In March, the Blue Ridge Woodturners and Smith Mountain Lake Woodturners clubs co-hosted a live demonstration via Zoom from the captivating Rebecca DeGroot. Rebecca showed club members how she creates her signature “mushroom creatures.” You can find more examples of Rebecca’s work on her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.degroot.
Rebecca Degroot.
Samples of her unique creations.
Details under the mushroom caps.
Turning the cap.
Parting the cap, using a “Rubber Chucky” chuck to hold the piece.
Comparing a finished body to the blank prepared for the new body.
Turning the body.
Drilling “hip sockets” where the legs will later be inserted.
Comparing the turned body with a sketch of the final, showing where the waste will be removed to create the contoured neck.
Turning the legs.
Measuring where to cut the legs for reverse-glueing back together to get the desired length and angle.
Marking the leg.
Adding details under the cap with woodburning tools.
Removing the waste from the upper body to create a contoured neck, using wood carving burrs.
Contoured body, showing the “hip sockets.”
Smoothing the mid-section with a woodcarving burr.
Fitting the pieces together.
The final product.
Rebecca Degroot.