Big Epp Posted March 30, 2022 Report Share Posted March 30, 2022 What is your preferred method for carving scales? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverSmallieGuy Posted March 30, 2022 Report Share Posted March 30, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Epp Posted April 19, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2022 I did this with a dremel and a cone shaped stone. It's more impressionistic, but I like it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverSmallieGuy Posted April 19, 2022 Report Share Posted April 19, 2022 I have never seen any scales done with a Dremel, but that looks fantastic! Is that redwood cedar, that wood color looks insanely red! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Epp Posted April 19, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2022 Thanks, I was really happy with how it turned out! I've not done much detail carving before, but I'm trying to get more into it as well as making some swimbaits (big, little, in-between). I've made patterns for 5" crappie and bluegill, 8" smallmouth, 10" walleye, and a 2" topminnow. The wood is California redwood I got doing a demo job on an old kit house. I'm excited to have it, as it's basically impossible to get any out here. It carves like butter and floatslike crazy. It's so pretty I'll probably make several with no paint. They look kinda folkartish that way... In the picture it's got a coat of miwax wood hardener. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverSmallieGuy Posted April 19, 2022 Report Share Posted April 19, 2022 I agree! If you watch Nate Marling's (Marling Baits) really detailed swimbait videos on YouTube (such as the Big Detailed Shad swimbait, the longear sunfish, the rock bass, the gnarly bluegill, and others you can learn a lot from him. He makes art, he really does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Epp Posted April 19, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2022 He does some crazy work! I've been reading a lot of books on carving birds and decoys, and will probably integrate some techniques used to do feathers into fish carving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverSmallieGuy Posted April 19, 2022 Report Share Posted April 19, 2022 5 minutes ago, Big Epp said: He does some crazy work! I've been reading a lot of books on carving birds and decoys, and will probably integrate some techniques used to do feathers into fish carving. Yep! There are some guys on here that are really good too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted April 19, 2022 Report Share Posted April 19, 2022 (edited) I follow the typical routine described in most fish carving books as pretty standard in the few books I have. One doesn't have to go crazy but a Bob Berry book about all one would need. I have several others and James Fliger's details how to do pencil scales pretty good. I think if I were to really add scales often then would burn them most likely. Ed Walicki's site was the one I used to look at buying stuff from but available various places. Edited April 19, 2022 by Travis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flaswimbaiter Posted May 2, 2022 Report Share Posted May 2, 2022 I hate scales, I have tried different techniques and I am never happy with the outcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Epp Posted May 3, 2022 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2022 23 hours ago, Flaswimbaiter said: I hate scales, I have tried different techniques and I am never happy with the outcome. I get that. It's definitely easier to use the ol' airbrush and some mesh. I talked with an old timer who carves fish, not lures, but decorative fish. He uses a gouge. I tried that, and it's pretty straightforward. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimb8s Posted May 4, 2022 Report Share Posted May 4, 2022 I like the scales you have done with the dremel , folk art like . Dremels are amazing tools . Mostly I have drawn and hand carved my scales with exacto or similar blade , I am going to try a couple different things this weekend and post results 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
