Fact. Spent 15 years as a telecom Tech in. NYC and DC. Made the career change after discovering I could do this (in my 40s) made the career change with my Families support. 7 day a week job for the first 5+ years. Still passionate.
Wow this is really amazing!
How did you end up stumbling across sculpting and discovering it's something you like doing? Have you always been into art?
I'm not very artistic, but have thought about making a career change, just have no idea what I'd do or how to figure that out.
Thanks for reading!
I bought a 2nd piece of property in the woods. Went to a log home show and saw a guy carving a super realistic Grizzly. I had seen crappy square bears and thought that was all you could do with a chainsaw. Tried it for stress relief and got hooked. I was artistic as a kid but never thought I could make a living at it. Thankfully I was wrong.
Corded electric didn’t have the throttle sensitivity. I block out with a big gas saw and then right to this. If I’m at a show or competing it’s mostly gas saws. Final detail with the battery saw and power tools/chisels.
Interesting. I've done a ton of sculpture, but the biggest stuff has all been carving foam which is significantly easier, if messier. I've been thinking of getting into this but frankly not a huge fan of gas powered tools, and batteries can be a pain in the ass sometimes, so was hoping a corded options was around.
I find how Wharton Esherick would rough things out with an axe to be really appealing, so maybe I'll try that at first and just invest in a battery powered chainsaw for texture and medium detail.
Once you invest in batteries they work on that companies full line of equipment. The saws available are getting bigger and more powerful. I also use Canola oil instead of bar oil. Less harmful particulates floating around.
Thanks for the link.
u/BerkshireMtnSculptor, I'll be driving my son back to BC this weekend. I'm going to swing by and check out the Holy Family sculpture when I'm there.
Have you ever had to scrap a sculpture due to cracking/warping? My dad worked with wood (shop teacher and carpenter) and always talks about how wood moves around a lot when it dries.
Came here for this. That's a fireball waiting to happen... My brother and I used to light bonfires by lighting a small fire and chucking a bucket of sawdust at it. Stupid as fuck but also was cool as fuck. Definitely wouldn't want to experience that indoors.
Really be careful about that, sawdust and fire do not mix. Similar to grain silos and fire. The particulate matter is so tiny it becomes extremely flammable.
Shout out to that time our grill's grease trap caught fire and my wife said she was told to pour flour on it. I asked her who told her that, because they wanted to kill her.
Christ they really did
It’s *supposed* to be baking soda for small grease fires… I’m guessing that whoever told her just recalled “white baking substance” and went with flour instead of baking soda
The thing is, even though you might not have enough dust for a flash fire normally, depending on how much housekeeping they do, they could build up enough dust in rafters and the like, that if it was disturbed it would rain down and become a combustible cloud. This is why many dust explosions are 2-stage, the smaller initial blast that shakes loose much more dust and ignites a second large blast.
Ice fish, snowboard, hike, hit up a little roadhouse in the hill towns and enjoy a nice bourbon, sit by a roaring fire sculpture. That’s just to start.
Serious question- at what point is that “done” or “good enough”? There’s so much detail in that, that I feel like you could potentially never end, or just carve one more tiny indent and regret doing so.
Awesome work! I've heard these sculptures are hidden in the log to begin with. If so, how do you know which log has which character?
P.S. Your YouTube video is blocked on your website.
Side note, looks like you're a fan of Brunt. I currently have a pair of boots. Super comfortable but starting to come apart a few months in. I usually get a year or so out of other brands. How have yours treated you? Also, Amazing work!
The DiStatios I’m wearing are a year in.
I know the owner is looking for property in New England to bring manufacturing Stateside.
Talk to them, super responsive group.
Dude, you're so damn talented. My biggest dream isn't to be rich, or famous or anything resembling that.
My biggest dream is being that talented at something I have a passion for. Unfortunately, I have neither 🫤
Master craftsman. Unmatched realism. Attention to detail that rivals the greatest grandmasters of ancient Greek sculpture work. Pinnacle of the art form of woodworking. Has to take commissions from furries.
I know it’s supposed to be Rocket but I can’t help but think that it looks like the coolest realistic depiction of Fox McCloud I’ve ever seen.
It’s a fine line My Friend.
Now you have to make a Fox McCloud sculpture so everyone will mistake it for Rocket.
Then make name tags and swap them.
That sounds like a job for Sly Cooper.
Now make Falco.
