When I first talked with the woman who requested this piece I was not sure what her budget or size constraints were. Initially I envisioned a grandiose, elaborate, and much larger piece. I imagined a moving figure, operated by strings or rods connected to a motor, popping up, illuminated by stage lights. After some consultation we scaled it back to what you see here, (she wanted it to fit on a bookshelf).
This piece is more like what she had in mind.
Here are my in progress shots, in order----
I took apart this old crate and used the wood for my box....
My box with lid......
The hinge that enables the stage to swing upwards....
After drawing out how this piece was going to operate, I had exposed linkages on either side of the stage that I thought were very distracting (ugly). I had an idea to make them decorative, to make them look like they belong there. They work to pull the stage up when you lift the lid.
The stage showing the 2 post that act as connector rods.
The stage connected to the lid with the linkages...
Cutting the linkages...
Linkages cut out and ready for finishing...
Finished linkages. My idea was to make them look sort of like ropes.
The figure's legs and shoes. The figure needs to be well-built because when the lid is closed she rest at a 22 degrees angle.
That is where I'm at today. I will post more pics later.
