Quick carves

[wooly]

I've been trying to come up with some quick and easy saw carves that will be easier to sell than some of the bigger stuff I have a habit of making and sitting on for a while.
I think these little welcome bear heads might do the trick when I can knock out 3 of them in a day from start to finish even working at a casual pace with a few breaks mixed in the day. I'll be looking to expand my ideas and designs on this smaller, more affordable. quick carve series.

 

[Ax-man]

They look good and should sell . Try making a few with just the arms an paws ,forget the knees and feet and see which ones sell better. I never made a bear with just the head but I am going to try it and see how they sell. How are you doing the mouthpart . Chainsaw or a die grinder with some type of bit?? I have always wanted to do some of my bears with that style of mouth but it never looks right .

 

[wooly]

Thanks Ax-man!
I thought about laying some paws over the edges, but then I reminded myself I was looking to do as little work as possible while still making them appealing. Like I said, I THINK I accomplished that, but really not sure what kind of a price I'll put on them yet.
I did sort of break my own rule there turning to the Dremel work for the eyes, nose and mouth. I figured as long as I had it out to dig out the holes for the marble eyes, I'd use it for the nose and mouth as well. I've done a few like that with just the saw and they didn't turn out half bad so maybe I'll start reaching for that instead to save even more time. By the time I'm done with the carving, and grinding, burning, staining, painting, and clear coating, they still take me about 2 hours a piece. Not incredibly fast compared to what I see some guys cranking out, but enough for me for one day,lol

 

[Ax-man]

Yeah, the more you can do with a saw the better off you are. You can only get so far with a saw before you have to turn to other tools. Two hours for one finished small bear carving with details and finishing is about right . I've seen quick carved bears, burned and covered with just spray paint . I myself am not impressed with what I see. Spray painted bears for me don't sell as good as a bear with a more natural finish.

Have you tried a drill bit to put in the eyes?? Just a suggestion if you can do it with your Dremel. Make an angle cut at the base of your carving and put the word welcome or just hi! in that place in smaller but readable print. I've seen this done and it looks kind of neat . I've seen this done with a wood burning tool instead of a Dremel. Just a thought because making letters with a saw isn't easy. When I try to make signs or letters the saw just jumps around too much if your working in a small space.

 

[wooly]

Just a quick update on these things. They're turning out to be a big hit believe it or not just the way they are. (armless)
I priced them at $60 or 2 for $100 on FB and can't make them fast enough to keep up with the demand. They've also brought in quite a few new customers that were turned on to some of my other completed pieces once they've seen them in person, or have placed orders for full size bears and other carvings. I'm leaving the bases blank for now as a lot of folks want them personalized with the family name instead of the "welcome" stamp.

 

[Ax-man]

Congrats, $60 is a good price . I am going to give it a go and see if armless bears sell as good as the ones with arms. It would definitely save me time.