With Christmas approaching I’ve been busy preparing fan birds which are popular as decorations and gifts this time of year. At shows during this summer, a few people have asked how they’re made and not completely believed that they’re just one piece of wood so I’ve made this short video showing how the split and carved blank is spread out to create the wings and tail of the bird. It’s still a magical thing for me each time I do this, to see the bird take shape and feel how strong and flexible the fibres are at the hinge.
I’ll be teaching a Fan Bird carving workshop on Nov 17th near Kendal in the Lake District. If you’d like to learn to make these wonderful birds yourself. They’re a great little project, suitable for everyone and you’ll never any problem finding homes for your creations. More details on my courses page or email me steve-tomlin[at]hotmail.co.uk for details.
October 31st, 2012 at 2:41 pm
Fascinating. How often do they break?
October 31st, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Alex, the fibres of the wood are surprisingly strong so they don’t break but it needs care not to over-carve the hinge.
Green wood crafts: http://stevetomlincrafts.wordpress.com Scythe tuition and blog: http://scytherspace.wordpress.com
> Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2012 14:41:29 +0000 > To: steve-tomlin@hotmail.co.uk >
February 26th, 2013 at 11:02 am
what kind of wood is used for not break?