The_Woodworker_and_Woodturner_-_October_2019

PROJECT Rocking hippo with moving jaw

62 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking October 2019 http://www.getwoodworking.com

This requires more power carving using the

Foredom fitted with a 2.5cm Saburrtooth

burr. This is why it is very important to have

a thick wall and bottom on the lower jaw as

these will now have to be removed slightly

to allow for the upper teeth to clear.

Once this is done, the two top teeth can

be installed. The head will need to be turned

upside down and the jaw closed so the teeth

are held exactly where they should be. Again,

lots of PVA is required, but I also recommend

Fig.3 Henry’s dentistry chart – not to scale

27 Ears once carved...

25 Drilling dowel holes into one of the ears 26 Dowels fitted into the ears

28 ... and attached to the head

using a bit of hot glue to make sure they are

held in place while the PVA dries around them.

THE HEAD  PART 4  EARS/HANDLES

Now for the ears. Original Henry was to have

dowel handles behind his ears, but I found that

these were both in the ideal position and size

for handles.

Again, these are made from offcuts of 9×1

tulipwood, which I’ve used throughout the project

on the larger pieces. Using the ear template, cut

these out using a bandsaw (or coping saw). Then,

take a profile gauge and use this to find the curve

of the head where the ears will be positioned.

I strongly recommend using the gauge on both

sides rather than just assuming one side of the

head will be the same profile as the other. Also,

mark a line in the position where you place the

gauge on the head – you’ll need this later on.

Fitting the dowels

You can now mark the centre of the ear on the

side which will contact the head. Using an 8mm

bit, drill a hole into the first ear (photo 25). This

needs to be half the depth of your dowels (I used

8 × 40mm ones). Repeat for the other ear.

Carving the ears

Once this is done you can now carve the ear.

Using a Foredom or Dremel, as before, you need

to create an incline into the middle of the ear.

I went a little too deep and ended up breaking

through to the dowel hole, so go carefully around

where the hole has been bored for the dowel. The

back of the ears need to be curved on a shallow

curve and so, using the Foredom or a disc sander,

create this shape. I found dry fitting the dowel

handy for holding the ears while working on them.

Fitting the ears

Fitting the ears can be quite tricky, so using

the marks left on the head made when using

the profile gauge, find where the internal curve

best fits. Draw around the ear onto the head

and use this as your reference. Dry fit the dowel

and then add a blob of paint to the end. Line

up the ear outline with the ear and push the

dowel onto the surface of the head. It should

be roughly in the centre of the outline you just

drew. Next, using the same 8mm drill bit, drill

the corresponding dowel hole into the head.

Apply PVA to both the dowel and the contact

surface and repeat for the other side. Allow

to dry overnight.

Gaps may appear once the glue has dried,

in which case, run some filler around the bottom

of the ears where they meet the head.