WOODCARVING AND SCULPTUREA forum for WOODCARVERS both professional and amateur to seek and give help, make observations and statements, etc. On the subject of woodcarving, sculpture, whittling and related fields.
Several years ago I was approached by someone who wanted to know if I would be interested in repairing a large carved collectible. I asked the caller to describe what it looked like and to give me some estimate of its size. It sounded intriguing and at least worth a look.
I asked the person as to the location and who I should call to arrange a meeting. The relic was located on a ranch in the high mountain desert somewhat remote on a dirt road about an hours drive from where I live. I was given directions to the ranch and arranged a time when the ranch manager could meet me.
The next day I drove to the ranch cabin where the "piece" was wrapped up in plastic tied off with bits of old straps. After the two of us removed the covering I was able to view, a bleached out, partially rotted carved figure with the head perched on a low deck.
We talked a bit about the piece, but the information concerning its origin was sketchy. The carved figure was acquired through an auction somewhere in the eastern half of the USA. Obviously, it was old, had been kept outside for many years where melting snow in holding areas contributed to considerable dry rot. Some areas of carving were long since gone, with a lot of checking and it was caked with oxidation.
Poking around on the piece revealed areas where previous owners had stuffed the cracks with all sorts of materials from twigs to hemp, caulk, wood-chips and paint. There was a bird’s nest made of mud and debris on the crown behind the carved feather bonnet. Even with all this wear and abuse, there was a crude charm to this folksy piece of Americana and a solid piece of timber under the surface.
I had my camera, took some pictures and said I would do some research and try to locate auction photos of "Americana" on the ‘web” to see if I could find anything historically reminiscent, images or references indicating a time period, possibly identifying a known folk carver.
I inquired as to the owners’ intentions. The project would be challenging and I decided to accept the commission. I documented the procedures I used to rehab this piece to what the owner wanted. I will post and describe what I am doing in the images that follow
As is evident, portions of the arms and hands are missing. The base, into which the legs once inserted is missing. On the back side are some very large checks where I have removed caulking, paint and hemp that were stuffed into the cracks.
The image of the standing colonial soldier, I found on the internet. It appears to be very similar in style to the piece I am showing. The wood appears to be Poplar.
Better you than me, Jack. I'm surprised that they didn't commission a replacement.
I've hear over and over again that a restoration tends to devalue the item.
Your observations, please. . . . .or is it just a really smelly rumor?
Pacific Northwest Coastal natives know that poles rot and fall down. Not to be stood up ever again. Has to be our European ethic to imagine that such things will last forever.
I suppose its just a well that the really big checks are down the back of the piece instead of the front. A friend of mine who carves large, often puts deep chain saw plunge cuts into the back of his work to help ensure that future checking stays out of sight.
Sure looks a challenge... looking forward to seeing the process and the outcome.
I too am aware of the both the cultural and collectible taboos. In this case, there isn't the cultural aspect affiliated with First Nations beliefs and customs. As this piece, as far as I am aware, was carved by either descendant of Europeans or possibly African mixed. As I said, I am not certain but my research lead me to believe that this is a folk carving from the midwest (USA). I found several pictures for these carved figures on auction sites, depicting early American soldiers, British Soldiers, Frontiersmen and Indians. They all may have been carved by the same person and that person had no formal training and was probably not very well off.
As far as the value being diminished from a collectible standpoint, it is debatable. I brought this up with the collector. The person who bought this is wealthy and knowledgeable. I did broach the question and was told they liked the piece and intended to keep it and wanted to know if I thought I could restore the missing hands and arms and remove the junk people had used to fill cracks over the generations? My task was to make the restored areas look old and blend "in" with the ravages of age visited on the piece. So that was my intent, but I had to come up with the solutions.
Thanks Jack: What an interesting detective story! Their survivorship has been a long path. You've worked on a real prize.
My brother did a piece for me in cottonwood, maybe 16" log x 8', chainsaw portraits of my kids. I stood it up outside my lakeshore cottage, 16 years and it fell down. Sold the place. Don't know if the new owner even moved it.
The photos document a time-consuming process. I carved away damaged wood as needed creating flat surfaces with edge planes at various angles slightly undercut the surface. I cut out many cardboard templates to establish specific angles for joining blocks of wood in order to build up missing areas where an arm, hand and fingers would be.
The research and information given to me, plus the barely discernable impression left from the missing wood on the “piece”, hinted that the missing arm and hands were cupped and holding an ear of corn.
These images reveal the procedure I used to create the buildup of blocks I would need to re-carve. Setting each block into its relieved pocket area was rather slow and tedious. But eventually all the pieces of the puzzle came together.
Checking was extensive on both the front and rear of the figure. I wire brushed the surface removing loose material, found more areas that were filled with caulk and paint. I cleaned the crevices free of debris then relieved the curved edges to align in a continuous flow.
Once this was done, I pinned vellum paper to the figure overlapping the crack, tracing the outline of the void. Then I transfered the tracing onto a stick of Basswood and cut the curved shape on the bandsaw. From there I shaped the curved wood with hand planes and chisels. I would then align the piece over the crack and scribe along the bottom edge, then cut it on the bandsaw. Then go back to the crack to see if the filler piece of wood would begin to slip into the crevice. This took many fittings taking off a little here and a little there until it began to seat. Going at it carefully, eventually the shaped piece could be tapped into the seam. Once I had enough surface area making contact I would apply the glue and tap it into place. Once the piece was set, I carved the proud surface of the filler flush.
This grouping of photos shows the backside of the figures’ head. Solar and water damage is prevalent. I removed the “filler” from previous attempts to fill “in” the crevices. The images record the procedure. With this aspect completed, I initiated carving the arm and hands holding the corn.
These images show the carving of the arms and hands, applying bleach to the relieved area to oxidize the surface and the initial stages of incising faux checking patterns to match the existing longitudinal cracks.
The other image is the design generated on my computer for the metal base and post.
I'm assuming there's still a bit more to the story... like what it looks like in situ now.
A few of questions in the mean time if that's ok... the faux checking process... you cut the lines in with a file or riffler and then deepened the 'cracks' with a knife? Do I have that right?
The process would have necessitated shifting the log on numerous occassions. It looks too heavy to have done this by yourself. Did you have help with this or do you have a lifting device? (or do you take a lot of vitamins )
I also noticed in the check repair of the end grain, that you finished it differently than repairs to the front and rear. Was that to make it blend into the texture of the end grain on the original log?
Restoration Project 
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