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Woodworking Discussion Forum
Cody Colston
Member since Apr-9-03
7093 posts |
Mar-27-09, 12:54 PM (EST) |
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"Ball & Claw Attempt"
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Well, here it is. It's Sweetgum with a coat of Cherry gel stain wiped on. The bare Sweetgum didn't show detail very well...it was too vari-colored. There was also a worm hole right on top of the big knuckle on the front talon.  It took about 4 hours to carve and sand this one. I could have sanded for another hour if I'd cared about how clean it looked. This was practice only just to see if I was capable of actually carving one. It's not very refined but not too bad, either for a first attempt, IMHO. I'll get better. I'm gonna save this one to judge how my carving is progressing later on. The band sawn blank. 
The talons marked. Shaping the ball is done before the talons. 
The finished ball & claw. 
Cody
Tyler, TX
The expert at anything was once a beginner.
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Cody Colston
Member since Apr-9-03
7093 posts |
Mar-27-09, 08:56 PM (EST) |
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4. "RE: Ball & Claw Attempt"
In response to message #0
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Thanks for the comments, y'all. Stretch, it really is my first one. I read in another book today where the front and side talons should have 3 knuckles and the back talon only two. All of mine have only 2 knuckles so it's not anatomically correct. What's really daunting about period reproductions is that the different regions/cabinetmakers had their own particular style of ball & claw. The New York style had prominent knuckles similar to the ones I carved. Goddard and Townsend carved the side talons swept back and pierced while the Philadelphia talons had only a hint of a claw...I think I like the Philly style the best and that's the one I want to learn first...with a slightly more prominent claw. I'm really getting into learning about period furniture and while I may never build a true reproduction, I do intend to try and emulate the style...Queen Anne, Chippendale, Sheraton, Federal...I love them all. Cody
Tyler, TX The expert at anything was once a beginner.
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country boy
Member since Jan-1-07
86 posts |
Apr-14-09, 06:33 AM (EST) |
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22. "RE: Ball & Claw Attempt"
In response to message #4
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Cody, Wow,that is great. I have fooled with carving, but never did that. If I can carve a straight wall in a mortise, I'm ahead! "Goddard and Townsend carved the side talons swept back and pierced " Yes, that is true. Not to change the topic, but just to show what that means. Some folks may never have seen this. They used to carve ball and claw legs with the talons undercut, so they only touched the ball in a few spots. That's how much they knew about the properties of the lumber. "Showing off" so to speak, but they knew their stuff.
There's Goddard Museum in Newport RI, called Whitehorne House. It's Doris Duke Foundation, seriously. She was into 18th century furniture.
http://www.newportrestoration.org/visit/whitehorne/ Last time I was there, they had some of these. This pic is a reproduction ball&claw, guess mahogany: (Whitehorne does't allow taking photographs). 
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JBark
Member since Jan-15-09
165 posts |
Apr-14-09, 10:30 PM (EST) |
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24. "RE: Ball & Claw Attempt"
In response to message #22
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>Cody, Wow,that is great. I have fooled with carving, but
>never did that. If I can carve a straight wall in a mortise,
>I'm ahead!
>
>"Goddard and Townsend carved the side talons swept back and
>pierced "
>
>Yes, that is true. Not to change the topic, but just to show
>what that means. Some folks may never have seen this.
>
>They used to carve ball and claw legs with the talons
>undercut, so they only touched the ball in a few spots.
>That's how much they knew about the properties of the
>lumber. "Showing off" so to speak, but they knew their
>stuff.
>
>
>There's Goddard Museum in Newport RI, called Whitehorne
>House. It's Doris Duke Foundation, seriously. She was into
>18th century furniture.
>http://www.newportrestoration.org/visit/whitehorne/
>
>Last time I was there, they had some of these.
>
>This pic is a reproduction ball&claw, guess mahogany:
>(Whitehorne does't allow taking photographs).
>
>
You sure that wasn't done with a CNC carving machine?
John
Rights, we don't need no stinkin' rights! |
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beamerweb
Member since Sep-30-04
3002 posts |
Mar-28-09, 09:59 AM (EST) |
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6. "RE: Ball & Claw Attempt"
In response to message #0
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That's pretty dang good, man! Having never carved one, I prolly shouldn't be pickin, but hopefully you take it as constructive. I'm sure you've probably gone over all these things anyway... The claws on the talons look a little fat to my eye, but i've seen some finished pieces look that way. Is it just shadows or are the knees a little ... mmm ... bulbous(?) on their fronts. I think it's just shadows. I suspect you've thought of those things already, tho. It's a damn far sight better'n my first would be, i can tell ya that much! Do you anticipate trying one with the ... hmm .. not sure what it's called ... suspended ball? you know, with air between the legs and the sphere... not sure what that's called. Jason Beam
Sacramento, CA In loving memory of Robert Bolton. We'll all miss you, Sir. 
