My Favorite Carving is Shattered & INFESTED with Termites

A wild story of how a previously carved sculpture ended up infested with termites and shattered into pieces. I also carve a life size bear using acrylic. What do you want to see me carve next!? #woodworking #carving #sculpture
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[@BMSculptures]

Would you want to watch a Catch Cook & Carve video????

[@trinityriley_]

Mrcool sculpture looks perfect, love especially the size. Yes a catch cook and carve video would be very cool, I'd love to watch! You did great on handling this worrisome situation.

[@BMSculptures]

@@trinityriley_ Thanks Trinity!

[@KaeseMelone]

i'd 100% watch

[@SpyteDesigns]

Yes, I'd for sure watch that for the same reason I watch homestead channels, it hits a survivalist niche. If you haven't considered starting a new channel, that might be best since it is very different content than your art. Love your stuff btw!

[@funkyjohnno2]

Hell yeah! 🎣🍳🔪

[@MykeVS]

The resiliency of the termites was as impressive as the sculpture.

[@BMSculptures]

They are little terrors

[@blodpudding]

Yeah they could have been in the wood for more than a year before you even got to carve it.

[@Sivanot]

@@blodpudding Thats unlikely though, considering it didnt have noticeable termite 'caves' in it when he was carving it. Could have been unhatched eggs in there though I guess.

[@thechumpsbeendumped.7797]

Are there termites where the wood came from or could the sculpture have been infested at the customers home?

[@riethacrafford7730]

Not termites!!!!!!

[@BricktowneMedia]

Huge respect to you man. I would have felt so defeated and demoralized after receiving the Grizzly statue in that shape (it broke my heart to see it and it's not even my sculpture!). The fact that you could push through that kind if disappointment, and move forward with such a solid and stunning repair says so much about you as a person. Truly inspiring. Thank you for sharing the ups AND the downs.

[@BMSculptures]

Thank you very much... Oh I was for sure defeated... But after a couple of sleeps I realized the problem started with me (termites originaly in the wood I used). So there was no other option, I had to fix it.

[@alexanderilinsky4523]

My thoughts exactly. I’d have reimbursed the owner, through the damn thing as far as I can and became entomophobial for the rest of my days. But not this guy! He is a real McCoy .

[@fatloser7244]

@@BMSculptures Did the customer accept the fixed sculpture??

[@miguelg1370]

I agree, that was a class act on your part

[@brendawillems4804]

Amen!

[@brandonrobinson1603]

I'm impressed you kept trying to fix the bear. The third time around of finding even more termite tunnels and a live termite, I would've burned the sculpture and tossed it in a lake

[@BMSculptures]

hahaha yeah, we got em all though!

[@victoriajankowski1197]

NGL I was there at the unpacking the sculpture part, I seriously expected a bonfire scene after the 'unboxing'

[@SuzetteKath]

And started over?

[@ChadDidNothingWrong]

*volcano

[@PeachysMom]

It’s five weeks’ worth of work

[@NouraZahle]

The client is probably fighting a losing battle with terminates in their home from their introduction with this sculpture. It is understandable to note their horror and frustration. Equally, getting sent back a broken sculpture is also saddening. No wrong parties, just pain all around.

[@Rhoda8002]

In Hawaii, we live w/ termites...flying type and those that are "subterranean" All kinds.

[@youresoakinginit2113]

​​@@Rhoda8002All termites are "the flying type"!! They start out as larvae, then become nymphs (I think) then proceed to hungry teenagers, then once a year the mature ones mate, lay eggs, get wings, and fly away to form new colonies. Seeing a bunch of wings laying around on the ground is a sure sign you've got an infestation. Call Orkin®️! Conversely, a natural solution are "Beneficial Nematodes". They might not have been any help in this unique situation, but in the open air, go underground where termites live and eat them from the inside out! They are microscopic, tiny little "bugs"(?) who work 24/7/365 eating termites, lawn grubs, and other soil born bad guys(hornworms!) (Supposedly they leave earth worms alone.) They form their own colony whose mission is to destroy all the bad guys. Hawaii Termites probably differ in that they live in a pretty moist environment, and many were imported from China (long before Hawaii was even a State) and other SE Asian countries, through trade activities.

[@DrVenture45]

The fact that you were able to bring that bear sculpt back from oblivion was impressive and so was the logo build. The termite damage did give the sculpt more character...like an old grizzly that's been through a lot yet has survived the wild. Great stuff!

