Carved Urns - McIntire Exhibit

[awleonard]

I wasn't able to attend the McIntire exhibit (bummer).  I was looking at the picture of the urn that Phil Lowe was carving at the symposium and trying to figure out how he did that. It is a rather large urn with a swags carved on the sides.  The picture was in the June 2008 issue of Woodwork magazine.  It looks like there is a glue line between the swag and the body of the urn.  Anyway, I'm a bit puzzled as to how he did it.  I have some ideas, but was wondering in anybody knew/knows?

Thanks,

Tony

[Mark Arnold]

Tony,

The blank for each urn is just laminated white pine. The areas north and south of the swags can be turned on a lathe, but the areas between the swags must be faired into the turning. Phil said the trickiest part was carving the bowknots. I've attached some pictures I took at the symposium. An original (possibly a later replacement) urn is seen to the right in image 2. I think Phil must have cut the foot off after carving.

[awleonard]

Thanks.  No tricks there I guess.  Just hogging off a lot of material!  Even given that its pine, that takes some time.  Sure wish I could have made it up there to see the show and Phil's demo. 

Thanks for the info and posting the pics.

Tony