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IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: taxi1 on Oct 26, 2007, 10:18 PM

Title: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: taxi1 on Oct 26, 2007, 10:18 PM
Just completed this ice fishing scene for a customer. Still needs a little tweeking but is essentially complete. There is a glass case that sits on top of this.

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/icescene012.jpg)

Another angle

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/icescene016-1.jpg)

And another angle

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/icescene024.jpg)

Close up of chewing tabbaco container.

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/icescene021-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: zamboni on Oct 26, 2007, 10:32 PM
THAT IS AWESOME!!!! VERY GOOD JOB
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: tipup57 on Oct 26, 2007, 11:24 PM
Thats a nice peace of art. What did you use for the snow? It looks so real.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: frozencanuck on Oct 27, 2007, 12:07 AM
That is some serious talent.  Awesome job.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: taxi1 on Oct 27, 2007, 04:38 AM
That is some serious talent.  Awesome job.

Not really. It's actually quite easy to put together.

See pics below:

First step: Black felt on the base area where the ice will be. Notice I had to piece several strips together. Local store didn't have the rolls they usually do, so I had to make due with pieces. Hot glued the edges of the pieces down. Seams weren't even visible in the final scene. You could skip the felt by using black Plexiglas if you can find it, or paint the base black instead. However due to the pattern of the particle board, I wasn't sure if the painting would cover it. I believe it would though.

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/icescene002.jpg)

Step two: Clear Plexiglas put down over the felt, and a bead of silicone put in where the edge meets the wood.

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/icescene006.jpg)

Clear silicone caulking used to make ice and snow for the scene.

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/icescene005.jpg)

Step three:

Crushed white foam is added to the silicone to make the ice and snow. I mix it in an ice cream gallon container. No set mixing ratio. Less foam for more icy look. More foam for a more slushy snowy look.  Mix with tongue depressor or paint stick. Used four tubes on this piece but need to do some more tweeking tomorrow with one more tube of silicone caulk mixed with white crushed foam. I want to increase the thickness in some areas and add some lumps to the ice.

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/icescene009.jpg)

Step four: Mix is spread on with spatula or in this case an old car window scraper. ;D Note the Clorox bottle is set in place where the ice fishing hole will be. I smeared vaseline on the bottom edge of the bottle to keep the silicone mix from sticking to the bottle.

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/icescene008.jpg)

Completed scene for the most part that needs some tweeking tomorrow. Notice how the dark Plexiglas shows through in some areas just like dark ice. Tip up was cut short and the remaining end was glued to the Plexiglas with five minute epoxy. The crossbar of the tip up was also pushed into the silicone mix. Flag was epoxied in place to keep it from popping up in the glass case. I embedded an icefishing depth check weight and some hooks and sinker (not shown). Also note the chewing tobacco container which has the lid superglued. Anything you want on the simulated ice scene simply has to be pushed in a little and it's there to stay. Same goes for the fish. I will come back tomorrow and pour some automotive clearcoat in the hole to make it look wet, if I find out by testing on something else, it won't attack any of the materials. I have used environtex for this previously, but don't like the stuff. I've had it yellow on me. Probably what I purchased had been on the shelf too long.

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/icescene024.jpg)

I prefer working with this material vs. fiberglass resin as it never yellows and is not as dangerous as resin. (I absolutely loath the fumes from resin too.) With some experimentation you can do some neat things with this stuff. You could add boot prints etc.

Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: taxi1 on Oct 27, 2007, 04:42 AM
Thats a nice peace of art. What did you use for the snow? It looks so real.

Clear silicone caulking and crushed white foam. See above.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: Mainehazmt on Oct 27, 2007, 06:01 AM
that is one sweet job!
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: ifishhi on Oct 27, 2007, 07:04 AM
great one more thing to add to my list..... :laugh:

 that looks really good , nice work :tipup: :tipup:
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: BlueDuck on Oct 27, 2007, 08:26 AM
Great idea.  Looks good.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: rvz on Oct 27, 2007, 08:36 AM
That is one great looking project.  Your customer should be VERY happy.  Certainly not your "typical" mount!
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: iceenut on Oct 27, 2007, 09:08 AM
That is a great mount, very unique. :tipup:
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: icejunky on Oct 27, 2007, 09:11 AM
thats a grat idea, it would look great with a mess of gills or perch, as well as the large bass or pike
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: taxi1 on Oct 27, 2007, 10:23 AM
thats a grat idea, it would look great with a mess of gills or perch, as well as the large bass or pike

