A couple of weeks ago, Rod shared a new project with us. So, how's it going?

Having thought at it for some considerable number of times, for some considerable number of minutes each time, trying to mesmerise it into telling me how best to approach it with sharp tools, I gave up that approach and started cutting, seriously.

To my credit(?) I very soon realised that being too careful wouldn't get me very far in a year's work (of course, I actually knew that already, didn't I? … Well, didn't I?).

OK. We know that:

• . we have 100mm (4") absolute maximum depth to work to
  . the tip of the nose will be at the surface (or only a moderate sanding below)
• . the base of the nose should be 25mm (1") deep or thereabouts (a sharp nose, methinks, or hooked)
• . the top lip is about that same depth
• . the meeting of the lips ( loosely closed mouth) is 6 or 7mm (¼") deeper
• . the bottom lip recovers by about half that and
  . below the bottom lip, the face dips by a further 6 – 8mm (1/4" – 1/8 ") then
• . the point of the chin is about level with the bottom lip
• . the bridge of the nose is about the same depth as the bottom lip
• . the brow would be about top lip depth but, here, will be a lot heavier because of the foliage
• . The cheeks recede by a further too much – but in this case that will be largely disguised by foliage, so we ignore it (for the time being)

How do we know all that? From a human male head in profile from t'internet. That's how. Yeah, I know, but I can't draw and that's the way it's gonna be (he said, in full confidence).

All-in-all then, so far we need a depth of 40mm (1 1/2") so we'll reckon on allowing 50 – 60+mm (2 – 2 1/2") as a limit and adjust as we go.

Why keep it that shallow? I somehow suspect that, even if I make a good job of it, Ms Stress won't be too happy about having it in the house, so it will probably need to have some weight to it to hang on a fence, in among the garden greenery. If it needs to be lighter, there will be a fair amount of wood to cut away around the edges and from behind the face, so...

Articles by Rod

14.10.13 Front Page

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