Day 20
What a productive day. I’m feeling the crunch as there are less than 48 hours before I leave. I got in early and knocked that mold apart. How? You ask. Very, very carefully with a crappy chisel (no point in ruining a good one on plaster).
First, the promised shot of the molds with chiseled seam.
Next I had to clean out the clay from each half. Again – very carefully, as I don’t want to loose any of that gorgeous dimensionality I worked so hard to get in the original sculpture. Once it’s been picked out with a tool, I went back over with a toothbrush and some water to give it a thorough cleaning.
Now the molds just sit in the sun until they’re fully dry. It’s Calgary, so it shouldn’t take long. In the meantime…
I finished up my boat. A little painting and sanding and it looks great! I tool a picture to show you all, but it sucked. I’ll get a better one before I go to show you.
Checked on the molds. Still too damp.
I built the last trigger mechanism for #43. I ended up having to re-redo his control rod. I built one a few weeks ago, but then Judd wanted them angled to help make the move better. So I re-built it on a 20-degree angle. Now he’s back from Jen, our costume expert and once I put him in the body, the correct angle is really… zero degrees. Damn. So I built him a new control rod, this time with trigger mechanism. I love doing the same job 3 times. It teaches acceptance of the now. Good thing it’s the mouth action I like best.
Also built stands for the elves.
Checked on the molds. Still too damp.
Cleaned the shop – we have a film crew coming tomorrow to make a mini-documentary about the Trouts and we want it to look good. Vacuumed the woodshop and carving area and emptied the dust filter. You know there’s a lot of sawdust on the floor when you can unearth a tape measure surprise.
Checked on the molds. Still too damp.
Met Juno, Peter’s daughter. She’s just over a week old now, and is looking very cute. She’s about the same size and shape as the elves, but with less blue skin and more proportionate hands.
Checked on the molds. Still too damp.
Peter asked me to make hands for one of the elves. Felt pretty good that he rates my carving skills high enough for a tricky piece like that. Then he explained that this particular elf is a bit of a lunk, so it works if his hands are knobby and misshapen. Awesome. Dove in and roughed out some hands.
Checked on the molds. Still too damp??? It’s 7pm! They’ve been sitting in the sun for over 9 hours. In Calgary, which is basically a temperate desert. Oh well – nothing I can really do so I bring them in, turn a few work lights on them and head home. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll get to use them.