# The Woodlot Incident



## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

Phew! My latest project is finally done after working on it for 51 days and over 140 hours. I told you in my teasers that this one has a surprise and hopefully you won't be disappointed. Now you'll finally know what the outhouse and those mechanics is all about.

And, of course, there is a PDF attached or those wanting to see more photos and understand how it was made. This project took a lot of intense small detail work but I'm happy with the result and hope you enjoy it too.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Holy sh*t!!!

Oliver...I'm speechless :surprise:

Now that I've gotten back up off the floor, did you use Fimo for the modeling (Bert and Bob)?


----------



## Eastjack (Dec 29, 2008)

Love it!


----------



## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

Gobsmacked! that is awesome. You definately got a funny bone somewhere in your body Oliver.


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Beyond words, Oliver. Be hard to beat that one, and worth every minute you put into it. Just fantastic.

Herb


----------



## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Really really cool Ollie. Painting alone would have tried my patience.

HJ


----------



## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Oliver you are an outstanding artist, great work, love it.


----------



## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

DaninVan said:


> Now that I've gotten back up off the floor, did you use Fimo for the modeling (Bert and Bob)?


I used SuperSculpey for the figures and a combination of Sculpey and Milliput for the tree. SuperSculpey (like FIMO) is a heat-hardening polymer clay and Milliput is a two-part self hardening modeling compound. There are more details about the sculpting process for Bert and Bob in the PDF.


----------



## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

Simply outside the realm of my imagination! Well conceived and executed . . . Clever just doesn't begin to describe!


----------



## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

You're in a league of your own Oliver!


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Surprised...? Understatnement...!

Unfreakin-believable...you have got to turn off your idea generator or it will explode in a puff of purple smoke like the commercial... 

Outstanding...


----------



## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

As always Oliver, you defy description. Extremely awesome. Not enough adjectives to express your work.


----------



## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Oliver - it was well worth the wait for me - thanks and a great job.


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

DaninVan said:


> Holy sh*t!!!
> 
> Oliver...I'm speechless :surprise:
> 
> Now that I've gotten back up off the floor, did you use Fimo for the modeling (Bert and Bob)?


thanks for taking care of the compliments..


----------



## billyjim (Feb 11, 2012)

Oliver this is totally awesome. The detail in this is unbelievable. You are blessed to have so much creative genius to dream up these projects PLUS the extraordinary skill required to execute them. My hat is off to you.


----------



## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Oliver you make me feel [as they say] uncomfortable. You are so good and I am so bad. :crying:

I laughed so hard when that tree fell.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Truly neat Oliver.


----------



## BrianS (Nov 7, 2004)

Oliver, I have no words.... truly outstanding!!


----------



## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

You are Amazing Oliver.


----------



## Geevesmac (Jul 15, 2014)

Absolutely superb Oliver. I doubt I could do the outhouse in 140 hours (if at all) !


----------



## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Excellent both above and below the surface, Oliver. Your attention to the small details adds a lot. The 'rusty' roof and floor boards are very convincing. I assume that adjusting the linkages for the mechanism can be finicky work.


----------



## schnewj (Nov 18, 2013)

As usual, you have not disappointed me. Fantastic job!


----------



## N'awlins77 (Feb 25, 2011)

Another - WOW - Oliver!!


----------



## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

OK, so what was your inspiration? What caused you to dream this up? You know, you don't think like the rest of us . . .


----------



## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

I think this is a great combination of art, woodworking and engineering all in one. Great work. Have you considered using a branch for the tree? or is it not possible because of the mechanics.


----------



## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

Danman1957 said:


> I think this is a great combination of art, woodworking and engineering all in one. Great work. Have you considered using a branch for the tree? or is it not possible because of the mechanics.


Yes, Dan, I originally thought about using a twig or small branch for the tree but the need for it to be hinged and controlled required a different approach. The pdf shows you how it was constructed and the engineering needed to make it work. The other issue was that the tree needed a certain amount of weight on one side to make it fall correctly. Here's a look at the hinge system.


----------



## Jerry Bowen (Jun 25, 2011)

Members of the forum, no doubt we have a genius among us, there are just no words oliver to describe how pleased we are to have the pleasure of having you as part of this forum, partly and first of all, because of you just being you, and secondly being prevliged to be able to view your unusual and outstanding work.

Jerry


----------



## chuckgray (Aug 2, 2015)

Ingenious! Your creativity knows no bounds.


----------



## old coasty (Aug 15, 2014)

I wish I knew how to complement you for all the things you produce. It seems each one is better than the last fantastic one.


----------



## Potowner1 (Feb 17, 2011)

Outstanding Oliver. You are a real Renaissance Man.

Maybe the next one can be a 2 holer. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

My wife wants a creativity transplant. Laughed out loud. Great project, wonderful engineering. Seems like the kind of design that wakes you up in the middle of the night. Love it.


----------



## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

DesertRatTom said:


> My wife wants a creativity transplant. Laughed out loud. Great project, wonderful engineering. Seems like the kind of design that wakes you up in the middle of the night. Love it.


Yes, Tom, this project is one that definitely woke me up in the middle of the night. I guess because the brain is thinking about it so intensely during the day that it doesn't quit at night.

As I explained in the pdf, Bob & Bert's sign was not part of the original design it came at the end of the project. It popped into my head as I was trying to sleep one night while the problem of keeping the front of the outhouse from falling too far open bounced around in my brain. (Lots of empty space in there for that ... kinda like the old Pong game.)

After giving my brain a high five for the idea of the sign, it quickly responded with the addition of the paint bucket and crossing out of Bob's name — which I found so amusing I laughed out loud. With that it was easy to drop off to sleep with the anticipation of working on a perfect addition to the project in the morning. :dance3:


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I'm totally beside myself in bewilderment over this . I really didn't think you could have out done "The Brain" one you built , but you managed .
I can't get over the detail . You should be working in Hollywood


----------



## firstmuller (Aug 28, 2014)

what more is there to say. your are very talented.
Allen


----------



## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Amazing indeed Oliver. Really appreciated the lead ins that kept us all speculating on the final item. Well done. 

A stroke of genius. 

Thanks again.


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Waking up at night with an inspiration happens to me about writing fairly often, so I know what you experience. Sometimes I wind up getting my netbook out to capture the inspiration, and I also have a little notebook to record ideas and insights. Sometimes I have to get up and work on something for several hours. The more you create, the creative brain cells start firing. A hand cranked, gear driven cam mechanism like that, particularly one the automatically resets, is not something an ordinary mind is set up to create.


----------



## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Words fail me. Genuine genius come too mind though.


----------



## Dejure (Jul 27, 2009)

That's wonderful!


----------