[@teamseacts]

On the vacuum bagging a porous item....when you pull the vacuum, it causes the air inside the item (the wood) to expand and as it expands, the air travels out of the item (the wood). This escaping air is actually taking your pesticide foam away from the interior of the wood and moving it to the exterior of the wood. Once the vacuum is established and held, there is no movement/motion other than the same wicking process you would get if you just let the foam sit on the object in ambient air. There's also an argument to be made that the vacuum causes the moisture in the foam to evaporate much more quickly which also reduces the foam's ability to move into the part like you were intending to do. However, the vacuum does make life hard for any living creature so you've definitely impacted them with that - but I argue that a single application of vacuum actually reduces the chance of the foam getting deeper into the part. If you want the foam to be pulled deeply into the wood, cycling the vacuum on and off will do it. As you release the vacuum, the air rushes back into the pores of the wood and any foam sealing up those pores gets sucked inside. If you were to soak the wood with the pesticide and cycle the vacuum on and off, it will certainly pull the foam deeper into the wood. You can see this effect if you've planned a long day of smoking meats but forgot to soak the wood chips intended for smoking (ask me how I know, lol). Put wood chips into tub of water inside a vacuum chamber - if you pull vacuum on it once, you see the bubbles coming out of the wood but the water doesn't ingress to the chips any more noticeably than if they sat in ambient pressure for the same amount of time ...but CYCLE that vacuum several times and the wood starts sinking after the third or fourth cycle. Six cycles of vacuum and ambient pressure and there is practically no air left in the wood and it's completely saturated.

[@BMSculptures]

well hot damn, where were you when I needed this info a couple weeks ago!? haha This. makes total sense and sounds very smart. You some kind of vacuum scientist?!?

[@badwolfforge]

@@BMSculptures That would be a sucky job right?

[@wandacanon2885]

I admire your persistence!

[@nathanmiller9381]

@@BMSculptures I have seen other youtubers doing a very similar job via vacuum to "stabilise" more punky wood or even other mediums like bread if my memory serves right, using a super watery resin and cycling the vacuum. peter brown, "Stabilizing: Infusing Resin With A Vacuum" the resin is called cactus juice I think?

[@Serapus]

One hundred percent agree. Although the fumigation probably did the trick, the only for sure answer is my opinion is submersion with periodic turning. I had recovered a bunch of burls from a honey locust that were totally termite infested. My boys and I did our best to remove all the punky wood and bark. Then, I used the same stuff you used to hose down the wood. If figured there might be ongoing problems. So after seeing your video, I think now it's time to fill a tub with water and borax soap and submerge the wood for a few days. I might even get the never-used sous vide cooker to keep the water at 140-150F. Then I will let them dry naturally for a few days, coat them with anchor seal, and put them on a shelf for a couple of years.

[@Emoki-s6]

Those holes on the bear's back resemble a battel's scars from a fight with another bear over the fish

[@BMSculptures]

a grizzled grizzly

[@akenjah]

I was thinking the same thing! They look like battle scars.

[@mcbachelorlp1675]

yeah was thinking the same thing. it almost gives kitsugi vibes

[@Unpopularity]

The clean wood from before does have more character now. A statue that represents strength and resilience of the fighting spirit. With all the cross-sections before, the new piece has even more depth and personality. Doesn't look cliché. Looks like a story

[@McNaBir]

Man i get that it had termites and the client might not want them in their house but to ship it back in such a disasterous way is inexcusable. I'm glad it was able to be fixed, this was one of my fav sculptures of yours when you first did it. Still a fav!

[@Diluculi1]

I am also confused why the box was not plastered in "fragile" stickers. Perhaps the client thought because it's heavy, it does not require special handling?

[@McNaBir]

@@Diluculi1 it should have been in a padded wooden box at least, not cardboard. If they have the money to pay for a comissioned sculpture, they have the money to properly ship it

[@heronumber009]

The client was probably too upset and angry with the situation that they no longer care. And they probably think the sculpture is already wasted, no longer fixable at that point so they didn't care much when shipping it back.

[@bbison94]

I get it in a way. I wouldn't care much for the thing that brought termites in my house

[@brandonfoley7519]

Yes I the one who shipped the bear, sorry I was also dropped when I was kid

[@roysweeney3527]

FYI. You can freeze the wood. Insecticides can only penetrate so far. But you can freeze the whole thing for a few weeks, and that will kill the termites

[@niamaysing359]

You would need an industrial freezer normal ones don’t get cold enough

[@GitaraMaker]

I can't believe you made it look better, those termite holes added more character to the sculpture.

