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Now we are going to start trimming down the chest.
Trim down the sides of the chest -- use a small plunge cut to start if needed -- being
careful not to cut the snout.
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Carefully place your saw and trim down the chest to where the arms are defined.
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Bear with chest trimmed out.
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Trim down the front of the paws (feet).
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CAUTION!
The next cut is a VERY
DANGEROUS Upper Cut trimming action. This is more dangerous than other Upper Cuts as there is nothing but your control
to deter the blade of the saw from kicking back. Please use caution.
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Trim the belly area under the arms/paws.
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Define the ears...
...with a series of short downward cuts to make a space.
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The next few cuts will be "trim" cuts to round-out and shape the back of your bear.
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...Fuzzy Wuzzy wuz a Bear...
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...Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair...
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...if Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair...
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...Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't very fuzzy, wuz he?
But he will be soon!
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Now its time to define the paws (hands).
Mark the space between the paws. Then, round off the sides and front of the paws
(hands).
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Use the tip of your blade to define the edges of the paws (hands).
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Using the tip of your saw as a planer, make several downward cuts to clean out the
space between the paws (hands).
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Mark the front of your bear where the belly will be.
Notch the "V" on the underbelly.
Trimming the legs and belly area requires an Upper Cut, so be careful!
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Shape the legs by doing an Upper Cut to the notch in the belly.
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Widen the space between the legs.
This trimming action requires the dangerous Upper Cut, using the edge of the blade
as a planer, so be very careful.
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Shape out a tail...
(Your bear is going to need something to wag happily...)
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More fine-tuned shaping and clean up.
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Use the edge of your blade for fine-tuned trimming. Be careful when using Upper Cuts
to trim.
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Trim the corners of the base and round them out a little.
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Next, the Relief Cut on the back of the bear.
A deep slit down the back of your bear is a Relief Cut.
As timber dries, there is considerable pressure from moisture
trapped in the center to crack the dryer, outer wood.
A Relief Cut helps alleviate this pressure and allows drying
from the center outward, rather from the out in. If a piece of wood has it in its little mind to crack in a certain spot,
it will. Direct sunlight and heating ducts will often laugh at relief cuts, but, in many cases a slit can help direct the
checking and cracking.
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The relief cut starts with a Plunge Cut. When the blade is about one-third (1/3)of
the way through the back, pull the saw down past the tail.
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Full relief cut down back.
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Unscrew your bear and lay him flat on your stump.
Finishing the rest of the bear requires it to be "lying down."
To keep the bear from rolling around while you finish up carving, take some of those discarded "wedge" pieces you cut off
and use them as chocks.
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OKAY!
BREAK TIME!!!!
This is a good time to take a break.
Have something to drink to take away the taste of all that sawdust (or, that
granola bar).
Clean your saw of debris, check the oil (if you haven't a few times already), and the chain.
When you're ready, click "Page 5" below to continue.
How to Carve a BEAR - Page 5
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