The Dogs He Carves Look Like They Could Bark

The Dogs He Carves Look Like They Could Bark FARM HOME Novelty Items Since a photo of his wooden pit bull went viral on social media chainsaw carver Mike Jones has been bombarded with requests from people in Europe and the U S wanting carvings that look like their dogs Jones who lives in England first tried wood carving in 2013 and discovered he had a passion for it “A couple of years later I got really lucky I was trimming trees for a customer and they wanted someone to make some sculptures for them I took the opportunity with a hope and prayer and managed to make a bear for them Once I had made that they allowed me to spend another two months creating whatever they wanted for their patch of woodland and we grew from there ” Jones says His connection to the owner of a tree cutting service supplies him with the wood he needs for carvings of all sizes He’s carved a variety of soft and hardwoods but prefers to work with cedar Jones begins carvings with a chainsaw but also uses an angle grinder for sanding and rotary tool for detailing the nose mouth and life-like eyes that are hand-painted “I use a finger sander with an inch-wide belt sander for sanding the muscle and contours on pieces ” he adds Dogs can take two to five days depending on detail They are finished with stains Danish oil and preservative While that helps preserve the wood Jones says he can’t prevent it from cracking The U K carver competes in carving events throughout the country and has experience carving horses mythical creatures and African wildlife But most of his work is commissioned “I have worked for commercial clients such as local councils large businesses and even a Saudi prince But the foundation of our client base has been built on and continues to thrive with everyday people with private commissions and stump carvings in their gardens ” he says Currently he has a 6-mo lead time and is working on finding the best way to ship to the U S His popular dog carvings typically sell for between $850 and $1 500 plus shipping For information check out Jones’ website and his social media posts Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Mike Jones Man and His Dog Carvings Aldershot Hampshire U K manandhisdogcarvings@gmail com; www manandhisdogcarvings co uk

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.