HAIIAPHNK

Hello. I'm glad you enjoyed reading about my creation. I hope there is something useful in it. Or at least interesting. I prefer hand tools more in carving. And I use a set of miniature chisels. In working with tagua walnut, I also use a hand router with different burrs. But I use this type of tool much less. Unfortunately, I can't take a picture of my chisels right now. But you can see and read more about this set in another thread I am also posting on this site. It's here:

I'm glad to hear that, Mark. I sincerely wish you are doing well. There's one thing: I haven't watched much television in years. I listen to audiobooks more often than not, and I watch movies. At best, it can be some podcasts on history or science. It may look strange, but I've gotten used to it. The only downside to this situation is that when I suddenly want to see what's going on in the world, it shocks me. Yesterday, after Mark's words I also decided to see what was being said on the news and again I was discouraged. The world seems to be going crazy. I quickly run to my cave, push the huge rock behind me again, look at the fire and try to catch my breath and come to my senses. Once again, I sincerely wish you, Mark, and everyone else too, that you are okay. This forum for me has remained one of the islands where everything is calm and people are calmly doing things that bring positive emotions. May it continue to be so. Peace and goodness to all! Amen.

I apologize for the flooding. But what happened? You had me worried. Did something happen to Mark? Is he okay?

Thank you for your kind words. Now I'm sitting here with red ears from embarrassment. I realize you're joking when you compare me to Netflix. But just in case, I still wonder which actor could play me in a movie? I'd like it to be Tom Hanks. I'm ready to sign a contract now. 😄 I've always looked with particular envy at the fact that your avatar has a reference to Versailles in the location. One day I might pack my bags and go to France and visit the museums. It's a very longtime dream of mine. And now I've also read about your collection in the glass cases. And my curiosity is just bursting out. Your house must look like this? In my imagination, that's exactly what it must look like. That's it, I'm going to get on with my work. If I can finish this project with Fulminant, I'll have a better chance of getting Tom Hanks to agree to play me in a movie. And then I'll be famous and I'll definitely be able to go to Paris.

I try to make jokes in some places. And make the text slightly absurd. There may be problems in this, the translator may not translate my words correctly. In fact, I can in no way say a single bad word about my customer. He is a very wonderful person, I was very lucky to meet him. I can easily tell him about real events without hiding some moments that I don't like. Even on the contrary, he is the one who stops me. I tell him that I want to redo something, and he tries to talk me out of it, writing that he likes everything as it is. For example, I left the problem with the structure of the “ears” (I do not know how to call these details correctly) out of the chat. The place where columns with arches will appear in the future. On this ship these are large vases. When I designed the cornice structure, I lost sight of some of the nuances. It was only later that I saw that it was not going to be a very pretty design. We had a long discussion about what we can do now that a lot has already been done. And a lot will have to be removed, torn off and redone. The customer wanted to leave it as it was already done. But in the end I didn't listen to him and redid it. In the future I will continue the remodeling, remove the cornice completely and redo it. The way I would do it for myself. I believe that hiding problems is not the best option. He trusts me, and I have to honor that trust. It would be a lot worse if he suddenly saw problems I wouldn't tell him about. I value my reputation. I try to do the project to the best of my ability. I realize that a lot of things can be left out. There are a lot of things in any job that are problems with the normal workflow. There's no point in telling everyone about it. If you knew how many of these problems go quietly. But I thought the most interesting ones should be shown. For me, this project has a lot of new things in it, things that I have never encountered before. And it may be useful to those who dare to take on similar tasks. More detailed stories are useful to me myself. Sometimes I reread my own posts. Some time will pass and I will forget what exactly I did, what methods I used. I'll flip through these pages and I'll remember. And I will thank myself. It is interesting to look at photos alone, but I like not the result itself, but the path, the stories, the emotions that arise during the work.

