Wooden Bird

3D wooden bird without the long tedious process of carving! Can be made in around 2-3 hours, makes a perfect gift for anybody. Perfect gift to impress the ladies (results not guaranteed).

Required: Bandsaw/scroll saw (coping saw may work), sandpaper, and wood(duh)

Optional but very handy: Belt sander, power hand sander, rotary sander

Other(some not required): glue, wood finish, drill, metal rod, welding machine

What I love about this project is that it uses very little wood and scraps can be used up.

If you're inexperienced/nervous using a softwood like 2x4 wood will make things a little easier.

I will be using oak and walnut glued together for a cool contrasting design. For the size I'm making the wood must be at least 1.5" x 2" and 5" long.

I first made this using carving pattern I found on pinterest from a carving magazine issue(this design is not mine the original creator is on the layout picture) all credit goes to the original author Jeff Rechin(an amazing carver I may add).

There are other bird carving patterns on the internet and from wildfowl carving so if you'd like to try a different design there are plenty of options available.

For the size of wood I'm using(1.5" x 2" and 5" long) the picture needs to be formatted/printed to the size of 5.65" x 4.27"(If your wood is exactly 1.5" thick make the picture a little smaller),

if you're nervous or if it's your first time, make the picture smaller it will give you more room for error when cutting and make the process slightly easier, but will also yield a smaller bird, print out multiple sizes if you're unsure.

I used a glue stick and tape to attach the template to the wood for cutting.

If you have carving experience you can cut the rough shape out and then carve the fine details(I won't be doing that because I am terrible at carving!).

I got the design from here: https://www.wildfowl-carving.com/Demonstrations/Grounded-A-Northern-Flicker

Pinterest link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/410531322269205707/

Again this design is not mine and belongs to wildfowl carving magazine and Jeff Rechin

If you're using a bandsaw like me, you must have a scrolling blade or a thin blade. Other blades will work but will be a lot harder and and create worse results. I always cut the top first because there's more room, try to do the whole cut in one go because you have to make a sort of sandwich to cut the other side.

I usually hold the cut wood together with tape then cut the other side of the bird (see pictures).

Use caution on these steps! Cutting small pieces can be dangerous so watch your fingers as you go. Remember no project is worth any of your fingers!

When you get done cutting you may notice the bird looks real strange, the head is big and wide so sand it away!

I use the curve on my belt sander for quick results, a power sander will work(use aggressive grit sandpaper), if you use hand tools use very aggressive sandpaper or a file.

Sand until the head looks better and more natural. Once you're done shaping it, start sanding those cutting marks away, and pay attention to the beak, a bad beak can make the whole project look bad.

If you're using a belt sander be careful! keep a firm grip on the workpiece and watch your arms and fingers.

Sand up to the usual 220 grit(make sure you've removed all the saw cutting marks). I use danish oil because I think it's a good all purpose finish but just about any finish will do.

The next steps of adding legs are optional so if you like the bird as is you're already done!

This is a picture of the first bird I ever made, I ended up using some scrap wire to make some metal feet. I folded it into a sort of "T" shape and drilled small holes for them to slip into and I used epoxy to secure them in those holes(superglue works too).

I have no idea of the length of wire I used so you'll have to guesstimate and maybe make multiple.

This is the easiest way of adding legs but not exactly the most visually appealing/realistic.

Note: I usually eyeball the location of the the legs, just make sure the legs will be in a good spot(balance and appearance) before drilling your holes.

A step up from the folded wire of the previous option but not as complicated as the next option.

If you're new to welding maybe try this instead of the next option because this way is easier and uses less metal rod (in case you mess up).

As for the material I had some old 3/32" welding rod that was crumbling so I cleaned the flux off and cut pieces to make the "T" legs.

You can buy metal rod in many sizes/thicknesses if you don't have some scrap laying around. As for size, just eyeball it for the size of your bird, if anything overestimate because you can always cut it shorter.

Drill holes for the size of metal rod you used.

As always: Be careful using welding equipment! Wear proper PPE (helmet, gloves, jacket, boots). You can be burned or shocked if careless.

This is my usual way of making feet/legs, it's definitely not the easiest. I don't recommend trying this method with a stick welder there's too many small parts and will be very easy to mess up. I recommend a wire feed welder like the one I'm using or a TIG welder if you have one. You'll need some metal rod just like the last option but you'll have to do much more cutting.

If you're doing the size bird I'm making: I cut the metal into the pieces for the feet: 1 inch(2) and 1/2"(4), fold the 1 inch piece into the "V" shape pictured and arrange them as pictured and weld them very carefully(small tacks). (Tip: aim your welding gun straight down that way the wire won't push the small pieces around as much)

Then, cut 1.25" pieces(2) for the legs and carefully tack them to the feet. Use a pliers or even the ground clamp to hold the leg to the feet to weld them together.

Drill holes for the size of metal rod you used(again, I just eyeball the location but check appearance before you drill).

Be careful using welding equipment! Wear proper PPE (helmet, gloves, jacket, boots). You can be burned or shocked if careless.

I've used epoxy before for the legs but now I just use superglue because of its ease of use. Be careful with your glue you don't want to get any on your nice finished bird.

(You will inevitably get some spill over glue from the holes you drilled you can try to clean it with a q-tip or something or you may just leave it if it's a small amount).

Once your glue has cured your bird is now completely done! This is a hard project so don't be afraid of messing up, I personally have messed up many times duplicating this project(especially the welding part!) But let me tell you, every time I redo it, it get slightly easier and the end result looks better.

Closing statement: The first bird I made(pictured in step 6), wasn't the greatest but I actually made for a girl I liked in an effort to have her as a prom date(I didn't get the girl) so I no longer have the original bird, but the important thing is I never gave up.

Life can be tough sometimes, but getting up and continuing is the best thing to do! You will fail(especially at this project like myself in the past) but learning from those failures and trying again will lead to better birds :)