"Tweety Bird"

It's safe to say "Tweety" is one of so many people's favorite cartoon character. He also happens to be very special to a friend's wife and will make an awesome surprise gift. You may recall my last carving, "Double Nuts," well when Brad's wife saw the carving she "hinted" about her favorite cartoon character of all times... "Tweety," and right then and there I knew a surprise gift is in order.

As with so many carvings, some appear to be simple to carve due to their shape, detail, etc. Yet, sometimes the (so called) simple carvings can be the most frustrating!. I'd say "Tweety" worked up quickly but making a couple subtle features caught me off guard. First off, I could not find a profile photo of "Tweety." As a kid I was a cartoon junkie and every Saturday morning, (just after the TV "Test Pattern" went off the screen) I was glued to the TV for a morning of cartoons with my bag of chips and Coca-Cola. As often as I watched "Tweety" get the better of "Sylvester" I can't tell you what "Tweety" looks like from the side! So I went with my "gut!"

Starting out with a piece of basswood, I begin to cut away everything that doesn't look like "Tweety!"

 

Don't let the flat spot on "Tweety's" head fool you. His head is large enough so I have plenty of wood to work with.

 

Although, that flat spot did drive me to frustration! It took longer than I thought to get his head round.

 

 But I managed!

 

His basic shape worked up quickly and now to try to work in the proper sizes of his arms, legs, etc.

 

I am (what is known as) a power-carver. I use a Mastercarver rotary tool with various burrs/bits to shape and remove wood. As such I've had a long struggle with wood grain swelling when I use water based sealers/paints. As I've learned from the Woodcarving Illustrated Forum, power carving is not a friend to wood grain. The grain is severely damaged by the cutting tools which results in far more surface smoothing than if you use a sharp carving instrument. Consequently, I've been plagued by texture problems through most of my pieces. I'm also spraying the piece with water to actually raise the grain so I can finish sand the piece again with an extremely fine sand paper/burr.

Finally, after my thirty-seventh piece since 2009, I'm actually seeing an improvement in my finish work

 

 Next we fit him to the base...

Time for sealer.

 

...and then the color.

 "Tweety" stands 5 1/2" tall without the base. He's cut out of a 3" X 3" piece of basswood.

 The "tufts" of hair on his head are strands of plastic bristles taken from my shop broom!

 

He was sealed with Minwax 209. His colors are acrylic and sealed with clear Satin Polycrylic. His eyes are sealed with clear gloss Polycrylic.

 

I tawt I taw a putty tat.

I did, I did.

I did tee a putty tat!

"Double Nuts"

Now let me explain. All of you "fly boys" (and "girls") will know what this means. Just for the record, and laymen like me, here is the source of the title: "The CAG's bird usually numbered 100 or 00."

From the Aviator Slang website

http://www.tailhook.net/AVSLANG.htm

 

(Note: the actual Phantom F4 number is #3907 on the side of the body. This is the number that will remain with the jet forever. The number "100" or "00" on the nose is referred to as "Double Nuts.")

 

I work with a Coordinator named Brad who was a Navy jet mechanic assigned to the Phantom F4, the subject of this carving. This very Phantom is one of the F4's Brad actually was assigned to. The story goes that Brad was talking to one of his Navy buddies and he came across a photo of the "100" and he sent it to Brad.

The photo became Brad's screen saver. I had two fellow co-workers secretly try to take a photo of the jet for me when Brad left his desk. However, Brad never left his desk without logging off his PC! I finally told Brad I'd like a photo of the jet to show to a friend of mine. (The photo in the upper right of all the Phantoms below is the "100.")

 

 

"Double Nuts" is a (surprise) gift to Brad for all his support and direction in my new role at Walt Disney World.

 

 I added a character in the likeness of Brad to personalize the carving. Brad has many good memories of his tour of duty and he takes his responsibilities very seriously. Yet, when you talk with him about his tour of duty with the Phantom you sense that Brad loved being part of the thrill of flying in the back seat, taxiing or working on this amazing aircraft. I pictured Brad flying "back seat" with an unmatched exhilaration, hence the "cowboy!" The "cowboy" riding his steed to the limit and holding on for the ride!

 

 

"Double Nuts" took much longer than I thought. Carving the Phantom required that I keep some sort of semblance of design and adherence to the structure of the jet. I tried to create a 1/8" scale. That worked well for the body but I lost it on the wings. I also left the wings thicker for strength rather than accuracy.

 

The "100" is carved out of basswood. The "cowboy" and the vertical stand is tupelo.

I started with a 3"X3"X12" piece of basswood. Then added the wingtips.

I did cheat just a bit. As you can see I traced the top and side views onto the basswood.

 

 

With a "copious" amount of coping. (Pardon the pun.) I ended up with a decent carving blank to begin with. 

 

 

 

 

Now to render the unique body style of the F4.

...and the "Cowboy!"



 

I completed the F4 before carving "Brad." It didn't take long to realize just how small I'd have to make "Brad" to be able to "ride" on the F4. I decided to make him large enough to straddle the body of the F4.... and that worked out just fine!

 

The Phantom unfinished.

 

You've got to have a head-on photo of the F4 to see the unique tail section of this bird.

 

 

 

 

Now for "Brad."

(Front)

 

(Rear)

 

Next "fit" "Brad" on the F4...

 

... and then finish "Brad."

Of course cowboys need "chaps!"

 

 

Now to mate the two together.

 

 You may be able to see the glued "cap" on "Brads" head. I had to make a repair due to cutting too deep into the blank with the band saw.

 

Sealed and now its paint time.

 

 "Double Nuts" is 8" long, 7" tall, and 5 1/2" wing tip to wing tip.

The wood is sealed with water base Polycrylic clear satin finish. The paint is acrylic and finished with water base Polycrylic semi-gloss.

I was somewhat intimidated and frustrated painting the numbers that were needed to make the "100" match the photo but it was worth it. I cheated by using automotive 1/8" fine line making tape to mark the upper and lower limits of the "stencils."

 

For all of you fly boys and girls, can you pick out the two design mistakes I made carving the F4 that do not match the real F4 design? I caught the mistakes during the final sanding and decided to let them go and call it "artistic license!

(Hint, it has to do with the exhausts and the vertical stabilizer.)