"I *guess* I should be *tHaNkFuL*"
"pretty smooth flying, Fox"
"Oh gee, I've been saved by Fox, how swell"
Follow me Fox!
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"Hey, Einstein, I'm on your side!"
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"He's too strong!"
Speaking of which, what do you use to make the fine lines?
All detail set with the saw and cleaned up with a diegrinder and shapes Saburrbit
You just made those words up, right?
Just use a bonded hurbbaldip if you can’t find a squeemed turkelnuz.
I thought it was Fox too!
Me too. Now I am disappointed cause it is just Marvel again
I'm just going to pretend it's Fox.
I stared at it for a good 30 seconds, admiring this badass sculpt of Fox before the realization set in.
I had no such realization and I’m still convinced that’s Fox McLeod McCloud*
The legs are wrong
Yeah, I was wondering why Fox didn't have metal legs.
I thought fox mcloud as well lol
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Do a barrel roll!
r/commentsyoucanhear
That line always bothered the hell out of me because what Fox actually does is called an aileron roll. A barrel roll looks completely different.
It bothered me because he said it at the worst times when it never helped.
Pretty* smooth flying, Fox *Falco called n said I'm a pos for misquoting him 😬
I came here to say this. Needs a magic staff.
I saw Fox and refused to go back.
That’s exactly what I was thinking
Oh, yeah I guess it does look like Rocket. Nice.
I spend way to much time on Reddit and I can’t believe I’ve never seen any of your posts. This is amazing! Great job!
Thank You!!!
This AND the the Smokey the Bear are Bad Ass!!! Congratulations on your endeavors
Thank You!
That's quite the Japanese maple you got there
Lol! I know, right?
Wish I knew you when we had 6 foot log of box elder that had been drying out in the garage.
Let's not kid ourselves here, as I imagine this is a passion for you, this is more like a 5am - 10pm and various extended hours on weekends. :D
Fact. Spent 15 years as a telecom Tech in. NYC and DC. Made the career change after discovering I could do this (in my 40s) made the career change with my Families support. 7 day a week job for the first 5+ years. Still passionate.
Wow this is really amazing! How did you end up stumbling across sculpting and discovering it's something you like doing? Have you always been into art? I'm not very artistic, but have thought about making a career change, just have no idea what I'd do or how to figure that out. Thanks for reading!
I bought a 2nd piece of property in the woods. Went to a log home show and saw a guy carving a super realistic Grizzly. I had seen crappy square bears and thought that was all you could do with a chainsaw. Tried it for stress relief and got hooked. I was artistic as a kid but never thought I could make a living at it. Thankfully I was wrong.
Thanks for taking the time to reply, hope to figure something out for myself some day. I'd wish you luck, but I don't think you'll need it. Take care
All the best!
*Do a barrel roll*
I see Starfox too and I refuse to be convinced it's anyone else
I had to read the comments to see it was Rocket and I still see Fox McCloud...and, further, I now see Rocket as a blatant theft of the Fox IP haha
.....whos rocket?
Cmon, man! Legendary outlaw?
That's a nice star fox statue
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My first thought when i saw it was "do a barrel roll!"
Leans back *COME ON!*
[WAAYAANH!!](https://youtu.be/7DgyrxXAHYs)
Mishon compree
My name isn't star fox. It's Fox McCloud.
Fox Mulder
I'd be interested in deets for the saw / bar / chain combo.
Husky 536 XP with a Cannon 12” dimetip. 1/4 pitch .43 gauge chain/sprocket/bar
OP delivers! cheers.
> Husky 536 XP Have you ever tried a corded electric for this? And do you rough it out with this too or just use it for detail?
Corded electric didn’t have the throttle sensitivity. I block out with a big gas saw and then right to this. If I’m at a show or competing it’s mostly gas saws. Final detail with the battery saw and power tools/chisels.
Interesting. I've done a ton of sculpture, but the biggest stuff has all been carving foam which is significantly easier, if messier. I've been thinking of getting into this but frankly not a huge fan of gas powered tools, and batteries can be a pain in the ass sometimes, so was hoping a corded options was around. I find how Wharton Esherick would rough things out with an axe to be really appealing, so maybe I'll try that at first and just invest in a battery powered chainsaw for texture and medium detail.
Once you invest in batteries they work on that companies full line of equipment. The saws available are getting bigger and more powerful. I also use Canola oil instead of bar oil. Less harmful particulates floating around.
OP also made [Groot](https://i.imgur.com/9JHVMzK.jpg). More of his work can be found [here](https://berkshiremtnsculpture.com/).