Thank you for your kind words. I too think this type of material has its own characteristics in the form of oil content inside. And that affects the adhesion. In the stories with paint and with glue, the same peculiarity is at the core. I hope that I will find reliable options so that the walnut decor will not reject the chemical formulations. I don't know for sure if the glue gel is a relative for plumbing sealants.It's a small tube that promised me versatility on different surfaces. It may be the same sealant, just in a smaller package and with different marketing promises. Once dry, it remains elastic and soft, and it's very reminiscent of the plumbing options. Of course, to say that the adhesive can be very easily and repeatedly peeled off without fear would be very bold. Tagua is a very brittle material and likes to break at the most unexpected moments. So far I've been able to get the parts safely out of place. And the glue is easy to remove. I have already thought about where there is no gold plating immediately glue on organic glue. I really hope it will give a good result. But that's just speculation for now. And it too needs to be tested with time. The next elements of the decor will definitely become a place of experimentation. Here, too, there are peculiarities that need to be taken into account. For example, organic glue cannot be stored for a long time. And since small parts require quite a drop of glue, it's hard to brew it in such microscopic doses. The only option for convenient work with such glue is to make a large volume of parts, accumulate them separately in boxes. And then glue them all in place at once. This is what I plan to do with the decor on the balcony. But first you need to do an experiment and see if this glue will be a good option or not. This whole project is one big experiment. I guess that's the advantage of it.

Thank you.

Chapter 13 In which there are few interesting events, so the author makes a joke about toenails. What else is he supposed to do? Finally something to show! Lately I have been working on small details to complement the transom decorations. These works were unremarkable, so there are no photos of the process, only final shots. But there is still a lot to tell. Life sometimes makes adjustments: because of health problems I had to take a break. When I came back, I found that some glued parts had moved away from the body. The reason was the material itself - the thin elements of the tagua walnut had deformed like chips and had come off, despite the strength of the glue. This is what some of the slises look like in the billet box. And this is what some of these problems look like already on the ship model If you work with this material, be aware of its tendency to warp. I tested different glues before I started, primarily for bone. For tagua walnut, I then quickly chose the second glue - it showed strength on large surfaces. But later it turned out that for small parts and complex carvings it is not suitable, especially if it is not possible to use clamps or weights. Secondary glue is only good for temporary fixing. I use it to secure the workpiece to the slipway. Once the carving is complete, the piece can be easily removed. But to glue the elements to the hull of the ship, you need a more versatile glue. Given my previous problems with paint, I started looking for a glue that: 1. Would be suitable for different materials - wood and tagua walnut. 2. Will allow future removal of the decor without damage if repairs or repainting is needed. 3. Will account for possible warping of the walnut due to changes in humidity or time. In the end, I chose a soft silicone glue. But, as practice has shown, it cannot withstand the stresses that occur in the thin thread elements. I am now thinking again about changing glue. Perhaps I will return to organic glue, for example, from rabbit's feet - it perfectly holds the bone. But for now, for the sake of easy disassembly, I left the decor on silicone glue. If you work with tagua nut, be prepared for its unpredictability. And of course, I am open to advice and would appreciate any recommendations. There is another topic that I wanted to discuss. I have talked about it in the past. It concerns the white color of walnut. Tagua walnut is so light that it optically “steals” volume from the figures. Even shadows on it look too soft and details are lost. On photos it is especially noticeable - instead of a clear carved ornament you get either a shapeless white mass or something ghostly-glowing, which makes you want to cover your eyes with the palm of your hand from this glow. I decided to change it. But how? With a brush and paint. I decided to try and do a patina. I know that sounds obviously not what the idea looks like in my head. And when I tried telling the customer about this idea, he expectedly said he didn't like the idea. White carving and patina is not the most obvious combination. Admittedly, I myself would have been wary of the idea if I had heard it from someone else. But then chance intervened. In fact, a lot of time passed between my question and answer. I don't remember exactly what the pause was. Maybe it was days, maybe even a week. And for me, every second of waiting seemed like a century. You can even imagine such a picture: I am sitting in front of the monitor and waiting for an answer. I have already grown a beard, I continue to sit in anticipation, biting my nails with impatience, looking at the clock and seeing that already from the moment of sending the letter has passed Terrible .... FIVE MINUTES!!! And still no reply. I sit again, staring at the screen. My beard is already wrapped around my chest. I'm biting my nails again, already on my toes. And there is still no answer. Now make this wait into days. I've already seen some stars explode around me and others born. Can you imagine exactly how I felt? And all the while I was thinking that the customer wouldn't understand what I was trying to say. And at one point, I couldn't take it anymore. I jumped up, rushed to get my brushes and started to make the right tone for the patina. In fact, you could almost call it a transparent composition. The paint came out with a slight yellow tint, nothing more. I understood that for a white color, you don't need more than that. In the end, I carefully used a thin tip of the brush only in the deepest hollows. For the experiment, I chose a faun's head that I had recently been working on. It was interesting, but it was lost against the background of the rest of the carving. And this is what I ended up with. I think it's gotten better now. Although it's still not so obvious in the photos the difference between before and after. But I'm happy with what I can see for myself. Finally, I will mention that I went to the hospital right after the patination was finished. By that time I had not heard back from the customer. All this time I was thinking that he may have already written that he was against the idea. And I, without waiting for his opinion, redesigned the whole thing. So now I'm waiting for his reaction and preparing for any outcome. Maybe he'll get angry, or maybe he'll come to me, give me a hard time for being AWOL, and take Fulminant away. Then the last thing I'll have time to say in this thread will be a joke about biting my toenails. And who knows, maybe that's what everyone will remember better than all the previous stories about this project! That would be a scandal.

