New Design from Bruce - in Progress pictures

[Janette]

Hi everyone,
I've been busy working on one of Bruce's new designs. It's a birdfeeder with 5 different birds on it. I can't wait to see it when it's all finished. Comments welcome both to me and / or Bruce! So far I have just done the roof of the bird feeder (which took over 10 hours!) It's going to be great when it's done.
The roof is 2 shades of Western Red Cedar and walnut.

I hope progress pictures are helpful learning tools for people. Let me know...
Birdfeederprog1.JPG
Janette

[Trout]

we love to see..

work in progress....will this pattern be available to us?

Trout

[stevebuk]

hi janette
i think work in progress pictures is a great idea, it gives no hopers like me a chance to see what can be done, and as i am swayed more towards intarsia, its a learning aid too.
many thanks

[workin for wood]

That's an interesting design. The shingles are very well drawn and executed, no doubt! Can't really make out the bird lines, look forward to seeing them later.

[Andy]

It appears you're well on the road to success Janette. Having seen Bruce's works first hand, this is one project you're going to cherish for a long long time. Thank you for the progress pics and keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing it as it moves along.

Andy

[Bruce]

Trout the pattern will be online about a week after it's completed.

[Janette]

Here's a couple more pictures in progress. The main part of the roof is done and the goldfinch. He's so cute!!! but tiny!
Inprogressbirdfeeder2.JPG

Goldfinchonbirdfeeder.JPG

[workin for wood]

That is a nice looking bird. I see you tackle things alot like myself, working in stages rather than having hundreds of loose pieces to try and shape and glue all together at the same time. It's a great strategy, although it does require some forethought in planning.

[Janette]

That is a nice looking bird. I see you tackle things alot like myself, working in stages rather than having hundreds of loose pieces to try and shape and glue all together at the same time. It's a great strategy, although it does require some forethought in planning.

I don't usually do them in stages, but this particular has so many small pieces that I've been doing the "glue as you go" method...cut, sand, shape, glue...next piece... It's really the only way to go when you have lots of little pieces and/or different sections of 1 project. I'm working on the nuthatch now - more, smaller pieces

[workin for wood]

surely you don't mean one piece at a time. I'd cut tape match an entire bird and then shape sand and glue it together. Personally, I would have made all the birds first and then matched them to the roof. In my mind I call them sub-sections. I like to get the smaller detailed area's out of the way then trace them into the background.
In the picture I'm working on, I have the soldier finished, then I'll build the horse. I'll use some shims under the soldier to jack him up and shape the horse and glue it together, but the soldier will not be glued inbetween yet, it'll be like a two piece puzzle. Then I'll add the flag and cut all the pieces that immediately surround the soldier. Once those are cut, I'll make a backer to raise up the solder to his proper height and glue him into the horse. Then I'll cut another backer that will go under the horse and man together, raising them both up even higher. The height of the flag will cover the double backer on the solder, and the desert will cover the backer on the horse. The picture is designed with this in mind, so that pieces can be raised up higher, but no backers can be seen from the sides. I keep the backers out of the picture as long as possible, because If the backer isn't 100% the same size as the picture it is attached to, then the tracing to surrounding pieces will be off. Does this make any sense to anyone, I don't know, but it works for me.

[Janette]

Clear as mud!!

The only reason I did it this way was because the pieces are sooooo small that they won't stand up on their own. I cut out all the yellow on the goldfinch as once piece, then all the dark as one. Once that step is done, I start cutting off the individual little pieces. When they're so small it's much easier to shape and glue, shape and glue. I prefer to cut it all out first but it's not always the best route. With the nuthatch, I used 1/4" cedar for that wall, but I'll still likely raise the nuthatch up 1/8th or so later. I was also thinking I'd raise the roof about 1/4" since the cedar is thinner. That's been the hardest part so far- is the roof.

I left the paper on the lower left side of the cedar for when I do the chickadee that's sitting there.

nutchatchinbirdfeeder.JPG

[workin for wood]

That bird looks good. My wife just walked in, she's like, "what the heck is that stupid board beside the bird?". So I showed her the first post, now she gets it and she likes it. That's really saying alot, because she rarely likes anything that I make!

Everyone has their own tastes...whatever their into I guess. Other than my big mermaid picture, I've yet to make another picture she likes...I just gave up trying anymore.

[Janette]

That bird looks good. My wife just walked in, she's like, "what the heck is that stupid board beside the bird?". So I showed her the first post, now she gets it and she likes it. That's really saying alot, because she rarely likes anything that I make!

Everyone has their own tastes...whatever their into I guess. Other than my big mermaid picture, I've yet to make another picture she likes...I just gave up trying anymore.

I think the idea is to quit trying and then...you'll knock her socks off!!!

[lucky788scroller]

So realistic, so accuratly colored and perfectly constructed.This is going to be a real masterpiece!!!! Dale

[Janette]

Here's the latest. Only one birdie to go!
progress3web.JPG