Thread: Whale tails

The water effect on the base is good! Would you consider making more of a disturbance pattern around the tail to give more of a feel of motion?

Looks to me like you got it right.
Must have been a whopper of a piece of wood.
In particular, I like the groove in the water surface around the whale.
I've seen that when they dive.
And they slide down without a splash. . . . just gone.

Thanks Burra. I've never done anything like this before but I wanted to give the surface of the base some sort of 'water' impression. I've seen slabs roughed with wide chisels and/or adzes and thought that the surface they leave would suit what I was trying to do. I used an old 5/35 gouge to lightly pattern the top of the base. I did consider slightly more 'action' at the junction between tail stem and 'water' but I chickened out. I've no illustration of it and without any kind of guide I didn't want to risk stuffing it up at that point. RV's point is well taken though. On calm days at least, they hardly make so much as a ripple. Its an amazing example of nature's 'streamlining'. I'm counting on the curve to convey motion.

I was a little disappointed with the 'gap' around the tail stem. I traced out the bottom of the tail stem on the base and was meticulous rebating the area by just 3 mm, but didn't take into account the slope of the tail stem so when it was set into the finished base it left a gap of just under a millimeter. Thanks RV for providing a logical justification for it... I'll go with that!

RV.. you were right about the original block from which it came.... 300 x 170 x 90 mm. By the time I cut away everything that wasn't a whale tail, there was almost nothing left! Very 'wasteful' pattern. I'm working on one where the tail is more vertical and tilting sideways a bit along the vertical axis. This should give a similar effect but be more conservative with the wood. I'll post something when I get it done.

Very nice work Whittling, I like the water effect base is great. Maybe its the angle of your picture, the tail looks a bit rounded and pointy at the ends but still
streamlined and beautiful. Where did you score the English lime from? would love to get some of that.

Beautiful job Whittling, love it just the way it is. You can always do another and change the things you don't like. The water looks great and the little groove just gives that little bit of separation and definition between the tail and the water.

Very nice. I can feel the weight of the whole whale underwater.
I think "wasteful patterns" usually make the most aerial carvings

It is so beautiful. I love it.

Thanks guys. I don't know that I'll do another, at least not at this scale. Can't afford the wood when 85% is waste. There are some small, oddly shaped 'lumps' that are of a size I'll get something out of them but I'll waste more wood getting them back to a shape I can put a pattern on. Right now they have no flat side to work on. By the time I get them squared up I'll have lost another 35 - 40%.

Rob: I'm fairly happy with the tail fluke shape. They aren't perfect (is there such a thing?) but they're pretty close. You are right in your guess that they are hard to photograph. They are thin but also curved so its hard to convey the true shape unless shot from directly overhead. I didn't do that cause I wanted the reflected light to show the 'ripples' in the water on the base.

I got the lime from a student who paid for his tuition with it. He gave me three good sized logs but at the time I had no way of cutting them into useful dimensions other than a chain saw. As it happens. I was doing demonstrations at the last Adelaide T&WW Show (2009) at the time and there was a guy there with a slabbing machine. I asked him if he wanted some stock to demonstrate with..... The rest as they say, is history.

I know you can buy it in Adelaide from Ottos but its pretty expensive. How much are you looking for?

I know you can buy it in Adelaide from Ottos but its pretty expensive. How much are you looking for?

Hi Whittling, I've just heard it is great for carving and have an urge to try it. I might get my my brother to check out Otto's in Adelaide.
I don't know of anyone selling it in Perth.

Very nice