# turtle



## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

Its turtle breeding season on the island. Its great to see them actually increasing in numbers.
Theres a sanctuary about an hour away that protects the turtle nests, and excavates them and hatches the eggs in ideal conditions. I've been several times with the grandkids to release the baby turtles. They are so small that when I hold one with the first two fingers underneath and a thumb on top, the flippers scrape both my fingers. Currently only one in nine hundred make it back to breed.

So I made a box. About 9 inch long, 3 inch high. beech with a walnut shell (hah!)


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I love it, that is so cute, I know several people that would go nuts over that, I might have to copy that idea, can't help it, don't be mad.

You did an excellent job ,as usual.
Herb


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

That is nice. At first glance I thought it was based on Great A'Tuin, but then realized not. Very nice.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

That’s very nice Bob . Walnut certainly has a beautiful finish when stained


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## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

Outstanding!


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

Theo, I'm very familiar with the great A'Tuin. I have over a dozen of his books, one of them personally signed.
I did think about adding elephants, but I'm not that good a carver.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

sunnybob said:


> Theo, I'm very familiar with the great A'Tuin. I have over a dozen of his books, one of them personally signed.
> I did think about adding elephants, but I'm not that good a carver.


I had about all of them, but passing them on the my grand-daughter. None autographed tho. 

Let me think on the elephinks, seems to me I have a solution to that floating around somewhere in my brain. I used to read a tremendous amount, from the time I could read, up to about 40s. Amazing some of the subjects I read, and people sometimes think I'm a smartass because every once in awhile some obscure subject will pop up in my mind, and I'll spout it out. And it seems to me there is some sort of answer to carving elefinks. I'll let you know if I figure it out.


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## Grangur (Apr 27, 2018)

Hey Bob, it must be so amazing to get up close to the turtles and hold the young.

Your box looks really good too. I'm just starting out on this hobby. It very tempting to "borrow" this as inspiration. I hope you don't mind. Thank you for posting this.


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## Grangur (Apr 27, 2018)

I've just been thinking about how you'd make the turtle box and it seems to me this could be quite tricky. Please can you tell me how you would go about making the top?
It seems to me the top is very small to have it clamped in place and have a plunge router go around this. So was this done on a table router? 
Did you do the circle with a circle template?
Sorry for these basic questions.


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## Garyk (Dec 29, 2011)

Nice work. I made a turtle mirror once for a child's bedroom. Had a hard time getting a shop to cut an oval shaped mirror for it. All could do a round one but not the oval.


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Beautiful design, Bob. I'll give you an A+.


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

Grangur said:


> I've just been thinking about how you'd make the turtle box and it seems to me this could be quite tricky. Please can you tell me how you would go about making the top?
> It seems to me the top is very small to have it clamped in place and have a plunge router go around this. So was this done on a table router?
> Did you do the circle with a circle template?
> Sorry for these basic questions.


 Richard, questions are how we all learn, never be afraid to ask one.
I found a box on the web that had the turtle standing on one flipper and its tail with drawers across the body. i didnt want to make that but I loosely copied the outer shape onto the beech.

The box itself is cut freehand on the bandsaw, including the internal hole. It is NOT an exact circle by a long chalk.
Then I glue a base on and shape that all round to fit the sides.

Regarding the top rebate, its simple, I cheat.:surprise:

I get a 3 mm thick piece of walnut and hand sand it to be a sliding fit inside the hole. Then I make the main lid from 10 mm thick walnut, sanded around the edges on a belt sander and then finished with hand sanding.
Then... and then..... I glue them together !

By carefully calculating the depth plus the thin piece plus 1 mm... Oh hell, I cannot tell a lie.
I just use bits of wood that keep the thin piece just above the top rim of the box. Smear glue over the top of it and set the top shell in exactly the position i want it. Rest a 3lb club hammer on top for an hour, and its done.

I use an awful lot of sandpaper.:grin::grin:


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Now that I know all your secrets It will be a lot easier to do. :grin::grin:

I do a lot of sanding too. Some people like to sharpen chisels, I prefer sanding.

Herb


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

I spent most of my working life and quite a bit of my free time working with metal. I always enjoyed filing a shape. never been much good with measurements, but I can make two pieces fit together even if it does take a days filing or sanding.

I'm in my "animal" period at the moment, got a piggy bank box almost finished. i think I need to start signing them. (lol)


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Bob, this is not what I was thinking of. But it looks quite doable for making an elefink. You can always sand it round later. Looks like sufficient info to duplicate these. https://www.thibautmalet.com/muzo


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## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

Way to small for my big arthritic fingers I'm afraid. Plus I have a low patience threshold, so its a toss up whether I would get bored or cramped first with those.


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## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

Bob Nice Project. I think it would be neat to be there when the babies are released into the ocean.


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## Grangur (Apr 27, 2018)

Many thanks, Bob.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

sunnybob said:


> Way to small for my big arthritic fingers I'm afraid. Plus I have a low patience threshold, so its a toss up whether I would get bored or cramped first with those.


No problem. Just make them large. 

I want pictures of your piggy bank.


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