Vectric Customer

Thanks G.
When a guy wanted a high end Bike and Cross-Country ski shop added it to his hardware store here..I jumped on it.
But in spare time worked the whole store.....including a lady wanting to return a bird feeder that she said should be called a "Squirrel feeder" instead
I think we sold as many "Squirrel Guards" as feeders!! I see some Amazing leaps almost every day on the dead trees in the beaver pond when they want to get to the other side!
Learned why 20 yrs ago, only red squirrels here...and now only Grays....Grays carry a virus that doesn't affect them, but kill most Reds:(
Also can digest green acorns, which Reds can't..so not enough of a major food source for the Reds on Mast years on our White Oaks.
Learn something new every day.
Guess I'll have to search for the type of East European "Owl" next(surprised I never did).

Thanks Joe...Kinda lucked out on this one for an "experiment" seeing If I can get as good a one for myself may not be so easy....BUT now looking at models differently.
Making Boundaries, and then sizing model so it falls off the shape of a branch has me searching new models, and taking closer looks at my bought models for sections that MAY look good.
Interesting...which is GOOD for me

Thanks Dan...The check is in the mail:)
ALWAYS planned my river trips(and then fishing trips with Dad) for as soon as ice was out....fishing isn't that hot, but water levels are so high Even the Maine Guides hadn't tried some of the streams:) REFUSED to go fishing with Dad in the North Woods the last two weeks of May, and the first two of April....I hate the little suckers!!
Don't even have the decency to make a Stab IN YA....just CHEW a hole/add anti-coagulant/ and Keep chewing...they taste AWFUL too!!

May have to inspect some family woodpiles for this Squirrel....Thinking if I can find a 2 year old Maple branch where a small cutoff branch has rotted into the core a little on a small unsplit piece....
Putting his head just below the rotten section May work?
Stuff like this keeps me going:)
scott

Hey Dan, what kind of Owl? I'll make you a Bloodwood key fob:)

Last coat on the little "Owl"....looks different with various light sources and shadow angles.
Taken just after wiping ALL excess off....should dull down to high sheen Satin look,one last light shoe shine brush with Beeswax.
DID do a blackening of eyes( and a Tiny ".005" "dot" on nostrils) after testing on one my first/only decent size Cherry 3 years ago...liked the effect the pen I sign small stuff with did.
Have fan on it...MAY be ready to go to my Step-Mom in Vermont with a sibling. Hope MINE comes out as good:)

Now to concentrate on Mom's Copy of my Dad's River Red Gum "Heart" (D&M 'Heart Card Suite")...only have it to wet sanded 400G stage ...gotta get my butt in gear for Christmas. VERY fun and satisfying projects!
scott

Scott, you do outstanding work! One day I hope to be half as good a craftsman as you....

Thanks for sharing!

I thanked you in email John, BUT just so other's don't think I'm Rude,Crude, and Obnoxious(which I AM , thanks here!

27Newstyle responded about the model;
" that's the squirrel in the picture."
Thanks you.

But that's like me saying I've got a "Deer" in the backyard...and not saying it's a "Whitetail" .
Think I'll just say it's a "European Red Squirrel" with dual citizenship(Finland and Russian):)

Must be on a Critter Kick.... bought TWO models in a week
Couldn't resist the Feathers details! THIS guy will probably have to be stuck in a hole in a tree....JUST cut down a 10"D Poplar that was struck by lightning and totally hollowed out....hand chisel a Pileated Woodpecker hole maybe...and insert the guy?
That's the nice thing about playing:)

Oh...Pileated Woodpecker holes pic thanks to Bobtail Farm:)
16-19 inch tall woodpeckers I see almost every day.

First "Owl" arrived unscathed by sister post in Vermont to step-mom:)
Late Christmas...slightly early 87'th Birthday....I got credit for both:)
"Loved" is an understatement she said

NOW, as I told my brother, "All I have to do is repeat ALL my mistakes EXACTLY, and I'll have MINE:)"
"NO WAY!" was his response.

Woke at midnight with Branch on the brain!
Couldn't accurately dimension it until it was jigged, and then bark was thinner tighter, and Heartwood different, and not as much of a "Flat sanded on back for jigging(Mistake!) Jigged on center line of pith, and not overall dimension this time, used Drillman1's .125" "Long" Downcut and kept lowering Z till it looked right (-.45"), BUT then about .5" down....
It wasn't hitting the bark right, so by Pausing toolpath and "Nudging" Z down .02-.03" at a time for a total of another -.1".....
so 3" .25mmR TBN had to be Nudged a total off -.55" Z"!
Stayed awake until about half hour before it finished(2 smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are always close by)...and fell asleep with Bean boots and work clothes on until Midnight.
No DC going so shop closed after brushing him off...too many "Fines" in the air...so been using the Fein2 HEPA, and blowing entire shop every 20 minutes for 2 hours.
Good enough to bring camera and my nose and eyes in now
More Jigged rough pics, and a coat of oil coming.......Hope the heck I gauged bark and Heartwood OK!!!

THIS one is MINE!!
(Mistakes and all)
scott

Wow, awesome.
I aspire to make mistakes as eloquently as you do!

Scott,

Thanks for sharing how you jigged it up mistakes and all. That way we all learn....

Thanks John!
Here he is after blowing off, stiff and then soft brush. Babysitting him after his first bath in Pine rosen/Linseed/D-Limonene......had to watch for dry spots for 35 minutes, and now in house where it's 10F warmer.....
Watching like a Hawk for bleed:)
I LIKE how I got his feet into the Heartwood this time:)
Bark on lower right is a head scratcher...already3/8" square piece fell off while soft brushing excess out of crannies...Hate shiny spots!
scott

Looks great !,,but don't you think it's a bit large ?
~M

Thanks Brian!

I'll start a search for a 1" Diameter Black Walnut branch that's been dried in house for two and a half years Immediately Michael!!!!
May take while:)
Hey! I USED a Ballnose!!
Thanks!

Some days are more productive than others. NOW have a Walnut branch for a 3X7X1.5" Red Squirrel, OR a piece of OLD Oak firewood I pinched from my Mom's woodpile years ago for a possible
4.5X12X3.5H" Squirrel....all day since 4am to jig/flatten backs/resaw ends square and oil/wax!!!! BUT did bring in another 5' Black Walnut branch and the smallest burl.
NOT much for a day of work:(
I got options now though
Done for the day:)
scott