[@Ivegotwormsinme]

Next up: GitaraMaker constructs a termite and epoxy guitar.

[@dmfitzpatrick7694]

I was so sick when I saw the bear. It was such an impressive statue when I watched you making it. So glad it was saved and beautifully so.

[@arkangel3231]

I like the bear with all the holes it adds character/ as long as the bugs are dead

[@BMSculptures]

I agree. Thanks!

[@Woodstock271]

Your sculptures in resin and wood are out of this world man. I’ve worked with wood since I can remember and only had a termite problem once in a piece. We had to cut down this huge Kiawé tree that was dying in Hawaii. (Kiawé is Mesquite), and the dead branches and limbs were infested with Formosan termites (the worst kind of termite), but I found a nice straight branch with no termites in it. Carved an elaborate walking stick with an octopus in relief that wrapped around the shaft. It turned out way too nice to go hiking with so I propped it up in a corner as a piece of art. Lots of friends really liked my carved walking stick. As usual, you get bored with pieces from the past and move on to bigger and better things. The walking stick sat there in the corner untouched for at least a year. A new friend came over for a couple beers one night. He saw the walking stick in the corner and asked, “Wow! Did you make that?” I nodded, he said, “Can I check it out?” I nodded, “Sure man, I did that a couple years ago.” He walked over and picked up from the head and the stick broke in half with hundreds of termites and their droppings spilling all over the floor. He looked at me like he’d done something wrong. As if I knew it was infested with termites and completely hollowed out on the inside. Wow. It was just a thin shell of wood now and you could just crumble it in your hands into sawdust with very little effort. Okay, that piece is gone, and I spent the evening making sure I killed every termite and egg. The formosan termite will hollow out huge beams in your house and you’d never know it. Just a shell of paint. I’ve demo’d a garage where a 4x12 looks sound but I could crush it with my hands. So I feel your pain, brother.

[@DanielJoyce]

Should have thrown it in a deep freezer for a few weeks. The termites would die. That's what museums do to preserve wood artifacts.

[@travismiller5548]

museums don't preserve resin and wood composite sculptures. as an art form they're only a few decades old. basically untested tech you're recommending. the wood and resin have different coefficients of thermal expansion, and one material doesn't absorb water. freezing and thawing it would probably blast it apart.

[@MelancholyRequiem]

​@travismiller5548 Honestly, this would have been the perfect opportunity to try out "untested tech." If not a project like this w8th so much damage already done, f*ck it, why not?

[@HenrietteAndersen26]

2:12 it’s Flynn Rider! I recognise the nose!

[@Reggie.boi.]

This really shouldn't have been as funny to me as it was😅🤣

[@Ominous_Odyssey]

Underrated lmao.

[@permafrostprod1]

🥸

[@DonnyRP]

Why would you send it back in a cardboard box?????? That is an absolute joke. Especially with the time and effort you put into these

[@rabbitguts2518]

Pretty sure the owner has an infested house and instead of taking responsibility for ruining the expensive sculpture they bought, TWICE, decided they would throw the item back at the artist with no genuine want for it fixed and just wanted a refund. 😒 You'd be amazed how many clients try to chargeback or demand refunds from artist after they destroy the commission and don't want it anymore. We're not a mass-produce shops people we're individuals that spend hours to years on our pieces - no refunds for your sht life decisions🙃

[@artfx9]

​@@rabbitguts2518 did the client get a refund?

[@Bluestrike2]

The most charitable explanation would probably be that the client didn’t really expect him to be able to repair it. If the client figured he’d have to carve a new one and replace it, what did it matter if the old one arrived in pieces?

[@acct5910]

Sending a termite infested product is the real joke. Can’t blame the buyer for not having concern at that point.

[@RG.9970]

@@acct5910There would’ve been sign on the wood he worked with of termites. Wood rot, cracking, water damage and etc. None of that was seen when he was working with the raw materials. Only when the customer returned it have damage. It wasn’t the artist at fault. (Some of his others commissions should have termites, but they don’t.)

[@Mizusjawline]

As an artist I find your resilience and persistence very inspiring! And I'm glad the story has a happy ending and that you were able to rebuild ad repair the sculpture. It looks even more beautiful now than it did before

[@riverbender9898]

Those termites (and rough-handling) were heart-breakers. Glad you revived that masterpiece. Thank you.

