A new job that I am working on is a family coat of arms. This is a design that is very detailed – a lot of intricate carving. It is in basswood because it will be painted. I glued it onto a plywood board for stability – the outside edge of the panel is 18″ x 21″.
This will be positioned outside – fully in the weather, so I proposed to my client to make a resin casting of the carving. The original wood one can stay inside somewhere – protected from the elements. And the resin casting can be the one displayed outside. As long as the paint is UV safe, the resin will survive much better than the wood – especially here in South Carolina. Then if you want more copies of the carving, you can just use the mold and make as many copies as you want. In fact, my client wants to have a couple extras for Christmas presents for her family.
It may not be a “purist” way of woodcarving, but it will make it last a lot longer! And anyway, the original woodcarving can be enjoyed inside the house.