3 ft. Pirate Head

The idea on this project was to create a high relief carving of a 3 ft. tall pirate head and mount it to a backing to be hung on a wall as the Mascot of a High School in Ohio. Here are some shots of the process…

I started out with a big chunk of Maple. I thought the markings in the wood might help the pirate look more fierce, scarred and weathered.

I got the basic form of the hat finished, now it’s time to get the face formed.

Now it’s time to get the neck and shoulders formed.

I hollowed out the backside to about 2 inches thickness. This is to get rid of some weight, but also to facilitate the wood drying evenly which will minimize checking in the wood. When finished, The completed piece weighs 95 lbs. This will change as the wood slowly dries out.

After the carving was finished, I stained it a light uniform brown and finished it with a satin polyurethane.

Next, it was time to make the back board. I took some black walnut boards that my friend had rough cut and had drying in my shed. I planed them and joined them and cut out a profile shape. Next, I applied the same satin polyureathane for a consistent look. I used 6 lag screws to join the carving to the backboard.

I used a scrap piece of maple to create the knife.

I used my lathe to create an ear ring.

The small metallic plaque was laser engraved with the words (A Gift from the Class of 2011.)

This head was seriously large!!

All ready for shipping…

Thank you so much for taking the time to look at this posting. If you would like something made, simply visit my official website – www.customwoodcarvings.com and click the “contact” page to get in touch.

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May God’s Spirit fill your heart,

Kris