[@opalwinter6213]

Honestly, it was wonderful to watch you troubleshoot that sculpture right to the end! I grew up in a home with 1890's hardwood timber floors. My parents hoping to reno, peeled back the carpets and discovered the WHOLE house was termite infested, not a single section of floor was safe, we all moved out for 6-8 weeks whilst the entire house was fumigated. When that was done they were actually rather fond of the beautiful scribbles the termites had left behind, and the wood was a honey coloured eucalypt. So they polished the boards and resin coated the whole lot. The home I grew up in had such interesting floors! I've never seen someone salvage termite timber in such a way since!

[@marcd7332]

When I was growing up we had a huge dining table that was probably 100+ years old that had thermite holes all over (no live thermites luckily) and it was beautiful.

[@MsMuppet1985]

I’m so impressed you were able to repair the bear. That seems harder than carving it in the first place. Great work!

[@thejudgemeister]

Do the termites being in the bear give you concern for the other wood you may have in stock? It looks amazing.

[@BMSculptures]

Luckily I do not have anymore of that specific piece of burl left... I will be fumigating all future projects that do not use kiln dried wood.

[@JuiceTubes]

@@BMSculptures could also treat the wood so termites don't go for it

[@eboninkdeathliquidnecrosis]

Yeah I would totally change how I store and treat wood after this.

[@artfx9]

In the taxidemy world (which goes great with the bear theme), they use freezers to get rid of pests. But the realy cold ones and put them in there for weeks.

[@BMSculptures]

Interesting! Thanks for the info

[@allangibson8494]

Freeze drying works too. Freeze them solid, pull a really hard vacuum and then raise the temperature to just above freezing. The water content sublimates without much shrinkage. Quite large freeze dryers are used commercially.

[@StormBurnX]

As someone who lives in an apartment with termites eating through the drywall I know how terrifying it can be to have them around. Certainly always wondered how wood sculptures were termite-proofed; absolutely crazy to see that the first fumigation didn't nuke them. Hope this updated version lasts :)

[@stevedingman474]

My cousin Jerry had some storm damaged oak trees and he had just purchased a home recently that did not have a mantle over the fire place …. The home was modern so thing like a mantle or base around where wall met floor wasn’t used . But however they painted a 3.5 inch silvery gray strip where the base would be … anyhow so the whole summer he is working on this oak mantle 5 inches deep and 5.5 feet long and 16 inches wide . He sawed cut and shaved the wood with a hand plane until perfect then he finished it then hung it . And over the Christmas holidays my family made cit over an$ got pictures with his beautiful mantle! Until I noticed worm holes in the finish hundreds of tiny perfect round holes . Well then he did like you insecticide vacuum sealed waited weeks filled holes and refinished! Only to have the holes return 2-3 weeks later . This was his winter project ! Finally when spring arrived he borrowed my hog roaster and 40# of kingsford charcoal he fired it up and placed his beautiful mantle in closed the lid and let the charcoal burn out and cool down a couple of days and he called me over to assist it removing it and helping him flip it around so he could put on the final finish . The mantle was still very warm I commented that my aching back would love to lay on that that super warm piece of wood so the next day I’m waiting for him to arrive from work . When we opened the lid to our suprise the mantle had developed a very high arch like a 7 inch arch in the center ! Well what happened next was like a seen from a murder scene he had me help to put it on the driveway hey went into the garage and returned with a axe 😂the words that came out of this man were well harsh , he took too screaming chopping kicking yelling and finally pushed off the driveway and set on fire ! I told Jerry to have a good night and drove home . We don’t talk about the no mantle over the fireplace anymore. Ever .

[@sidebartwist5817]

You can literally post anything and I’ll watch. Do what you like!

[@BMSculptures]

ANYTHING!? ....

[@adamjones-ps]

@@BMSculptures 🍆??? 🤣

[@FireHeart2829]

​@@BMSculpturespretty much 😁🤣😁🤣

[@TwelveTitansKennels]

The delivery driver with the Groucho Marx Nose!!! I"M HOLLERING!!!!! 😂

[@janineferraz7689]

That kick and he going back to take the photo of delivery box killed me lmao

[@jeetley]

Blake… your work and skill is one thing…. World class in my eyes, but your honesty and integrity is outstanding!!! You are a credit!! And your humour is a close third… massive respect to you feller 👏👏👏👏

[@chickenbeforeegg]

I love the bear's journey. Almost like it has battle scars now. And I think I speak for most of us when I say I'll literally watch anything you do. Great work!

