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[Brian T]

Should work well. Paint will aid in closing the joint.
You might never finish the carving if you try to do this any other way.
To have a Raven hold an object in its beak, I ,too, cut off the lower jaw.
Made all the adjustments and glued it back together.

[Brian T]

Both of my power saws were gifts. Poulan gasser and a Remington electric, 16" bars.
Not to be used indoors, the cedar dust goes every where even if the oil does not.
I'd like to know if there are any biodegradable bar oils made for industrial saw work.

[Brian T]

Everything that comes from Pfeil (aka SWISS MADE) is 20 degrees total included bevel.

If I couldn't measure it, I'd guess 20. Next, I'd paint the bevel with black felt marker and drag that across some plain cardboard stock (no abrasive) at 20 degrees and see what rubbed off.

[Brian T]

I want to see those. I have no objection to being "disposable" when worn down.
I have a "sanding finger" (German?) which uses little 3/8" and 1/2" sanding belts.
You can clean them with crepe rubber and rotate the belt as it wears. Pretty slick for what little...

[Brian T]

ARGH!! Happened again last night. Scrubbing a pot. Held in my right hand, the scrub pad in my left.
I felt the left hand start to go, could not hang onto the scrub pad at all. Profanity doesn't fix it.

So far, it seems to happen only when I'm actively doing something with my ...

[Brian T]

Locals here use Mazola corn oil for a dedicated saw to quarter moose/elk/deer.
One guy I know takes a cordless SawzAll for quartering game.
He says plenty of charge to do it all.

Realistically, aside from the toxicity of conventional bar oil, how messy and sloppy will you...

[Brian T]

There are two antique staining preparations that you might want to explore in scrap:

1. "Ebonizing." Outdoors in a sheltered place, put a soup plate in a big black garbage bag.
Fill the dish 1/2 full with ammonia bleach (NOT chlorine bleach). Place your carvings in there,...

[Brian T]

Flowering plants have a life, from seed to seed. Maybe a plant that the cane recipient recognizes with distinctive leaves? Some other story about something that the recipient has done, like a big adventure?

A kelp forest with sea urchins at the bottom, fish in the middle and otters at...

[Brian T]

Three things come to mind.
1. Carve an assortment of marine animals in relief. Seals, sea lions, sea otters, Orca, winding up the pole.

2. Carve an assortment of marine fish in relief. Sharks, rays, barracuda, salmon, grouper and so on.
I guess crabs, shrimp, prawns, sea...

[Brian T]

That's what I always hear about the super fine stuff = powders easily.
The very coarse is completely different stuff for finishing.
I learned the trick from a journeyman painter, decades ago.
He demonstrated the whole business to me one day.

For the very old-fashioned...

[Brian T]

Our local hardware store stocks "Bulldog" brand steel wool in several grades.
The XXX Coarse steel wool has sharp, flat strands, not round. They are big and don't break.
Instead, they act like a million chisels and cut off raised grain AFTER one coat of finish.
Just gentle...

[Brian T]

Good. I believe that your friend will appreciate what you've carved.

I've always admired textured surfaces. Look at a variety of big carvings from the First Nations here in the Pacific Northwest. They often do textured surfaces (with adzes) in several different patterns.
I have...

[Brian T]

Wow! A 9/40 is for poles here in the PacNW. $50 was a bargain.

[Brian T]

$50 for a 40 mm Pfeil gouge is a good price. What's the sweep? I like a 2/30 that I picked up in a consignment.

The carving is coming well. I can see her in the profile. We have lost a jewel.

[Brian T]

That's OK, I haven't felt anything in my feet for 5 years. Woke up one night, had been sleeping on my back. Looked down the bed for the cat. Instead, I see both my pinky feet sticking straight up. I'd kicked off the sheet and the blankets without a clue. Clueless is quite commonplace. I have kinda...

[Brian T]

Good. Somebody has to be first and here, you might be the one!
Branches of both conifer (compression wood) and deciduous (tension wood) trees can make for really awkward carving because the upper halves and the lower halves of the branches have different wood anatomies and textures = "reaction...

[Brian T]

Tim: What have you got for carving tools for this?
I have carved a lot of spoons and forks in very well-seasoned birch.
Just stiff but pretty nice to work. Makes nice dishes and good adze handles.

A lot of the bowl work is cross grain so green wood is a lot softer.
...

[Brian T]

Great!
Aspen holds really good detail for wood cuts and wood block printing relief.
Birch is the hardwood that I reach for. Dishes, spoons, forks, adze tool handles.

[Brian T]

There's a rumor that epoxy with long open times turns out to be stronger in the end than the fast mixing/setting 5 minute sort.

In any case, wear vinyl gloves. Epoxy exposures will set you up with a contact allergy that can last for the rest of your life. Honestly, my hands, eyes and...

[Brian T]

If you can't find a suitable winter dock and model to sit there, a subject seated on a chair might work just as well.

Carve a prototype out of a big bar of laundry soap or junk styrofoam. It will be fast and you will learn quickly what the wood version will need in expertise and desi...