To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2008 23:55:26 -0500
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Sculpting Pine Wood?



Mat,
I'm not an expert woodworker, but a method I've used with simple shapes in pine, that has very low risk of splitting.

1 )Make your major cuts with a band saw if available, at any rate, take off the largest chunks with a saw instead of a chisel.

3) Round corners with a belt sander, maybe with an 80 grit belt, with soft wood like pine, you can actually do a fair amount of shaping this way.

4) Now use your chisels or knives to do the detail work. Hand sand to finish.

It might be hard to leave chisel marks this way, but it's quick and very low risk of splitting.

As for the grain, have it going in the direction of the longest dimension in your piece. 

Hope any of that helps,

B. Shur




> From: creaturiste-AT-primus.ca
> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
> Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:55:11 -0500
> Subject: [Puptcrit] Sculpting Pine Wood?
> 
> Hi all.
> I wonder if any on Puptcrit have sculpted regular construction wood for 
> making puppets?
> 
> I'm thinking of using some leftover 2 x 3 pine wood pieces to make the 
> torso-body of my next self-appointed puppet design.   My main concern is 
> splitting.
> Although I've worked with this cheaply prepared wood before (no humidity 
> control during drying process), and never had problems, I've never had to 
> build something so dear to me, and the wood remaining exposed (might be 
> slightly oil-stained, no varnish). Any advice to help prevent major 
> splitting? I don't mind a little bit of it, it gives character.
> 
> Another concern is the wood grain.
> In which direction should it be, to allow for durability?
> Specifically, is the 3 " section the right face to draw my disk on?
> Those disks will be made drafty on all sides, have either a wooden bead in 
> the middle, or a bump integrated. The bump or bead will have a thread or 
> elastic through it. Two extra holes, close to the bump or bead, will also 
> host elastics.
> 
> Thanks for any advice!
> 
> This might become one of my dreams: a puppet number fitting entirely in a 
> small suitcase!
> 
> Background:
> The puppet shall be small, about a foot high. It will be built very much 
> like a marionette, but will be a tabletop rod puppet. My goal is to make all 
> the parts visible, and beautiful. No more hiding with clothing or fur. I 
> might even include some of the tool marks as part of the intended texture. 
> The head and hands will probably be paper mache, unless I live a sudden 
> burst of technical growth, allowing me to sculpt the face directly in wood 
> as well. This puppet needs very delicate feminine facial features and very 
> delicate fingers. I already have a head prototype in paper mache, which I 
> can fall back on.
> 
> I want multiple sections in the torso, to provide graceful bending. They 
> will be modified disks, with or without balls in between, with two elastics 
> on both sides of the spine.
> Since there will be no legs, I am putting all my effort on the torso for the 
> best movements.
> 
> This puppet was intended for my first self-made puppet short film. It's 
> still scheduled for it, but now, this film has turned into a stage puppet 
> short number (solo). I had to accept this development, as the more I focused 
> the movie in my head, the more the decisions made it into a stage tabletop 
> number.
> The rods will be visible, and so will I.
> 
> 
> 
> 
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