[@LadySythe]

termites were probably from the clients home... while working on it you would have noticed infestations...

[@OrtieCat]

Catch, cook, carve sounds good. New acrylic sculpture is very cool. WOW, on the repair job! It looks amazing. So sorry the burl was infested. I hope the client reaccepted the sculpture. Any thoughts on future preventative fumigation going forward?

[@BMSculptures]

Thank you! I am leaning towards using burls less.... But also possibly getting them fumigated before I even start carving??? Would be expensive, but at least my mind would be put at ease knowing there are no bugs in the wood!

[@SpyteDesigns]

​@@BMSculptures seeing how beautiful your sculptures are, the work that goes into it, and the price point - that seems like a good idea for your peace of mind and for future buyers.

[@davisongeorge]

@@BMSculptures Have you considered kiln sterilizing all the wood you use? In my experience you can't trust wood that hasn't been drying indoors (for 3+ years) or put through a kiln. Especially with burls or rough slabs that may have been sitting in a wood lot outdoors, or on someone's property for a decade. They may be bone dry on surface testing but they are often not stable because of not having been rotated during this time and could be infested.

[@schmoizl68]

How is your comment older than the video itself?!

[@DragonGal470]

@@schmoizl68 Members get early access to videos I think

[@georg1299]

What an great adventure from the creation to the second life of this magnificent bear sculpture!!! Thanks for sharing!

[@BMSculptures]

Thanks for watching!

[@peterblyth112]

I think you should carve a termite

[@BMSculptures]

hahahahaha

[@FloatMan84]

Your sculpture is so realistic that it even has a bug infestation like a normal grizzly

[@Thenamaree]

Now the bear has scars like in real life. He fought and lost. But got up again to fight another day. I hope all termites are now ex-termi-nated. Somehow I can't really decide which bear I like better. The first bear reminds me of a young bear that has its entire life ahead of it. The second bear is more of a specimen at the peak of life with experience and scars that have shaped him. Both are beautiful.

[@davidearlagoura]

BM SCULPTURES - hey all you had to do was drop it into a freezer (a couple of hundred for a floor freezer with delivery when I bought one last year) and set it to its lowest setting. Dry wood termites die if they get below -10C/22F. You would have saved yourself $300 and gotten a floor freezer out of it.

[@600torque]

Glad you fixed the infected bear. i like the extra patina the insects created and now the bear has a cool story to go behind it.

[@BMSculptures]

Thanks, Glad you like it!

[@piperatthegatesofdawn]

Yes.. yes to any video you wanna put out! I'll definitely watch.

[@BMSculptures]

Love that!

[@medicbabe2ID]

Also me 🙋‍♀️

[@evayaish2882]

I love the fact that it looks like a wounded bear like it’s Been in a fighting, this gives it more character and back story of how this bear fought these little creatures. AMAZING WORK❤️

[@BMSculptures]

A grizzled seasoned grizzly.

[@tacomitchell373]

I love Dr. Lee, she is one of my fav youtubers EVER.

[@Danny_Harris-Arts]

a Catch Cook & Carve video would definitely be worth watching.

[@BMSculptures]

Hope to have one soon!

[@semosancus5506]

Absolutely stunning and awesome work to save that Bear!

[@BMSculptures]

Thank you!

[@sherrypitt9889]

Ohhh Nooo! So happy you repaired! It’s amazing!

[@BMSculptures]

Thank you!

[@DarcvexiS]

I bet those termites come back. 🤣

[@BMSculptures]

How dare you!

[@mitchelnorton2692]

It's nice to see you kept your sense of humor alive during all this. It's so nice to see you stay positive during all this. I couldn't do it, I would have burst a blood vessel.

[@BMSculptures]

Oh there were a couple burst vessels off camera dont you worry!

[@pattydewig5405]

yes do the catch and carve thing!

[@BMSculptures]

Thank you! Now I gotta catch something!

[@karinasanchez3285]

Anything coming together from your hands will always be 💯

[@BMSculptures]

Thank you Karina!

[@Haideraide]

The bear sculpture has been one of my favorites for so long and to see it in that state was incredibly sad. But you are a great guy so you went through and fixed it and put it in a great state.

[@BMSculptures]

Thank you so much!