First of all, I wish your son a good recovery. I guess fall was invented specifically for illness. My childhood memories of my ailments are primarily associated with this time of year. Of course it's not pleasant to be sick. But still, being sick as a child had its advantages, you could play games, even in bed. Building caves or castles out of blankets. I was also very fond of my childhood constructor, made of metal parts, slats and wheels. You had to connect them with bolts and nuts. For some reason they don't make those anymore. It's a shame. You could build mechanisms or transportation with it. Then I found nuts or other parts in my bed for a long time. So when I was a kid, there were advantages to being sick. And now when I get sick and ask to bring something like that to my bed, my wife looks at me strangely and scolds me. It's frustrating. Being sick as an adult is boring. I won't say much about your work. I just don't understand much about working with plastic, and any words I say on the subject will show my low understanding in this technique. But I always watch all your releases and admire. You can be sure of that.

Thank you very much for your patient explanation of meanings in English. Now I can add another word to my vocabulary after “I need your clothes”. Just have to be careful with it. I don't want to accidentally say it in front of my spouse. She might think I'm making weird innuendos about her kitchen. And then I'd have to yell Help me! Somebody help me! 🙂 I hope it's clear that this is just a joke. I actually adore both my wife and the way she cooks. Honey, if you read this, read only what's highlighted. You don't need to look at the rest.

Thank you so much for your kind words. I am very happy to have received grateful readers. It is a pleasure to share what is going on in my work. It concerns emotions, thoughts or some difficulties that unexpectedly appear. And I'm glad that I can always ask for help when I don't get something right or have questions about theory. I always see support here. It is inspiring. Thank you very much! You once again give unique images. I have a separate folder on my computer where I collect all your sketches. Thank you. You are a great connoisseur of ship's history. I can't imagine how long it takes to find so many unique photos.

Thanks for the feedback. I will pass on your regards to my spouse. She doesn't know yet that I have written about her. I hope I don't get a kick out of her for that decision. But I couldn't resist mentioning it. I did have fun, and now when I look at this element of decor, I have very different thoughts. Unfortunately, my English is very weak. I know it at the level of “I love you”, “Help!” and “I need your clothes!”. That's all. So I didn't really understand what the word “Pukey” means. The internet gives me pictures of some monsters. And I can only guess at the proper meaning of the word. I'm assuming it's what they call someone who vomits. One of the pictures shows one of the characters from the movie Ghostbusters. I don't know if I spelled the title correctly, I'm not a connoisseur or fan of the genre. So I don't know who exactly is pictured and what does it have to do with Pukey? I can make an assumption that this could be the name of one of the ghosts in this movie, but since I am not very familiar with it it is a vague assumption. And in the meantime, I apologize if my writing has a lot of errors and it may be hard to understand what I'm trying to say. Special thanks for the appreciation of the work. Unfortunately, photographing a very white subject is not easy. The photo does not show the volume. I tried for a very long time, but still not very satisfied with the quality of the photo. And attempts to improve the contrast on the computer turn the shadows into dirty traces, as if there were notes drawn with a pencil on the sculpture. When you look with your eyes, the feeling is quite different. I really appreciate your comments.

Well now separately general views of the stern with crest and side gallery. That's where I've stopped for now. There are other details of decoration ahead. Gradually the ship starts to be decorated and it becomes more and more clear what should turn out in the end.

