Taxidermy Habitat Stump Mold
Ever get into one of those projects where it seems to just keep growing and growing and you keep working and working and you know you are making progress, but can't really tell because it goes so slow? Say, "yes", make me feel better. These projects where everything is made from basic materials by hand can turn out to be a little slow.
I had to make a hollow armature for the actual clay sculpt of the stump to go over. Then I had to make another armature so I could make a mold to make the interior mold off of. That had to be done so the stump would have the hollow interior to make access to support wires or rods easy.
Once the interior mold was done, the sculpt was placed over that, and the actual mold for the stump was made.
The picture below is where this particular project was at a few days ago. It has been built up to thickness here and for all practical purposes could be used as a pressure mold now, but since the photo was taken, I have added four legs to the mold, and it still needs a handle incorporated into the top.
Update photo added March 29, 2006.
Real Deer Forms
Weathered Stump Taxidermy Habitat Bases
available from
Kinston, North Carolina
Phone Toll Free 1-888-527-8722
Update photo added April 10, 2006.
While I was sculpting on the stump, I had three different people stop in that all asked the same question, darn near word for word.
"What cha makin'?"
Without cracking a smile, I just nonchalantly replied, "Portable stump."
Each of the responses was darn near the same. "For deer hunting!?! For a seat? That's a great idea!!"
Well, after three in a row, I got to wondering.............maybe a portable stump isn't such a bad idea after all.
Here's a shot showing those fancy little legs I was telling you about. That's the handle that you see at the horizontal. If the same three people were to come around again.......
I could tell them that the mold was the accessory carrying case.
Update photos added April 11, 2006.
The sculpture was pulled from the mold today. The print surface was blemish free! Phew! That's the kind of stuff that the only one that worries about it is the person doing the work. Sometimes it's the little stuff that makes a person happy.
I set one of those throw-away plastic chairs on the mold to give you a better size perspective.
I was looking at the chair on top of the mold through the viewfinder on the camera and thought, "Darn, it really DOES look like it could be used for a hunting seat!"
Update photos added April 16, 2006.
Portable hole pictured below.
The portable hole gets clamped into the stump mold below. That will produce the hollow interior in the finished stump so you have access to support wires or rods.
These two pieces are getting an UPS ticket to North Carolina tomorrow!
UPDATE! May 4, 2006
The Weathered Stump is now in production!
We were able to bring it in at $39.95 as a
ready to finish piece.
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