Experimenting

[BillB]

Just experimenting with different beard styles. I'm still keeping to the basic overall design. I'm slowly changing things up like the hats and beards. I've been using 1x1x2.5". I think I'll do a few more and then go up to 1.25x1.25x4".
Eventually I'll work the hands out of the pockets and put something in their hands. I'm still a little gun shy doing tiny stuff....I cut myself making a little axe.
Any tips or advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Soggy]

Looks to me like you're coming along fine. Change a bit here, add a little there and before you know it you will have established your own style without even realizing it.
As for tips while carving smaller objects; this is what i do. If for example i am going to carve a small axe, i start with a piece of wood that has the rough dimensions that i want my axe to be but i make it a couple of inches longer than needed. I carve the axe to my satisfaction , then cut off the extra piece when finished. This will give you something to hold on to while carving and at the same time help to keep your fingers out of harms way.
Wayne

[DiLeon]

Actually, I think this is an awesome method for creating something really unique. The more you change each one, you will find one that really like. Great job so far.

[BillB]

Thanks y'all. I'll post more as I evolve the designs. I'm going to try some farm animals soon too I think.

[Bob K.]

You're doing a fine job carving such small pieces of wood. It's difficult to add detail to small carvings like that...especially for beginners. I suggest you move up to using larger pieces of wood. You will find it much easier to add the detail you're looking for and you'll be a little less likely to cut yourself. If you have it or can get it 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 4" or 5" is a good size to work with.

[Tinwood]

LIke what you're doing so far. Keep at it.

Tinwood

[Magicman]

Bill , you are doing a great job. Keep experimenting and you will finally settle on what you like. By the way, that is a dandy fish in your picture.
Larry

[BillB]

Thanks Larry....6 1/2 pound largemouth bass. My biggest yet, caught last spring.

[BillB]

Bob, I have done a couple bigger carvings using approx 1.25x1.25x4 or so. I'm trying to conserve as much wood as possible though. I bought a small order of bass wood from Heinecke and the shipping was twice what the wood cost. As soon as the weather gets a little better here I am going out and seeing if there are any linden trees on my 30 acres. It's a fairly common tree here in the southern ohio hills so i think the chances are good. I may have to wait for the leaves to come out though because I have no idea how to identify one just by bark...it looks so similar to so many other trees in the pictures I've seen. Anyway, if I find one it's coming down and going to the sawmill.
Does anyone have any input on how poplar wood is to carve? I've got lots of poplar trees. Maybe I'll go find some dead limbs and give it a try.

[brent]

You appear to be doing fine.

[Brian T]

Those guys are great. Carve a bunch of them in one stick as a story pole?


Don't carve branches without good reason. The wood is half tougher reaction wood.
Many go from cheese to bone as they dry. Main stem only.

Even then, keep track of the number of annual growth rings per inch.
Small numbers will be punky fast growth.

[BillB]

Thanks for the tips!

[Claude]

,,,

Does anyone have any input on how poplar wood is to carve? I've got lots of poplar trees. Maybe I'll go find some dead limbs and give it a try.

Poplar is a bit harder than basswood, but can be carved quite easily with sharp tools. Here's a link to all sorts of wood. You can compare some to the basswood one. The Wood Database | The Wood Database

And here is a good link to tree identification: Dendrology at Virginia Tech

Claude