Like this coffee table I did?   ;D

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/longview.jpg)
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: 1KING SALMON on Oct 27, 2007, 11:23 AM
excellent ideas and mounts.  The mounts bring you back in time... Great job!!!
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: jayswimmer09 on Oct 27, 2007, 11:55 AM
this work is amazing!!!! great job!!
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: Mainehazmt on Oct 27, 2007, 11:57 AM
kinda like real   esp for perch   now have an eagle come flying in to get em!  lol
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: RLWagner on Oct 27, 2007, 11:58 AM
I have a pair of steelhead that the wife and I caught, and twenty miutes afte getting them home and locking them into the bedroom while we went out to run an errand, the dog got into the room and ate some pieces of the,. You have just given me a great idea to camo the defects, and to display the fish in a coffee table ice fishing display!!!! Thank you a ton. I would have had them fixed, but with over 30 mounts on the walls already, the wife and I had a tough time justifying the cost. But not anymore. Great job and thank you a ton!!!!

RL
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: zamboni on Oct 27, 2007, 01:04 PM
Ok- now the real question- how much was the coffee table? That things awesome
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: jacksmelt71 on Oct 27, 2007, 03:48 PM
that would look awesome w/ a nice colorfull brookie on there also! great job man! shows you take pride in your work. what do you charge for the tipup one?
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: shrub on Oct 27, 2007, 05:09 PM
thats sweet. is a tin if dip your trademark?
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: taxi1 on Oct 27, 2007, 07:26 PM
Ok- now the real question- how much was the coffee table? That things awesome


I sold it for $300.00 because I got tired of looking at it and felt I had improved my work enough that I could have painted them better.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: Baxter1 on Oct 27, 2007, 07:58 PM
They are neat. Good job
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: fish_finder on Oct 28, 2007, 01:16 AM
Thats pretty sweet....looks awesome, good job!!
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: bear on Oct 28, 2007, 09:26 AM
Those are very nice. Great job.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: vermonner on Oct 28, 2007, 09:43 AM
Absolutely amazing mounts.  The ice fishing theme really sets them apart.  I've never seen one like it.  I'm sure your customer will be really happy
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: deadsmelthead on Oct 28, 2007, 11:30 AM
Some of the best art work I have seen, thanks for sharing.

 Everything has such great detail except for one thing... All those cans of chew and no brown spots in the snow and ice.

p.s. I am packing my cheek with some Grizzly as you read this.  ;D
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: dabber-doo on Oct 28, 2007, 12:04 PM
Like this coffee table I did?   ;D

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/longview.jpg)
I want one!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: Sven936 on Oct 28, 2007, 11:15 PM
That is awsome idea!!!    Really nice work!!!
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: original_iceman on Oct 29, 2007, 10:14 AM
All I have to say is...  WOW does he ever have an amazing talent!!!  I would buy one of those mounts in a heartbeat!!
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: rich81 on Oct 29, 2007, 10:29 AM
excellent work and really good idea
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: adkRoy on Oct 29, 2007, 10:54 AM
You have real artistic talent.  :clap: :clap: :bow: :bow:
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: taxi1 on Oct 29, 2007, 01:06 PM
Here's the final tweaked version (side view).  I replaced the chew tobacco container with a minnow bucket dipnet which is more appropriate.

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/icescene033.jpg)

Here is a view from the top:

(http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a169/CecilBaird1/icescene034.jpg)

BTW this fish is actually a lighter green and had gold scale tips dorsally. Not sure why it looks more brownish and darker. Tried flash and no flash. No difference.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: saranacjoe on Oct 29, 2007, 01:35 PM
Great job!!!!!!!!!   :clap: :thumbsup: :clap: :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: Water Wolf on Oct 29, 2007, 02:19 PM
WOW, way to go taxidermist those are some awesome and very unique fish mounts you have created. Very good Job. (http://bestsmileys.com/thumbs/7.gif)

The black felt does defiantly give the illusion of black ice, and I do also like the minnow dipnet better than the tobacco container. :)

I have seen a below the ice mounts before but never above the ice.
Keep the neat mounts comming. :tipup:

WW

Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: Fish_Tko on Oct 29, 2007, 02:27 PM
Taxi 1. You also did that scene of gills from Pelican lake, NE didn't you? the one that sat up there @ sweeney's. i thought that was one of the neatest ones, expecially since they gills were so big.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: esox13 on Oct 29, 2007, 05:03 PM
that is real talent - great job. If you ever start to mass sell them let everyone know.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: taxi1 on Oct 29, 2007, 05:11 PM
Taxi 1. You also did that scene of gills from Pelican lake, NE didn't you? the one that sat up there @ sweeney's. i thought that was one of the neatest ones, expecially since they gills were so big.

