Post #693527 by MadDogMike on Sat, Sep 14, 2013 12:41 PM

Hospitality is key in any society, even cannibals. So I decided the Headhunter Harbor needed a welcome sign :D

Here's some progress pics if you're interested. New "clay resist" burning technique in steps #4 & 5
Step #1 - Take a 16x36 inch piece of 3/4 pine, cut to shield shape, draw out lettering and some PNG-ish designs

Step #2 - Form bone letters and spear heads from paper clay.

Step #3 - Fire and glaze the letters and spear heads. Router designs in the wood.

Step #4 - "Clay resist" burning technique. Form letters out of clay onto the wooden shield, press them down to make good contact. while the clay is still well, burn the wood around the letters with a torch.

Step #5 - Remove and discard the clay letters, leaving an unburned area below them. Take a wood burner and define the letters.

Step #6 - Burn and brush the wood. Glue the fired and glazed bone letters to the shield. In my first Headhunter Harbor sign, I made the "U" from little individual vertebrae. This time I tried a jawbone with teeth.

Step #7 - Paint accents, make and attach spears, skull, beads, etc. I tried a new glaze for the spear heads; Malachite. Malachite is my favorite semi-precious stone but the effect is a bit subtle, I don't see that I will be using this glaze much.