Something Different - Muniart

Woodworking is not always "building" -
                         - Sometimes it's "painting" with wood!

A few weeks ago (March, 2002) I took my first "woodworking" class, but it was more like art than woodworking. The class was taught at the studio of Raymond Muniak, located in beautiful Hinckley, Ohio, where the buzzards come each year.  (Don't tell the tourists, but most of the buzzards never leave.)  Ray appropriately calls this type of woodworking "Muniart" and has produced some fantastic art himself.  Click on the picture to go to his website.

 

The elephant is produced by starting with a flat board and a Foredom, Dremel, or Wizard tool with a small sanding drum attachment.  Simply follow the pattern making lots of sawdust in the "blue" pine and eventually you'll have elephant ears.  Taking another smaller board and following the same process leads to eyes and a more pronounced face.

 

The next operation is the same, resulting in the trunk.  These are aligned and glued together.  Then a little more sanding to blend the three pieces and you have an elephant.

 

Oh, I almost forgot the ivory tusks.  These are formed in the same way after Ray does some magic tricks on his bandsaw to produce the rough shape.  The wood is American Holly, the whitest wood available and very hard.  The two pieces are sanded to fit in holes drilled in the main assembly.

 

A little (no, a lot) more hand sanding followed by a can of Deft finish, and the elephant is ready to be mounted.

 

I'm not sure I'd want this to be my only woodworking style, mostly because I'm not an artist, but for a day at a time it's thoroughly enjoyable.  I recommend everyone try it at least once.