However, I was able to spend some time doing research on how to make the carousel animals go up and down as well as going around. The good news is that is easier than I thought it was going to be. Easy might be a relative term here, but it appears that I was overthinking the process. That had been causing me a bit of anxiety. I think that I had hit a point that I was slowing down on the project because I was not sure how the next part was going to work. Now I am much more enthusiastic about getting the last animal finished and moving on to the next segment.
The rabbit needs a few more coats of paper mâché, and then its double coat of fur to be completed. The tiger still needs its tail. I have been working applying paper mâché on the tail while working on the rabbit. Once all of that is complete (hopefully this week) they will join the other animals in the next phase.
Before the animals are sanded, I have to drill holes for the poles to go through the animals. Before I did that, I needed to know just how the mechanism was going to work so I would know how large the holes had to be, hence my research this week on how the mechanism was going to work. Once the holes are drilled, the edges of the holes need to be sealed, because paper mâché tends to fray around an area that has been cut. Then it is on to sanding the pieces that need sanding. The animals with the cotton fur on them will not need to be sanded.
After sanding, the following phase will be to add decorations, saddles, bridles, and reins to the animals. These will all be made from clay. I like to experiment, so I will be trying another clay recipe when I get to that part. The animals are small, so I don't expect that to take as long as it took to make the animals.
From there, it will be a matter of making the platform for the animals and attaching it to the mechanism for making it spin and go up and down. The final step would be to figure out how I am going to cover all of the mechanical workings. I already have some ideas for that. What I have not yet figured out is how to do it and have an opening to reach the on/off switch. If it is remote control, there will need to be able to "see" the beam. If it a simple on/off switch, it will have to have an opening for access or be wired to the box covering the motor mechanism. (I have no plans for something that can be turned on using a phone.) I will work out the details as I get there. At this point, I don't know exactly what the covering will look like, so I cannot plan for that yet.
I think a lot of people are wondering at this lack of crucial planning because many people would plan out the whole thing from start to finish before starting the first animal. I like to experiment, and being able to change my mind on any part of the project is more comfortable in that situation. For me, being able to take a project in a new direction whenever I choose is more fun and less frustrating. I think people would be surprised at how often I change my mind about something in my work.
Anyway, I am out of my doldrums, and once the holidays have passed, I will be entering the months that I have the most time to work on my project. I look forward to making some quick progress.
Check back next Monday or Tuesday for the next blog post.
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