Stumped: Need thoughts and ideas on large carving.

[TIADave]

Dear fellow carvewright fanatics, i'm somewhat stumped and looking for a little intellectual head start from you great folks.

I purchased a new house a few months ago and I have this prime spot to show off what our carvewright can do, I have a few ideas but I can't seem to get started. I have this pretty large recessed area above the fireplace (photo included), something needs to go in there but I can't get my head wrapped around what it should be.

The space is 3'10" wide and 11' tall and slightly arched at the top, I was thinking i'd like to do something like a 10 separate 13" tall horizontally segmented carvings done to look like wrought iron and mount them up there each one above the other to fill the space.

My plan would entail carving through 1/4" MDF (by mounting 2 pieces together and carving down slightly more than 1/4"). Then finishing each piece to look like faux wrought iron.It would sure be nice to carve it as a vector design as the time it would take would be a fraction of doing it as a raster, but I really want the look of wrought iron with the individual design having a curved top.

Either way, I know it's a huge job but I think it will be worth it if i can pull it off. If anyone has ANY thoughts that may help, i'd truly be appreciative.

Attached is the picture of the area above the fireplace, and a mock up of what i'm thinking of.

Thanks in Advance!
Dave

[seathis]

Hi Dave. Beautiful fireplace in your new home. That is absolutely the prime show off spot! You are right that it would be a huge job. I've only carved MDF once and I hated it. And I've never carved anything under 1/2". But I do like your thinking. You are filling up the entire recessed space instead of sticking a small painting up there and calling it good. But just looking at the pictures, if you do your pierced boards, you might add an accent of color behind the carving to make it stand out. Or you could add color around the space to set it apart from the walls beside it and the carvings. (BTW I have ceilings that high also and know what a bear it is to paint up near the ceiling ).

[TIADave]

Thanks for the idea, seathis. That would really make it stand out, never thought of that. MDF is not my favorite either, i'm wondering how darn flimsy each one of these will be if I use high density foam.

[fwharris]

Thanks for the idea, seathis. That would really make it stand out, never thought of that. MDF is not my favorite either, i'm wondering how darn flimsy each one of these will be if I use high density foam.

I was surprised at how well the high density foam held together...

[seathis]

I was surprised at how well the high density foam held together...

I wouldn't have even thought of that so that is good news. Sounds like foam might be something you might give a try. One of the things I personally don't like about MDF is the dense heavy weight. I don't even use it in my sleds anymore.

[chevytrucking]

How about using the CW to make an elaborate custom frame for a piece of art?

[TIADave]

How about using the CW to make an elaborate custom frame for a piece of art?

Not a bad idea chevytrucking, I do wonder how large this would have to be for it to fill up the space. Not to mention i'd probably need to commission someone to create such a large odd sized painting.

[seathis]

Or long tapestry.

[seathis]

Or a series of paintings stacked.

[jww922]

How about several small carvings in blocks and make something like a collage?