Dog’s-head market stick In this extract from Stickmaking Handbook Andrew Jones & Clive George carve a dog’s head Acquiring the wood
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There are many woods which are suitable for carving, some more exotic and, therefore, more expensive than others. Good timber merchants should have a reasonable variety, but it is likely that you will have to purchase a decent-size block in order to extract the much smaller piece you require. Do not be tempted into paying too much for your irst attempt at carving. It is possible, of course, to obtain wood from other sources. Whenever trees are being felled or branches cut back, there are opportunities to acquire good-quality wood in usable quantities at a reasonable, if any, cost. The only problem, apart from transportation, is that freshly cut wood has to be properly seasoned before it can be worked and this calls for a degree of patience. While it is perfectly possible to carve handles from most woods, when it comes to inely detailed carvings, such as dogs’ or birds’ heads, many woods are quite unsuitable, particularly for the beginner. Woods for carving must be clean and close-grained, free of knots and with no evident flaws – shakes (splits) – other than surface blemishes. I prefer them to be light in colour if they are to be painted. I have used sycamore, elm, beech and ash to good effect, but my favourite for carving handles is lime. This is a light-coloured wood with a close, even grain, which carves easily and is generally available. I recommend it for subjects such as animals’ and birds’ heads.
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY CLIVE GEORGE
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Carved from lime and joined to shank with horn collar
Carving a dog's head The dog’s head we are going to make here is carved from a suitable block of wood, then shanked in the usual way. Having acquired your block of wood, check it carefully for any flaws and irregularities, and avoid these, if there are any, when you cut out the piece which you are going to carve. To produce a dog’s head you will need to start with a block of about 4½ x 3½ x 1½in (114 x 89 x 38mm), these dimensions being subject to the breed of dog you wish to reproduce. The dog chosen as a model for this exercise is a lurcher. Oficially a greyhound/collie cross, many mongrels are conveniently but inaccurately described as lurchers. This works in our favour because, if we don’t get the features absolutely right, we can attribute the variations to the pedigree of the model we were using rather than any failings in our skills as carvers. Template for head of lurcher at 100%
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