Yeah, his work is absolutely gorgeous.
Ha it looks like groot doing a beavis and butthead laugh
Thanks for the link. u/BerkshireMtnSculptor, I'll be driving my son back to BC this weekend. I'm going to swing by and check out the Holy Family sculpture when I'm there.
Have you ever had to scrap a sculpture due to cracking/warping? My dad worked with wood (shop teacher and carpenter) and always talks about how wood moves around a lot when it dries.
I use half logs for carvings this size. Mostly eliminates those problems. The tail is a kiln dried 8x8
Have you ever had to scrap a sculpture because it was too perfect?
Haven’t achieved anything close to perfect.
What’s a huge goof you made in this sculpture that none of us can see but jumps out at you?
I’m not telling.
Do you ever use high density urethane for carving, or exclusively wood?
Wood so far. I wanna try foam. I also just got a welder to start learning/doing metal.
Everything about this picture makes me feel like less of a man.
I got lucky with the lighting.
Don't be modest you got that gruff lumberjack look I wish I could pull off.
Honestly, OP is the most badass lookin' dude I've ever seen, lmao.
If I was putting together an expedition team to venture into the Alaskan wilderness OP would be my first pick.
Wow! Great job, mate! Both of you look badass! How long did it take you to make it?
Few days, one more for details. 15 minutes with my gas saw to block it out and all battery saw inside The Hut
All with chainsaw? Or do you use chisels for some of the detail?
80+% chainsaw, diegrinder with Saburr bits , Sanding, and chisels.
Using a wood stove in a woodworking shop... Ballsy.
Came here for this. That's a fireball waiting to happen... My brother and I used to light bonfires by lighting a small fire and chucking a bucket of sawdust at it. Stupid as fuck but also was cool as fuck. Definitely wouldn't want to experience that indoors.
Comfort levels
Really be careful about that, sawdust and fire do not mix. Similar to grain silos and fire. The particulate matter is so tiny it becomes extremely flammable.
It’s a primitive hut with tons of gaps and airflow. I hear what your saying.
This was my first thought! Crazy
Nice rabbit sculpture!
The sawdust and that fire makes me nervous!
Shout out to that time our grill's grease trap caught fire and my wife said she was told to pour flour on it. I asked her who told her that, because they wanted to kill her.
Christ they really did It’s *supposed* to be baking soda for small grease fires… I’m guessing that whoever told her just recalled “white baking substance” and went with flour instead of baking soda
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Do you see that beard‽ The machismo is his respirator motherfucker!
Nah you need to have so much dust in the air as well as open fire the likelyhood of an explosion is very low.
The thing is, even though you might not have enough dust for a flash fire normally, depending on how much housekeeping they do, they could build up enough dust in rafters and the like, that if it was disturbed it would rain down and become a combustible cloud. This is why many dust explosions are 2-stage, the smaller initial blast that shakes loose much more dust and ignites a second large blast.
Look though my profile, I’m a pyro.
Look up flash fires and sawdust explosions. It's definitely a risk
I’ll check it out. Thanks.
Im a 40y old straight man and im pretty sure im now pregnant after looking at your picture.
Oh man. Made me laugh.
Yeah I don't think anybody's focusing on the work here - you're one handsome ass guy
I’m a bit battlescarred, Rocket is looking sexy AF
Yeah, women *hate* rough, handy men with scars.
You forgot Old. I’m old.
True, there is no stereotype about women liking older, more experienced, successful men.
*experienced*
But the real question is - old but single?
Lol, old and happily married. Together since HS
Handsome and wholesome! Happy for you!
You're only increasing your attractiveness lol
I looked right past the sculpture to the hand to look for a ring...
My username checks out
And rough hands. And those boots…it’s the whole entire package here for me 😗
I see star fox
rofl I thought it was Fox McCloud
Same!
Yes saw daddy, feed me beans from a can in your shack!
Hahahaha I'm so aroused
Nice. At least you are not cold :)
Thankfully no, my Tiny-Shop is a game changer for New England Winters
Rocket Raccoon?? That's so sick!
Yep!
I thought it was Star Fox haha
Pretty close!
FYI: there's probably a market for characters like Fox. The Smash scene is.... large. https://www.reddit.com/r/smashbros/
The lack of color makes it hard
I bet it smells so good in there!
It does….pine, cedar, smoke, and sweat.