[@JocularJack]

I now have the perfect video to show my clients when I explain to them why using kiln-dried wood over air-dried wood is so very important! So sorry to hear about the sculpture, it was one of my favourites out of everything you have made, and I have been following you since your torso video! I love that you were able to save it in the end, and I think it has even more character now than it did in the first place. WHat will happen with the sculpture now?

[@PsyCoCinematics]

What's odd is, it took 5ish months for them to notice it was infested, then another 6 after the treatment. Wouldn't they have made their presence known almost immediately if they weren't cleaned out? Like how he found two back to back in this video, one alive one not? Considering the amount of resin he used to form the sculpture, even the slow set 'low temp' versions get hot, doubly so at that pouring amount. From the heat of the exothermic reaction, to it being largely encased in epoxy before sculpting it's shape, what are the odds the client was the actual source of the infestation? Also odd, for the amount of proof the clients showed in pictures that the bugs were eating, he couldn't find any holes to source them. Edit Okay, went back and rewatched the original: He used the same base piece to form the Rhino he made previously, but as he didn't mention that one is getting chewed on here, I'm assuming it's fine. Two, he let the stump sit for a year before using it for the Bear. Didn't mention, but you'd assume he'd notice, if it was showing signs of being eaten. He cuts it in half, and doesn't show or mention any issues. He deep pours resin, but keeps it around 55 degrees. Neither hot or cold enough to wipe em out, but it was all but submerged in resin for a solid week before sculpting. There are some holes he patches, nothing bubbled up/out. So while there was a lot of room in there in theory, unless he completely missed it from start to finish, which coulda happened, until the Rhino sculpture gets sent back to him for the same reason, can't say with certainty which side is holding the hot potato.

[@ethanharris4292]

Seriously can't believe you fixed that thing. Incredible perseverance.

[@yogendrasoni4851]

Absolutely nightmare for an Artist 😢

[@BMSculptures]

Sure was!

[@karinasanchez3285]

There you are !! 🙌. Glad for another beautiful creation 💕

[@BMSculptures]

Thank you so much 😀

[@talllanky1]

I agree ccc sounds interesting i always said people will watch almost anything you make you are a good producer of content your Sculptures are awesome as well

[@BMSculptures]

Thank you very much!

[@stormsantana]

Honestly, after seeing all the termite damage, I didn’t think you could’ve saved the sculpture but man was I wrong! Impressive💯🙌🏽

[@BMSculptures]

thank you!

[@SithMami]

It says so much about you that you didn't give up and just throw the whole thing away! The repaired bear looks even better than it did to begin with, because, like you said, it has a story.

[@rkmoore40]

I really hate to be a pessimist but there’s no way they got rid of the termites, especially in the part encased in resin. That sculpture has 6 months to live. 😢

[@waikelehawaii4409]

I agree. Plus, fumigation only gets the outermost layers of the wood and interior channels up to the point where the dead termites block the fumigant from reaching the rest of the nest. The proper thing to do would have been to drill down into the wood and shoot the termite killing expanding spray. But even that isn't a sure fire cure. Termites are insidious. In theory one could cut the sculpture into several slices through its wooden part, check/treat for termites, then join back together.

[@zimtt1276]

At least, they guaranteed the fumigation.

[@botarakutabi1199]

@@waikelehawaii4409 This might be a silly question, but if the fumes can't get to the termites, how is air getting to them so they can breathe?

[@theindiedead]

Catch! Cook! Carve!

[@BMSculptures]

Yesssss!

[@netltube]

a beautiful piece, sad about the termites. That piece of wood unfortunately infested bad, I have to say I wouldn't trust that they're not still there.

[@nancylewis3269]

While not into the wood turning and epoxy, the termite issue was FASCINATING!

[@susankane9263]

I came upon your channel by chance, and i have to say your bear sculpture is breathtaking, the like of which i have never seen. You have truly been blessed with your immense talent. I admire your tenacity in sticking with it until you rectified the problem. Im going to check out the rest of your work and I'm sure its going to amazing ❤

[@zackpierce6541]

Yes, I would love some spearfishing videos! Also, I would like to congratulate you on being the first person ever to say, "Luckly my wife and mother-in-law are here."

[@pinkerbot]

How do you know the termites were in the wood from the beginning? Couldn't it have been infested on the client's end?

[@rabbitguts2518]

Was just about to ask - it's odd that no other sculptures seem to have had that problem - AND they came back. I'd have more questions from the owner if anything. Sounds like someone has a termite infested house and simply wanted a way out of paying for an expensive sculpture they ruined via lack of house maintenance tbh 😒 Not to mention the complete lack of any regard to the sculptures integrity when send back is not only disgusting but feels like they were expecting a refund and didn't care to receive a fix in any true capacity.

