http://www.getwoodworking.com October 2019 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking 57
Fig.2 Gluing diagram4 Using an angle grinder fitted with an 80 grit
sanding disc, shape the edges of the side of the body 5 Two side pieces form the top of the head
into the top on each side; this will allow the
screws to go through the back and into the
side pieces – it’s a good idea to apply a bit of
glue before doing this. I would also recommend
having the screws about 5mm below the surface
of the back, which will ensure they will not
stick out during the carving process.
Attaching the front & back of the body
You can now measure the internal gap between
the two side pieces and using your offcut from the
back, rip this piece down to that measurement.
We want the grain running from the top to the
bottom of the body as this will be carved away
later on. Glue these pieces in place and then
apply clamps to hold everything securely
(photo 3). Leave this to dry overnight.
As you can see in photo 3, I found the void
in the body a handy place to keep all the offcuts
I had left over from cutting out the body; this
will come in handy for use during later stages
of the build.
Carving the body
Once the glue has dried, it’s time to remove the
excess wood. For this I first used my bandsaw to
remove the bulk of the wood although you could
use a hand saw for this part instead. You can then
level the blocks at the front and back flush with
the sides, using an angle grinder fitted with an
80 grit sanding wheel, before shaping the edges
of the side of the body (photo 4). At this stage,
it’s important to not touch the back (which will
be the seat) as it will need to be shaped later
once the legs are in place.THE HEAD PART 1
As with the body, the head is built like a hollow
box with the underside left open. At this point,
I’d decided that I wanted Henry’s head to open
and close on a pivot and this is why the head is
made in two parts. I also saw this as the most
economical way of using the wood and offcuts
I had available.Cutting out the side pieces
The first step is to cut out the pieces: we need
two side pieces for the top of the head (photo 5).
I used some of the remaining 9×1 tulipwood
for this, which was left over from cutting out
the main body section.The top of the head
The top of the head is made from a large piece
of 8×3 oak block that had been lying around
the workshop. This piece was water damagedbut still stable enough to use. You could use
any wood for this part as long as it’s the correct
size and the grain runs perpendicular between
the two sides of the head. It does sound like a
massive piece to have for just the top of the head,
but it will also form the part that will feature the
most carving, so it makes sense to use a sizeable
piece. This can then be glued between the two
sides and held in place with two large F clamps
(photo 6). At this stage, it’s important to have
the block of oak sitting just above the profile
of the side of the head (see Fig.2) – again, this
is for carving purposes later on. Leave this to
dry overnight.The front & back of the head
The next day, using offcuts of 6×2 from the
back of the body, cut this to the internal width
of the gap between the two sides of the head.
Glue these pieces in place and again hold in place
with F clamps before leaving to dry overnight.Carving the head – stage 1
Cut away the excess wood at the front and back
of the head, either using a bandsaw, hand saw
or chisels. Afterwards the head can be carved
for its first stage. Rather than doing it in one go,
I found it easier to do this in several stages asFURTHER INFORMATION
To see more of Grace’s pieces, see
http://www.facebook.com/gracesilverwoodcreations- you can also see the completed article
and accompanying videos by visiting the
Instructables website: http://www.instructables.
com/id/Henry-the-Rocking-Hippo-With-
Moving-Jaw-Rocking-Ho/