Part Three, Shaping the shape
Rough Shape: There is a fish under the wood, hiding, waiting to be lured out and set free. But, the fish will not emerge without some coaxing and more time. There are any number of shaping resources: Band saw for rough shape of the fish form; Hand planes for shaping work. Still you will need to secure the shape to use a plane or draw knife; An angle grinder with a shaping wheel/disc work great for removing lots of material and leaving a form for sanding to shape. My preferred process for removing material quickly and leaving a shape to finish. Finish Sanding to smooth the form works well. Consider 60-120 for progressing along. No need for 220 sanding on outdoor rustic art. Cedar and redwood are too soft for real fine finishes in my opinion. If I were to make something out of oak or walnut I might consider the use of 220 grit finish. So, in preparation for shaping and final sanding, consider a couple of time-saving options. At some point in time the fish will be mounted and installed somewhere. To get there will be epoxy, varnish and some type of fin material.
Type of fin material: If you are considering a wooden fin, something I have not considered, you need to consider the weight, shape and weatherproofing of such an option. The fins need to be thin and do the job of catching a breeze to set the entire process in motion. Thin wood will be exposed to the elements and that means expansion and contraction. Perhaps a thin sheet with epoxy/fiberglass will protect the fins. That is waaay more labor and time than I want to invest in this. SO, CORRUGATED GALVANIZED SHEET METAL is my go to solution. Why? Lots of reasons. More on that later. But at this time selecting the material is needed to start some time saving steps. I purchase the material at the big box in a 40" by 92" shape. I have flattened the material before and it takes lots of pounding and it is loud. So, I purchase the material early on and lay it flat in the garage and drive over it. Then over the days I rotate and flip the material to get a flattened surface without needing to pound it to death with a deadblow mallet. It saves time on the marking of the design on the metal, cutting the metal and installing the metal. You can leave the galvy shine on, or, as I do, soak in muriatic acid and strip the galvy away, and wash down with peroxide (two cups) vinegar 4 tablespoons and salt to start the rust patina happening. More on that later.
Setting a Pivot point: I have a standing drill press and flat-bottom cutting forstner bits. Before too much material is sanded away, and leaving a flat top/dorsal part of the shape, I start to decide where to place the 3/4" EMT/conduit (from now on just EMT). The EMT is going to be placed into a corresponding hole, @3 inches deep in the underside of the shape. Then it is epoxied in to provide a point for the installation rebar to rest with a ball bearing, inside at the top. More later. The hole needs to be small enough for a tight fit of the EMT and leave room for the epoxy. The hole MUST be plumb and level. So to get to that needed point, a watchful eye on the clamping of the shape to the drill press table is required. Having it square, level and plumb is important otherwise your fish will have a list, left, right, forward or back. I like the fish to appear to be level to the ground and the rebar mounting spire level and plumb.
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The example above shows the EMT from the underside installation. The EMT is exposed @8 inches. No real reason. Rebar is not as attractive as EMT? The length appears to assist in the play/wiggle of the outside of the rebar diameter and the inner diameter of the EMT. The longer length appears to allow for free spinning so my needs are met. If the EMT is installed out of balance, the fish will always list/tilt. No doubt the weighting will favor one direction more than another no matter how precise you are on the balancing, drilling and siting of the rebar in the ground. There are just too many variables in the installation. But, if the shape is level to the ground, it is more aesthetic.
Balancing the Shape: Pretty straight forward and not scientific. Pick a fulcrum, the edge of a 2X4 and place under the shape, and balance away. Mark the balance point, invert and get the shape level and plumb on the drill press and adjust the depth of the forstner bit and that is done.
Installed Rebar and EMT: Level and Plumb. The shape is weighted pretty well and the result is a fish that moves in the wind.
Quick Recap: The glue-up and rough shape has been completed. A 3" drill site is located for the MET epoxy install. Now, back to shaping.
SANDING: I use a Delta 6" belt/12" disc combo sander to get to the desired shape. Lots of sanding is a certainty. BUT, cedar and redwood are soft so fresh sanding product and the shape is good to go. Using a dust collection system certainly aids in the process.
Next: Part Four: Epoxy and Varnish
Quick Recap: The glue-up and rough shape has been completed. A 3" drill site is located for the MET epoxy install. Now, back to shaping.
SANDING: I use a Delta 6" belt/12" disc combo sander to get to the desired shape. Lots of sanding is a certainty. BUT, cedar and redwood are soft so fresh sanding product and the shape is good to go. Using a dust collection system certainly aids in the process.
Next: Part Four: Epoxy and Varnish
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