.
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Can't wait to see your final product. Nice work Mike.


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## Dez (Mar 28, 2007)

mpounders said:


> *cowboy boots*
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> I'm continuing the painting portion of this toy. I've stained and finished all the mechanical pieces and almost have the man painted and ready for assembly. One of the elements important to me was the boots. I have several other carvings planned with boots, so I wanted to try something detailed, as far as the appearance of the boots. I did some research and thought this guy would look good in some Lucchese lizard-skin boots! I spent about 3 hours drawing and burning the designs on the boots.
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Very nice!


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *cowboy boots*
> 
> I'm continuing the painting portion of this toy. I've stained and finished all the mechanical pieces and almost have the man painted and ready for assembly. One of the elements important to me was the boots. I have several other carvings planned with boots, so I wanted to try something detailed, as far as the appearance of the boots. I did some research and thought this guy would look good in some Lucchese lizard-skin boots! I spent about 3 hours drawing and burning the designs on the boots.
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hey Mike…. I think that's my old boots


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *cowboy boots*
> 
> I'm continuing the painting portion of this toy. I've stained and finished all the mechanical pieces and almost have the man painted and ready for assembly. One of the elements important to me was the boots. I have several other carvings planned with boots, so I wanted to try something detailed, as far as the appearance of the boots. I did some research and thought this guy would look good in some Lucchese lizard-skin boots! I spent about 3 hours drawing and burning the designs on the boots.
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Outstanding work Mike, can't wait to see the rest.


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## mpounders (Jun 22, 2010)

*Finished!*










I got the toy finished last night and took some pictures this morning. You can see the completed project here. It was fun. Here is a link to the video also. Thanks for following along!


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## Brit (Aug 14, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *Finished!*
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Superb Mike! Tres bien! Nice job on the painting.


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

mpounders said:


> *Finished!*
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wonderful just beautiful I can't dance that good and I am not made of carved wood.LOL Alistair


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## decoustudio (May 4, 2006)

mpounders said:


> *Finished!*
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His joints look a little more limber than mine, but I never could dance, even back when the hips and knees and back didn't ache all the time.
Fantastic Mike, I love the whimsy and detail that you put in your work.
They each look like you've put everything you can into them.
Well done,
Mark


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *Finished!*
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looked good without the paint------now, it's fantastic… very very kool. I can hear them heels hittin that hardwood floor. really nice project


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## donjohn24 (Oct 15, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *Finished!*
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Super job - excellent carving and characterisations.

I'm not sure which dancing style is being demonstrated, but it reminded me of a link I was sent that revealed the origins of Irish dancing : http://videos2view.net/irish-dance.htm


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## Spoontaneous (Apr 13, 2009)

mpounders said:


> *Finished!*
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Totally packed full of 'character'! Really great job on both the carving… and the movement. Impressive.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

mpounders said:


> *Finished!*
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It's absolutely wonderful, Mike.

helluvawreck
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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