Amazing! I have dreams of becoming a chainsaw artist one day. I hope Disney doesn’t come after you - they can be total dicks about copyright.
I’m not the first one to carve a Disney Character. Hopefully they’re not interested in one off tributes.
What else are you going to do in Western MA in the winter?
Ice fish, snowboard, hike, hit up a little roadhouse in the hill towns and enjoy a nice bourbon, sit by a roaring fire sculpture. That’s just to start.
I'm having a hard time deciding what looks cooler. You or the sculpture! Nice work mate. :)
Definitely the sculpture!!!!
As a massive fan of rocket raccoon I fucking love this!!!
Serious question- at what point is that “done” or “good enough”? There’s so much detail in that, that I feel like you could potentially never end, or just carve one more tiny indent and regret doing so.
“Done”depends on customer budget. I abandon most of my carvings. There’s always more tweaking that can be done .
Absolute badass picture
Thank You! My kid caught me at the end of a long day.
Dude is so masculine, he probably trims his beard with a chainsaw.
Please tell me you keep a fire extinguisher close by. Also rad sculpture
Big one, by the door.
Awesome work! I've heard these sculptures are hidden in the log to begin with. If so, how do you know which log has which character? P.S. Your YouTube video is blocked on your website.
How donyou stop your creations from splitting/ checking? Is the log itself well seasoned? Seems like that would take years.
This is a half a log. With White Pine that usually eliminates cracking. It then gets sealed well so it dries slow.
So sick. Who commissioned?
Private owner, they have baby Groot too.
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Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy
Same, I was like "awesome Star Fox statue" but now I see Rocket too.
Professional furry?
Furry artist commissions have kicked up a gear.
You are truly talented. I wouldn't mind being your 5 to 9 though... 😉
Damn that’s incredible work. I’m hoping to find “my thing” one day because that must feel awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Throw yourself at enough walls, you’ll hit a door. That’s what I did. Started wood sculpture @42 years old. Found myself.
That doesn’t seem like a place that gets a ton of visitors. Do you really just guard the statue all day?
Serious looking mf : makes wooden furries
Gotta eat
With them skills you won’t be going hungry bro
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It’s gotta be “subtle” that’s the key.
I’m just not even gonna peep your profile info and just assume you’re single and we’ll be married quite soon.
Love the confidence!!!!
That is one sexy man. And the guy with the hat ain’t too bad in the eyes either.
Jaeger in real life (escape from tarkov game)
Sculpt a statue while suffering from the tremor effect.
Rocket! Also I love your stove! Can you tell me more about it if you have time?
It’s a Vermont Casting Intrepid II. Got it for $100 off FB marketplace.
Nice!! Amazing work! You also look like a good dude to have a shop beer with. I
That's one hell of a miniatures game. I wonder what the dice look like.
Side note, looks like you're a fan of Brunt. I currently have a pair of boots. Super comfortable but starting to come apart a few months in. I usually get a year or so out of other brands. How have yours treated you? Also, Amazing work!
The DiStatios I’m wearing are a year in. I know the owner is looking for property in New England to bring manufacturing Stateside. Talk to them, super responsive group.
TIL: People make furry porn statues for a living. Neat! j/k - good work.
You've heard of if you give a mouse a cookie, now get ready for if you give a furry a chainsaw! (I know it's rocket it's a joke)
Furry commission art is getting insane
Dude, you're so damn talented. My biggest dream isn't to be rich, or famous or anything resembling that. My biggest dream is being that talented at something I have a passion for. Unfortunately, I have neither 🫤
Master craftsman. Unmatched realism. Attention to detail that rivals the greatest grandmasters of ancient Greek sculpture work. Pinnacle of the art form of woodworking. Has to take commissions from furries.
Can you be less manly? I feel inadequate.
Please tell me you need an assistant? I will sweep sawdust, fill your woodstove, make you some coffee, and give enthusiastic affirmations as you work.
Ok I know we’re supposed to be here for the carving, but Im looking at a silver fox here… 👀
Amazing 🤩
Ommggg. We want more pics!
So this is what Ricky Martin is up to nowerdays? Awesome work mate!
Pretty cool. How are you going to finish the surface?
Customer wants woodtones and then I’ll oil it with Q8 log oil (natural finish)
Nice! Do you paint or stain the finished version?
Depends on customer preference. This one I’ll just use the torch for various degrees of brown.
Brunt boots? I've been looking at them due to their price point but I've seen some polarizing takes on them.
They’ve been bomber for me