Chapter 12 The story of the Faunus who is sick of the seasickness. While I resolved the gold issues, waited for the new colors to arrive, made new samples, waited for the results, sampled again I had a pause. I couldn't get the coat of arms in place. And it was necessary to find a new project for my hands. And I chose the head of a mythical creature, which is placed below the coat of arms, in the arch above the doors. On the drawing you can see the main features of this character, but since everything is very small and the drawing does not take into account the volumetric relief much has to be invented by myself. Of course, first of all, I started looking for images of different mascarones. And there are a huge number of them. In the end I chose the most suitable reference for my prototype and started working. Alas, I did not take photos during the work, and they will be very few. So it will not be possible to show the process in detail. I took these photos for myself. This is the very beginning of the work. And first of all, in working with the workpiece in this situation it is necessary to start from the inside. The head should lie on a complex relief and you need to make depressions and bulges, which should be combined. To make the work easier I decided to make a print. It is simple enough. For it you need some molding mass, which can harden in the air. Just mold it on the place where we want to repeat the relief. If this mass is sticky, leaves traces and can dirty the ship, then everything is solved with the help of thin food film. We put a piece of such film and the problem is solved. And you can make an impression. I made a couple of such prints, one sawed with a thin hacksaw lengthwise. It is more convenient to make sure in the first place in the exact repetition of the resulting shape, and secondly, so got a mold and easier to outline the necessary bends on the workpiece. This is already unnecessary descriptions, I'm sure that everyone and so immediately understood the meaning in this venture. By the way, I used approximately the same method when cutting out the wings. But then the task had a slightly different meaning. The wing from the back side was also a complex shape, it was necessary to make a graceful and delicate detail. And then in the same way the back side had to be made first. To make sure that the wing does not rest anywhere, or on the contrary, exactly touch. And only then the carving itself begins, the drawing of details. In the end, the curved part had its own nuances. As if not to press too hard with fingers to the table, suddenly the thin plate will burst from the pressure on the weak points? So the molding mass served as a reliable slipway for the workpiece. I made a mold on the table from polymer clay and carefully pressed the wing into it. After hardening it turned out to be a perfect matrix. The wing lay in it safely and securely, and I was not afraid that something somewhere might break. It turned out to be very convenient for such tasks and simple. And now for a photo of the finished head: Now it's time to put everything in its rightful place on the ship: My spouse, when she looks at what I do, sometimes draws some very curious conclusions. Now she looked at this head for a long time and then asked: - Who is this? - Mascaron,” I answered, ”is the name of such an element in architectural sculpture. And the character is probably Faunus or some other mythical character. - I see. What does he do? I rubbed the back of my head: - It's hard to say, he spits out flames. - Spitting it out? He's throwing up! He ate some hot peppers, that's what made him sick. Or maybe he got drunk. That's why he threw up. That's right! He had a drink, a snack, and then he had a bumpy ride. That's the result. I laughed. - All right, let's call it that. You got me. - Well, we're joking, but it's really done that way. Why would you make a sculpture that makes you sick? Would you decorate with images like that? - Well, we live by different rules now. We used to have our own notions of what was appropriate and beautiful. You can see it's a lowlife character, maybe even a negative one. Maybe it had a certain meaning. Like gargoyles on castles and temples, or other evil things. There, too, they were often depicted at times when they were bad. Maybe it's about the same meaning here, too. At the top is a strong, beautiful symbol of power and purity. And beneath his feet, a lowly and humiliated enemy. - I still don't get it. Look, there's an archway. Will there be doors there? - Yes, there will be doors. - And that's where the captain will go to the balcony? - Yes, the captain will go through those doors to get some fresh air, that's right. Maybe even the admiral. Why? You're obviously trying to lead me to something. Come on, admit it. - So this faun pukes on the admiral's head? Who insulted who? I laughed. - How did you come up with that scenario? - Wait, I've seen it somewhere before. Where? I'll have to remember. - You've seen faces like that a lot of times. We went to see a castle the other day, and it looked just like this one. - No, that's not it. I remember! There! That's him! And my wife held out a cell phone with a picture like this: I started laughing again. - Yeah, it looks a lot like him. - And your faun looks like the Grinch. Look, maybe in the cartoon it was his childhood. Then it's definitely a match. A prankster like him could have lurked over the door to wait for the captain to come out. And then stain him from head to toe! Such a woman's fantasy...

Thank you for your review and appreciation.