eSnips Forums

Rob, a woodworker, has written this: "A few years back I bought plans for a copy carver and am very pleased with the results. I have made some castings and scultptures that I then put into the carver and was able to make very good copies of these sculptures in walnut.
It stayed in my mind, though that I would like to make a copy carver that made smaller carvings than the original. I thought about it occasionally and even made drawings of how it might work.
Well, about two weeks ago I had a revelation about how it could work.
After three rebuilds and two weeks work, I did it.
By the way, when I was about 2/3 through with the machine, I found out that Benjamin Cheverton patented a reducing carver in the mid 1800's. His and my designs are quite similar, but not identical.
Benjamin, you rat!!!
There really is nothing new under the sun.
Here is my first reduced copy carving. There are still some adjustments to make, but it shows that it works.
The larger skull is walnut and was done on a copy carver. The smaller one is made of pine and was done on my new reducing carver. This is right off the machine with no sanding or hand work yet. And I still have to run it two more times with smaller cutters to get some more details.
I will add more as I carve them. "

this is cool, tell us more!

Better still post a picture I would love to see what you are talking about

your wish is my command

I see It is not at all what I has envisaged it is much lager and very different but the idea of making carvings does appeal to me

Hi Lonnie and Paul,
Thanks lonnie for adding my sculpture to the featured items.
I am glad to get some exposure for my new machine. I am looking for ideas on how to use it now that it is working well. So please don't be shy if you have any suggestions at all, ..that is anyone who reads this.
As soon as I get some extra money for materials, I intend to cast some faces from real people and make some 1/2 sized carvings in wood as masks and sculptures. Some in hollow log pieces and/or rotten or half rotten wood pieces.
I intend to also do some full torso "lifecasts" and copy them half size into wood. But that is a good quantity of casting/molding material and would cost some. Another way to use the machine is to make original clay sculptures and castings from those to act as models in my machine. That is how the cherry girl is made.
Please feel free to visit my esnips page and leave any message or suggestions. And see the items I have carved using my Copy Carver and my Reducing Carver. They are few so far, but I will be adding more as I carve them.
Thanks you Lonnie and Paul for your interest,
Bob May