h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

...filling up your dreams to the brim with fright.







Gearing up for Halloween now.

The fangs shipped today

And I've just this second finished stencilling the two of the **most difficult and intricate carves** I've yet attempted.

If I can pull it off - this years display is going to look awesome

I look forward to the photos!

TRiG.

Have you seen these?

http://www.dremel.com/en-us/projectsandcommunity/projects/Pages/PumpkinTemplate.aspx

So many scary possibilities.

I had not HN

Just wait till you see what I'm planning....

Check this guy out.

http://www.villafanestudios.com/pumpkins.htm

! WOW!!!!! !



So that is how it is done!!!



GT

I think of all the knives that I've modified to little success. A clay hook, of course. I've used them for clay but it never occurred to ma that they were just as useful for punkinheds.

Maybe I'll try one of those spatula type cheese knives just for fine shaving.

Another thing that I want to try is to fill the cavity (cranium?) with wax or gelatin made real thick with LEDs embedded. You could carve much more of the pumpkins flesh away without it falling apart.

>check this guy out<

Oh yeah. That guys Predator sculpture as gone down in legend amongst some of the people I asssociate with when it comes to pumpkins.

http://www.villafanestudios.com/pumpkin14.htm

>I think of all the knives that I've modified to little success.<

These are the tools I use.


http://www.zombiepumpkins.com/shop-pumpkin-gutter.php

http://www.zombiepumpkins.com/shop-pro-pumpkin-carving-tool.php


I've also macgyvered a replaceable a multi-tool handle to accept some needles from a local haberdashery, which is useful for perforation and poking bits through and some fine toothed saws.

I also use a scalpel to trim.

And a large metal spoon for scraping.

Thanks for the pumpkin gutter thing, I'll make one.

I already have some saws that fit the fat X-acto handle. I also have some saws that I made some from thinwall stainless tube so I can cut tight curves.

One thing that I haven't tried is to add a blade to the tip of an engraving tool. The vibration should help the knife move more smoothly through the flesh but I won't know until I try it.

A Sneak Preview


http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardhealy450d/sets/72157625124096125/with/5118430629/

Here's another pumpkin carving technique:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcT4paZfflg