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Cody Colston
Member since Apr-9-03
7093 posts |
Mar-28-09, 11:15 AM (EST) |
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8. "RE: Ball & Claw Attempt"
In response to message #6
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Jason, you don't have to be an artist or carver to know what looks right to the eye. You are correct that I already saw the same things you saw...the claws are too fat and the knees are too knobby...among other faults. In addition to including another knuckle on the front three talons, I should have left some webbing between them instead of just carving the tendons. Oh well. That "suspended ball" you are talking about is what I'd call pierced talons. The claws have a space between them and the ball, touching only at the top and bottom. That's a Newport technique, specifically a Goddard and Townsend technique. And yeah, I'll probably try it one day. Cody
Tyler, TX The expert at anything was once a beginner.
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Sawduster
Member since Sep-2-04
15614 posts |
Mar-28-09, 10:15 AM (EST) |
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7. "RE: Ball & Claw Attempt"
In response to message #0
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LAST EDITED ON Mar-28-09 AT 10:17 AM (EST)
All I can say is WOW !!!Jerry 
A "Charter Member" before the crash of '04.
"If politics wasn't built on careful deception it wouldn't need its own word and techniques. It would just be called honesty, education, and leadership."
Bob "Phydeaux" Stewart one day on Woodnet Visit my woodworking website:
http://www.sawdustersplace.com
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Cody Colston
Member since Apr-9-03
7093 posts |
Mar-28-09, 04:04 PM (EST) |
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12. "RE: Ball & Claw Attempt"
In response to message #11
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Thanks, Rob. I'm practicing on another one. Hopefully it will turn out much better. But, between practicing dovetails and carving I ain't getting much real woodworking done. Boodrow came over this morning with an "old" hand plane that he got from his dad. Turns out it was a sweet little Stanley No. 3. There was absolutely no slop in the adjustment knob or the lever, either. Other than a slightly dull blade and the usual flaking of the japanning, it was in great shape. Cody
Tyler, TX The expert at anything was once a beginner.
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JBark
Member since Jan-15-09
165 posts |
Mar-29-09, 01:42 PM (EST) |
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15. "RE: Ball & Claw Attempt"
In response to message #0
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Well, I only come here about once a week (frequency of posts thing) and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw "Ball and Claw Attempt." I knew right away the guy with the new carving set couldn't wait and was instantly addicted. Hell of a job Cody. Now it's time to "graduate" to a squashed ball. John Rights, we don't need no stinkin' rights! |
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Cody Colston
Member since Apr-9-03
7093 posts |
Mar-29-09, 02:03 PM (EST) |
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17. "RE: Ball & Claw Attempt"
In response to message #15
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Thanks for the compliment, John...really, thanks. That "real woodworking" comment meant that I've just been practicing instead of working on actual projects...but hopefully it will pay off in the long run. "Squashed balls"??? There's that Philly coming out in you again. Actually, I intend to gravitate to that style but never to that condition I hope. Cody
Tyler, TX The expert at anything was once a beginner.
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JBark
Member since Jan-15-09
165 posts |
Mar-30-09, 09:27 PM (EST) |
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18. "RE: Ball & Claw Attempt"
In response to message #17
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>"Squashed balls"??? There's that Philly coming out in you
>again. Actually, I intend to gravitate to that style but
>never to that condition I hope.
>
>Cody
>Tyler, TX Why does that sound different when you say it? I was reading up on the various styles of carving in period furniture. I hadn't realized it before but there was a Texan style; the balls are bigger and they have hot sauce on them. John
Rights, we don't need no stinkin' rights! |
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arcticfox46
Member since Sep-1-04
9697 posts |
Apr-01-09, 08:57 PM (EST) |
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19. "RE: Ball & Claw Attempt"
In response to message #0
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WOW - that is awesome Leo Misha Custom Signs & Crafts
www.mishacustom.com 
Before the 04 crash;
Member since October, 2003
"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. - Mark Twain
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If you want to pop the details, throw a clear coat on there then glaze it with a darker stain. Let it dry then scrub off most of it but leave some sitting in all the cracks and crevices. It'll make your details really show up and it will give an appearance of age which definitely lends itself to the style of woodworking you're doing. 
