Chainsaw Carving School has Never Been So AFFORDABLE or SO MUCH FUN!

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When: Saturday and Sunday, June 8-9, 2013
Where: Bailey's, Woodland, California Headquarters

Thanks to customer feedback we're now offering Beginner and Advanced Carving Boot Camps. You may choose to attend one or both days. However, in order to attend the Advanced course you should have prior chainsaw carving experience (attendance at Day 1 satisfies this prerequisite).

Day 1 will be a Beginner course on carving your own "Relief" Salmon. Steve Backus and his crew of seasoned, professional chainsaw carvers will lead you and up to 5 other students step-by-step through the process of creating a beautifully realistic Alaskan King Salmon that you can proudly hang on your wall.

Day 2 will consist of Advanced training on creating and carving a large, realistic standing bear. Once again, Steve will act as the Master of Ceremonies, as pro carvers lead you and up to 5 other students through the creative process. All carvings will be shipped back home for you after the event (attendees are responsible for the cost of shipping).

You'll need to bring: Boots, eye protection, ear protection and Kevlar-lined chainsaw pants or chaps. Any necessary supplies can also be purchased ahead of time or on-site and delivered to you at the event.

You'll take home with you: An experience you'll never forget, your Salmon relief carving and/or Standing Bear carving, Husqvarna 445 Chainsaw Carving Package (optional), and two chainsaw carving DVDs.

Regarding your carving saw: Chainsaws are notoriously difficult to bring on airplanes. If you are flying to the event and already have a well-functioning carving saw with carving bar and 1/4 pitch chain, and you wish to use your saw at the event, we suggest you ship your saw to us a couple of weeks prior to your trip. If you wish to provide your own saw, the saw must be in top-notch working order. We will be happy to safely store your saw until you arrive. Unfortunately, we cannot take time from the classes in order to troubleshoot student's saws. If you are driving to the event and have your own saw, please feel free to bring your saw if it meets the criteria discussed above. We are offering a deeply discounted price to students attending the Boot Camp on our Husqvarna 445 Chainsaw Carving Package. We strongly encourage all students to take advantage of this deep discount opportunity to acquire a new, top-notch carving saw. Either way, the choice is yours!



Schedule
Day 1
Salmon Relief Carving - Beginner Course
Steve Backus leads you along with your individual group instructor on carving an Alaskan King Salmon to hang on the wall.
   
9:00 am Introduction of Instructors Opening Ceremonies, Poem by Steve Backus
  Safety, Setting Your Up Carving Area: Review eye and ear protection, chaps, the hard-hat and screen, foot wear, kick-back - its causes and how to avoid it, starting techniques
9:30 am Saw Tech Hands-On: oiling, fueling, starting, chain adjustment/tension, sharpening for carving
  Discussion: Bar oils burning and smoking, black oil and its causes (new bar, new chain, wrong gauge, hot tip, dull chain, improper sharpening or tooth conformity), avoiding purple dye, various vegetable alternatives, saw gas - the proper mix and proper oil
10:00 am Steve Backus leads you through roughing a King Salmon
  Discussion of template layout, grain effects, knots, the perils of short grain, swirls, circles, rings
Discussion of round chain, square chain, shaping the body for motion
10:30 am Start your Salmon relief carving
  Laying out the detail on the blank: Initial cuts, establishing the lines, rounding, vacating
12:00 Noon Lunch (on your own) - Bailey's will arrange for a catering truck and also supply a comprehensive list of local eating establishments within a short distance
   
1:00 pm Steve Backus instructs the group on detailing the King Salmon
  Cutting out the shape: Wooden cribs, sawing straight up and down with the top of the bar, building a carving table
1:30 pm Detailing your King Salmon: Carving edges on fins and tail, carving the eye, the teeth, the inside of the mouth, the gills, fin and tail details
  Upside-down and top rail bar work
3:30 pm The Finish: Burn, brush and oil
  The hanging groove on the back, cove-chisel to do scales, dressing the surface
4:30 pm Alternate Finishing Technique demonstrated: Painting the Fish by Steve Backus
  Painting demo, flat coat, color - natural camouflage, top and bottom spray, spots, shading, overcoat gloss/matte, bubbles in the sun and kamikaze bugs
 

 
Schedule
Day 2
Chainsaw Carve a Standing Bear - Advanced Course
The teaching style for day two will consist of the instructor demonstrating carving one aspect, i.e., ears, first, then students carving the same aspect based on what they observed and learned. Students will stop after they've finished each step and so on. Everyone will work within a small group with a 1/6 teacher ratio. Required viewing: Dennis Beach Chainsaw Carves a Bear DVD (to be supplied prior to the event).
   