[@akenjah]

I think they were already inside the bear. The termites would have of eat from the outside to get inside. It was covered in resin so I highly doubt they got in unless there was a crack or something. Kind of odd they noticed in the first place. What did they see the termites moving around inside the sculpture?

[@pinkerbot]

@@akenjah the sculpture was not covered in resin. The wood parts are wood, and it has been sanded and finished like most wooden objects you have in your home. As was explained, the client noticed termite droppings.

[@christhopherbartolozzi7135]

As having worked in pest control these are probably dry wood termites which are different than ground dwelling termites that are what most people have houses inspected for. Can come from imported wood items and if you get an item (ie table, chair or ect) that was not properly treated they will for new colonies in other wood items and your home. I have feeling termite issue comes for client side, due to all the outstanding work that was put into this piece any termite activity would have been notice before they work was done.

[@claytucker5025]

I mean, if you shipped a sculpture with termites in it, then that is a terrible move. Speaking as someone who had the world's first termite colony under their childhood home, yes the very first termite colony on planet Earth. These things are nearly impossible to kill off once established. The house was treated something like 4 times in the 25 years we were there but it also had previous treatments before we moved in. They outlasted both my parents, and will, in all likelihood, outlast me as well. If you gave them a termite infestation, then that is messed up and I could see why they would be absolutely pissed...

[@bennettferrell306]

Def not a worlds first LOL, I worked in pest control.

[@claytucker5025]

@@bennettferrell306 It was more of a joke, the termite nest under our house was almost as big as the house itself, as one of the exterminators said.

[@mezm3068]

I’m so envious of your workshop/studio. Your work is beautiful and I love your channel. Cheers from Australia

[@kim.19srd]

Your skill, patience and dedication is outstanding. I would love to watch a catch,cook and carve the delivery guy.😅

[@SilentNZL]

I can’t believe the customer sent it back in a cardboard box like that.. regardless of the termites or not. Disrespectful behaviour imo.

[@mitchelsmith7782]

imagine recieving an item thats infested in termites?????

[@HateHater2205]

I don’t think they saw it as salvageable so why not send it in a box

[@schwuzi]

​@@TheCornie06lol chill out

[@BMSculptures]

I can see all your points, and the client's. I think I addressed the problem and if the client were to ever have termites in the area where the sculpture was- I will deal with it, however I am quite certain the termites never left the sculpture.

[@BMSculptures]

lol I love these comments

[@James-wd9ib]

BM Sculptures, is there a reason you didn't just bag it and stick the thing in a chest freezer for a week?

[@matthewq4b]

Not sure why you did not put it in the freezer for a couple weeks. There is a reason there there are no termites in the north.....

[@tonyaclaxton4925]

Love Dr Pimple Popper 🥰. That bear is absolutely stunning. I can understand you fighting so hard to save it. I’m a fan of your work. Bring on the fishing video, would love to watch

[@Loloany]

I would 100% watch you fishing!!

[@BMSculptures]

hell yeah!

[@edgeorge785]

If i was the customer - I'd send it back and tell you to do the whole l thing over. Its clear you used wood that has termite eggs in it. That bug ridden thing is like a termite hotel. Your client's entire home is at risk.

[@JoeSmith-bu1my]

First time watching. You asked so I will give. First off beautiful sculptures you are an artist. Secondly you should have made a different art piece for that family. A relationship once paid for generally can only go down. Trust was lost when they were sent an inferior product due to termites. I can tell you did your best to fix but with the same piece that brought Termites into a home. I don’t think you figured is their wife justified in freaking out on this thought. IMO opinion best practice would be to make a new piece to send to restore faith even at your loss. Remember the Adage do a good job they tell a few do a bad job they tell twenty. At the end of the of everything you sent an artwork that could have infested their home that had been altered and broken and reglued heavily. Every time they show it the family will remember. In affluent communities they are small and close. Lost trust us usually forever. Be well what do I know anyway.

[@jasminv8653]

Absolutely agree. If it has twice brought termites in their home and ended in such frustration that they ship it back in a box, I can't believe they ever wanted to see the same literally rotten piece of wood EVER again. And I can't even blame the client! I can understand a project like this as a personal art endeavour, but to send it back a third time reads as very ... idk, obtuse. Just carve a new bear with termite-free wood.