Yes I did. On a funny note one of those fish had part of it's tail missing. Since it was a pile of bluegill on the ice I just layed a bluegill on top of it's tail. Had one guy that has some personality issues come into the store when I was there accuse me of trying to cover it up as he could see the tail if he crouched down low and looked really hard. He was almost yelling at me. I still haven't figured that one out.  ;D
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: zamboni on Oct 29, 2007, 11:30 PM
Here's the final tweaked version (side view).  I replaced the chew tobacco container with a minnow bucket dipnet which is more appropriate.



You're right, everyone knows, the dip can is kept in the pocket, that things like a hockey puck and will just find the hole if on the ice  ;D
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: taxi1 on Oct 30, 2007, 06:50 AM

You're right, everyone knows, the dip can is kept in the pocket, that things like a hockey puck and will just find the hole if on the ice  ;D


Got a criticism from another taxidermist that in reality the fish and the net would not be that close to the hole. I told him that is true but if I made the base 4 feet wide it would overpower the fish!
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: adkRoy on Oct 30, 2007, 07:08 AM
Got a criticism from another taxidermists that in reality the fish and the net would not be that close to the hole. I told him that is true but if I made the base 4 feet wide it would overpower the fish!

Tell them to stick it up their.... ;)
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: RLWagner on Oct 30, 2007, 07:57 AM
Got a criticism from another taxidermists that in reality the fish and the net would not be that close to the hole. I told him that is true but if I made the base 4 feet wide it would overpower the fish!

That was jealousy talking. Keep up the fine work!!!
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: vermonner on Oct 30, 2007, 08:37 AM
Got a criticism from another taxidermists that in reality the fish and the net would not be that close to the hole. I told him that is true but if I made the base 4 feet wide it would overpower the fish!
Some people love to run down other's work.  He's probably not as good as you are.  The best defense is to ask them "is that what you did when you did one of these mounts?"  Then you can establish that they are not talking from experience and you can    (ahem) politely remind them that they aren't speaking from experience but rather offering an unsolicited opinion.  Keep up the great work
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: RLWagner on Oct 30, 2007, 05:28 PM
Great suggestion Vermonner!! ;)
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: Bassfishin1983 on Nov 03, 2007, 02:30 PM
That is one awsome job. Maybe some day when i have some more fish mounted i will get ahold of yea. Those mounts are great and scene brings you back to the time you cuaght the fish and many more memorys. Great Job.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: taxi1 on Nov 03, 2007, 07:43 PM
Thank you all for your kind words.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: pikemaster789 on Nov 04, 2007, 06:13 PM
those are amazing! I love them. Great job tax
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: scavengerj on Nov 05, 2007, 12:01 PM
Great job!
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: hardh2ofish on Nov 25, 2007, 09:12 AM
Great looking work.  Loved the coffee table you did with our local Ne gills,  that was  a really cool scene.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: frostyicecold on Nov 25, 2007, 05:48 PM
Those are awesome.  :o
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: Kodiakman on Nov 25, 2007, 06:21 PM
Wow!  That looks really cool!  Pun intended.   ;)
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: purduebass on Nov 25, 2007, 11:46 PM
WOW!!!  :o That is an amazing job!!!  Keep up the nice work.
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: pikeking on Nov 26, 2007, 01:06 AM
That is some fine work of art. I was wondering how much time and cost goes into something like that? And how much something like that would cost? I have a pike and bass in the freezer because I can't figure out what to do with them. I was thinking something like the pike chasing the bass into some weeds.(((((FLAG))))) :tipup:
Title: Re: Ice fishing scene for customer
Post by: fishfinder24 on Nov 26, 2007, 07:45 AM
My wife is gonna love this.  Another idea for my den.