# Time to finish this



## gdenby (Apr 27, 2013)

I stripped the bark off this stick in late January. I didn't pay any attention to the bark, but I think the wood is black cherry.

One picture shows the squirrel figure as it was today when I decided it wasn't going to get any better. When I tried refining a bottom paw, the tip split away. And so, no more carving. The next picture shows the finial w. a first coat of tung. The squirrel is 4.5" tall, and almost 1.5"thick. The wood was somewhat crumbly.

This is the smallest scale figure i have worked. The wood always chipped or crushed when attempting a fine detail. Much of the figure's surface was from repeated sanding from 320 to 400 grit.

I'm not thrilled with the carving. But it is a decent record - tribute to the squirrels that ate most of the bird food i put out this last winter. They would stop, and stare at me thru the window after they pillaged the feeders. I started making sketches, and so, this carving.


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## CAS14 (Dec 28, 2012)

gdenby said:


> I stripped the bark off this stick in late January. I didn't pay any attention to the bark, but I think the wood is black cherry.
> 
> I'm not thrilled with the carving. But it is a decent record - tribute to the squirrels that ate most of the bird food i put out this last winter. They would stop, and stare at me thru the window after they pillaged the feeders. I started making sketches, and so, this carving.
> 
> ...


I think it's good. Had you made this atop a stick to attach to the bird feeder it might scare them away, like a coyote pelt was once thought to when hung on a fence post. Just kidding, but good work.


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