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Turtle Toy-Box: Sculpted Shell, Head and Neck From "Wood Works" episode WWK-702

	As seen on the prototype, the shell's crest is thick at the top, then slopes down to a thickness of about 1/4" at the edge.
	Shaping an carving the turtle's shell and head provides you with a wood-sculpting challenging.

In this episode of DIY Wood Works, host David Marks creates a child's toy-box fashioned and carved to look like a turtle. In this third segment, with the box already assembled and shaped, the details are sculpted in the shell and head of the turtle.

Materials and tools used in this episode:

Alder stock
1/2" maple plywood
MDF for templates
Jointer
Table saw; cross-cut sled
Jig saw
14" band saw
Plunge router
Power grinder; arbor-tech blade
Disc sander
Random-orbital sander
Die grinder; ball-mill
Biscuit jointer; #20 biscuits
Sharp chisel
Small v-shaped gouge
Dead-blow hammer
Brad driver; brads
Wire cutters
Clamps
Yellow woodworker's glue
Glue roller
Slow-setting resin glue
Drawing paper
Carbon paper
Cheese cloth
Green stain
Non-toxic salad-bowl finish
Brass hinges
Safety lid-supports
Straight-edge
Carpenter's pencil
Felt-tipped marker
Safety glasses or goggles

Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses, and follow proper safety precautions, when working with wood, power-tools, saws, drills, routers, etc.

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	Figure A
	Figure B

Sculpting the Shell, Head and Neck

With the box assembled and shaped, work can begin on shaping the details in the shell, neck and head of the turtle that form the lid of the toy box. The shell's crest is thick at the top, then slopes down to a thickness of about 1/4" at the edge. The first task is to define the shell and the boundaries of the head and tail. Then you can grind away the sides to create the slope of the shell.

• Once again, use the power grinder with an arbor-tech blade to remove the bulk of the material from the tail and neck (figure A).

  Tip: When using the grinder for this task, it's a good idea to hold the blade perpendicular to the stock.

• Next, shape the turtle's shell by gradually blending the stock. The goal is to accentuate the crest by sculpting the sides so that they slope downward (figure B).
  

  
  
  

• Once the rough shape is sculpted into the shell, use a compass with the pencil set at 1/4" to scribe a line around the base to indicate the thickness of the shell at the perimeter (figure C).

• Once the sides are sculpted to the boundary line, gradually blend the seams of the top to create the slope (figure D).

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  

  
  
  

• Use a disc sander, with coarse 24-grint sandpaper, to shape and feather the surface (figure E).

• Then move up to 80-grit and a random-orbital sander to smooth the surface in preparation for carving (figure F).

  Figure E

  Figure F

  
  

  
  

• Use a die-grinder, with carbide ball-mill, to sculpt the head (figure G), tail and neck. The ball-mill acts like a spinning rasp and creates a grinding action. Carefully carve between the lines by moving the ball-mill back and forth. The motion is similar to erasing with a pencil.
  
  
• For the fine details, draw on the facial features. Then use a small, v-shaped gouge to carefully carve them out by hand (figure H).

  Figure G

  Figure H

  
  

• For the design on the top of the shell, first work out a design you like on drawing paper. Then transfer the lines to the surface of the wood using carbon paper (figure I). Carefully work around the shell until the design is completely transferred.
  
  
• Using a large v-shaped gouge, cut and define the lines (figure J) -- being careful not to cut through any boundaries.

  Tip: Carve with the grain, and when you meet an intersecting line, stop shy about 1/4". Then, starting at the intersection, cut in the opposite direction to where you stopped shy.

  Figure I

  Figure J

  
  
  
  

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  RELATED PROJECTS: Maple and Bubinga Treasure-Box: Bending Form and Lid-Core Maple and Bubinga Treasure-Box: Veneered Lid Maple and Bubinga Treasure-Box: Finishing Touches WEB EXTRA -- Treasure-Box: Materials List and Cut Sizes

  
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Turtle Toy-Box: Stock and Joinery
  	Turtle Toy-Box: Sculpted Sides and Top
  	Turtle Toy-Box: Sculpted Shell, Head and Neck
  	Turtle Toy-Box: Finishing Touches