9:00 am                               Safety First Review of Previous Day: Focus on KICKBACK and how to avoid it.
  Demonstrate boring with the tip of the bar, rolling the tip in, down-pressure feeding and driving the tip of the bar through the wood - sometimes called plunge cutting with students practicing technique one at a time
9:30 am See Your Carving: Sketching and blocking out a standing bear
  Discuss use of models and photos of real bears
Importance of keeping it all at 90 degrees.
Discussion of wood type (species), size, height and diameter, cracking, stress relief, grain strength and weaknesses before beginning - knots too!
Demonstrate securing the wood to keep it from moving while it's being carved
Inspection of each student set-up, confirm wood is secured
10:30 am Beginning Your Bear
  Carve a stress-relief cut in the back if heart is present
Block out bear, basic body, outline of ears, muzzle, etc...
12:00 Noon Lunch (on your own) - Bailey's will arrange for a catering truck and also supply a comprehensive list of local eating establishments within a short distance
   
1:00 pm The Face: Top of the head and muzzle
  Proceed in small steps until the entire body of the bear is carved
Teacher demonstration, student carves, teacher demonstration, student carves, etc...
When upright carving is finished, dismount the bear and lay it on its back, secure the bear
Draw in the eyes, ear holes, nostrils and claws, use of Dremel and drill for detail work
3:00 pm The Hair of the Bear: Demonstrate hair carving, including the drape and fall of animal hair
  Finish front carving, then roll it over and do the back
Hollow, angle and bevel the base
Learn to use the tip of the saw to clean up chips and slivers
4:00 pm Burn the bear, sanding back lighter areas, brush off
  Discussion: Use of finish oils to seal the bear
Discussion: Safe use of the torch, different types of wood burn differently
4:30 pm Bear Market Discussion
  Your first bear you should give to your mother, but eventually you'll want to sell your bears: Where to sell your bear, festivals, roadside chainsaw carving, websites, eBay, etc...
Quick tricks to taking good pictures (direction of light, time of day, shade versus light)
5:00 pm Graduation Ceremony: Diplomas, goodbyes, assistance with packaging and shipping of your salmon and bear (student pays actual shipping costs)
  Trade addresses, get autographs of famous chainsaw carvers

Details, details ...

  • Age limit: 18 and older
  • Student to Teacher Ratio: 6 to 1
  • Group Gear to be Supplied: Redwood or Cedar slab (King Salmon Relief) and/or blank (Standing Bear), gas, bar oil, finish oil, sanders, torch, Dremel, black spray paint, chisels, black marbles
  • Student to Bring: Boots, eye protection, ear protection, chainsaw safety chaps or pants
  • Any necessary supplies can also be purchased ahead of time or on-site and delivered to you at the event
  • Lodging is not included in the prices below, however clean comfortable motel and hotel rooms can be found in and around Woodland from $50 a night.
  • Lodging information can be found here.
  • The event cancellation policy can be found here.

Prices and Options

  • $595 - Day 1 Beginner Boot Camp: Carving a "Relief" Alaskan King Salmon (does not inlcude Husqvarna 445 Chainsaw Carving Package - student must supply carving saw, chain loops, files and any other additional maintenance supplies excluding gas and oil).
  • $895 - Day 1 Beginner Boot Camp with Husqvarna 445 Chainsaw Carving Package: Carving a "Relief" Alaskan King Salmon (inlcudes Husqvarna 445 Chainsaw Carving Package - $400 value).
  • $695 - Day 2 Advanced Boot Camp: Carving a Large Standing Bear (does not inlcude Husqvarna 445 Chainsaw Carving Package - student must supply carving saw, chain loops, files and any other additional maintenance supplies excluding gas and oil).
  • $995 - Day 2 Advanced Boot Camp with Husqvarna 445 Chainsaw Carving Package: Carving a Large Standing Bear (inlcudes Husqvarna 445 Chainsaw Carving Package - $400 value).
  • $1,195 - Day 1 & Day 2 Beginner and Advanced Boot Camps: Carving a "Relief" Alaskan King Salmon and a Large Standing Bear (does not inlcude Husqvarna 445 Chainsaw Carving Package - student must supply carving saw, chain loops, files and any other additional maintenance supplies excluding gas and oil).
  • $1,495 - Day 1 & Day 2 Beginner and Advanced Boot Camps with Husqvarna 445 Chainsaw Carving Package: Carving a "Relief" Alaskan King Salmon and a Large Standing Bear (inlcudes Husqvarna 445 Chainsaw Carving Package - $400 value).
  • *IMPORTANT NOTE: Shipping chainsaws and/or attempting to carry them on the airlines can be difficult and cumbersome. Additionally, it will be helpful for the learning experience and saw maintenance during the Boot Camp if most or all students are using the same equipment. For these reasons, we strongly urge students to take advantage of the Packages that include the Husqvarna 445 Chainsaw Carving Package (for only an additional $300, you will receive the Husqvarna 445 Package which normally sells for $400).

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