Giant Wooden Mustaches
Slowly but surely my projects were getting more and more
reigned in. They were taking up smaller spaces, fewer and fewer rooms, let
alone buildings. While painting/re-flooring/generally overhauling half of a
duplex, I had a perfect indoor studio: AC, bare concrete floors, no neighbors,
and as I owned it, if I messed anything up it should only affect me.
And I had just the theoretical project to work on.
I really hope by this point that if you've thumbed through my other projects you understand what it means to set me off on a proof-of-concept style project... I finally do, and am therefore far more careful to just postulate rather than implement. At least, I run through a number of questions now before I move forward with just any project.
But at this point, it was still a matter of, "Yeah, I could do that. Get back to me in a couple of weeks, and I'll have something ready."
So I set to work on two carousel-sized wooden mustaches.
And I had just the theoretical project to work on.
I really hope by this point that if you've thumbed through my other projects you understand what it means to set me off on a proof-of-concept style project... I finally do, and am therefore far more careful to just postulate rather than implement. At least, I run through a number of questions now before I move forward with just any project.
But at this point, it was still a matter of, "Yeah, I could do that. Get back to me in a couple of weeks, and I'll have something ready."
So I set to work on two carousel-sized wooden mustaches.
First thing first was to figure out just how large these needed to be, then make a rough template so I could see what size and how many pieces of wood I'd need.
The mustache itself is made up of 2x10 pine boards, laminated with wood glue, held together overnight with some massive clamps. This is fairly accurate as far as making carousel creations... not exactly and not the best material, but again, it was what was available at a big-box store for a proof-of-concept project. Interested in building a real carousel creation? Check out Carousel Animal Carving by Bud Ellis. It's a great book, comprehensive and easy to follow. Though it's doubtful I'll ever get around to a full fledged carved animal, I can tell you personally that it's more a matter of getting started than anything else. If you've ever wanted to, just pick up the book and get started. Even a pretty straightforward shape like the stylized mustache is really fun to work on.
Middle section of the bottom was left flat to attach to metal stand.
Mustache painted with some leftover spray paint so I could see more clearly to carve the grooves.
One crummy light bulb in one crummy fan made for atrocious lighting conditions before coating everything in sawdust...
No, I probably wouldn't do this again. It's a garage or a real shop for me next time.
I love my old bandsaw. I picked it up off Craigslist from a wood-floor sales and installation shop in Montgomery, AL. It was a mini-adventure in and unto itself finding it, hunting it down, transporting it back to town in my mom's Windstar minivan. Somehow I got it home without knocking out the back window. I just love the way it looks. Much cleaner than in this shot, but I just love the lines. (No worries, it got a thorough cleaning after this. It just happened to be sitting in the same room when the devastation took place.)
Those were some monstrously heavy mustaches... it took two people to move them anywhere.
Finished mustaches. Left unpainted for their new owner. The metal stands were fabricated by some awesome guys at a country-side metal shop for an absolute bargain. They were able to use left over metal plate and bars, weld them together, and even painted them with the same high-quality paint they used on the custom grills they built. Those were some massively sturdy plates.
Waiting for their new owner. General size comparison.