[@nathanhale3006]

I WOULD NOT WANT THAT BACK!!! Just my money.

[@Monkeesblood]

Both look amazing!!!! - Fantastic work!!!

[@johnwalker7592]

Standing next to that bear after all those "treatments" -10hp -10hp -10hp -10hp-10hp -10hp -10hp -10hp

[@mellon9449]

Its insane you place any blame on the client after you basically gave them termites. Also who would want that back after thats mad gross dude no way you got all the holes out shoulda just called it a loss but hey i guess you made a vid out of it

[@cottagekeeper]

I love the repaired bear version more than the first version - stunning 🤩

[@Eggs135]

Now see this! This is art! Well done

[@Bloktarino]

Wow those termites put up a fight! ❤

[@dorabort6622]

That is the most beautiful sculpture I’ve ever seen!

[@TheTechAdmin]

You're really making the most out of your 500k subscribers. I've never seen this much product placement in one video; gj.

[@BMSculptures]

I do what I can

[@cphilpot]

Stunned at the tenacity of the critters in the wood. Your commitment to rebuilding this piece is incredible.

[@nazkai2002]

Greetings from Iraq/Baghdad. I would like to see you sculpturing that small TERMITES just to remember it always. Thanks for sharing your talents and skills.

[@kevenpinder7025]

As relentlessly stubborn and determined as I am re my comparatively pitiful crafting efforts, I'm afraid Mr. Grizzly Bear would have been encased in acrylic resin and buried in a deep hole the minute I saw a live termite.

[@walterengler5709]

What amazes me with this is how they covered it bug bombed it with a professional service. And that did not kill the termites in the wood or add protection to prevent return. I mean when they tent a house and to this the typical result is 5-10 years of solid protection. So how, HOW it failed that badly is amazing.

[@locomotioncreations]

Fantastic work my man! Both of those bears turned out amazing. I love your tenacity of getting to the bottom of your termite issue. That is dedication to the craft! Also shoutout to Mr. Cool! This mini split has made my shop time so much more enjoyable this summer. I feel like my name should be Mr. Cool now.

[@BMSculptures]

Mr cool himself! Here he is folks!

[@maressaholt77]

Don’t be so hard on yourself… you’re crazy talented, such skills… it’s still incredible 🎉🎉🎉

[@Bluesidian]

omg so beautiful! Thats talent is a "god giving blessing" right there.

[@odettehillier3387]

I remember watching you make this Grizzly and was shocked at the Termites in it. I'm so glad that you kept going with it and fixed it up. It is a beautiful piece of Art, job well done 👏 ❤❤

[@AndreaMerchak]

The acrylic bear is awesome! You're very talented! And I'm so glad that you could get rid of the termites and rebuilt the sculpture. That's one of my favorite pieces you made, and see it broken was devastated to me, I can imagine how it was for you.

[@BMSculptures]

I was just shocked beyond belief for a couple days haha.

[@istoiche]

Massive kudos to you for doing right by your client and for seeing it through to a beautiful finish! Not too many good people like you around these days; faith in humanity restored!

[@R1987R]

Awesome video! Made you, on the one hand more human with your spear fishing accident and I would love a catch cook and carve video... On the other hand less human because who in their right mind wo go through all the trouble you went trough!!! Amazing and really happy you did!

[@rytime700]

Hell yea. .show the whole process! The trip to catch the cooking the carving.....looks like 3 episodes to me!

[@virginiabrandis1062]

Your work is so beautiful? Thank you for sharing

[@nighthealerrn1695]

It’s so good that you were patient. You didn’t give up on the bear and it turned out beautiful.

[@nickjeffrey8050]

That bear sculpture is amazing

[@chrisstannard1323]

Catch, Cook and Carve, yep I would be up for that. Love your work.

[@rskcg]

I admire you HUGELY for the way you've dealt with the Termites. You are superhuman for you patience, resilience, cheerfulness, and lack of anger.😊 MR. GOD MAN

[@catboysephiroth560]

You know you're not just an expert, but a masterful one when you can take a piece THAT messed up and salvage it again. What a nice pair of bears!

[@BMSculptures]

Thank you!

[@davidearlagoura]

BM SCULPTURES - you should also freeze any other wood from the same source. If it’s too big to freeze, use heavy black plastic and and heat seal it into a bag and then fill it with Carbon dioxide and leave it in the sun for a couple of weeks. Everything has to breathe.