Where Do Carvings Come From?

[pallin]

It's a beautiful tool chest, Tim. One must assume that you do all your carving in one place near the chest. A lot of carvers include a "travel tote" for club meetings, etc. I have a similar number of gouges, but keep my current "working tools" in a smaller box. Whatever you do, it...

[pallin]

Is this what you're looking for? Surplus Wood - Woodcarving Illustrated

[pallin]

Are the two objects in the foreground part of the mobile? What are the overall dimensions?

[pallin]

I have carefully avoided getting involved in buying & selling tools. I bought the carving tools I use, of course, and have discovered what works best for the carving I do. I discovered long ago that I can carve just about anything with fewer than six good tools. I judge them by their function, not...

[pallin]

Did you find it easier to carve it in place on the lathe (using the indexing head) or on a bench?

[pallin]

The face is porcelain enamel - chipped near the VII from being dropped. There is a small 8-pointed star near the center with the name "Junghans" around a letter J. On the pendulum is "R = A" in Black Letter symbols. The other bright spot is a reflection on the glass in the door....

[pallin]

Some years ago - maybe 25 - I was traveling in Maine and decided I needed a carving project. I stopped in a gift shop where I had seen some bird carvings and asked the proprietor where I could buy some basswood. He ended up giving me a "significant" chunk of nice basswood.

I had...

[pallin]

Woodcarving is difficult because it is "subtractive," meaning you keep taking away material until you reach the stage or form you intended. There is always some uncertainty as to when you've gotten there. It is even tougher on months-long, big projects. I have to avoid looking too closely...

[pallin]

Since Tiki gods are products of human imagination, the finish of the figurines is also limited only by your imagination. Seriously, I think it is a matter of the wood used. If the wood is very plain, like basswood, it calls for striking colors to highlight striking facial features. If the wood is highly...

[pallin]

A simple computer search (Bing or Google) brings up dozens of images. Going from photos to a pattern is one skill you need as a woodcarver. It trains your mind as to how to visually sort out the details of the subject. This becomes valuable for visualizing the subject while carving.

[pallin]

For some of us the contact with experienced woodcarvers showed us the possibilities - what are the limits to what can be created with a sharp tool and wood? Occasionally the reaction is "Oh I could never do that!" The problem I find with videos is the mistaken impression that carving is quick...

[pallin]

Even now, we don't know for sure how Grinling Gibbons achieved the carvings we attribute to him. Perhaps this is good, because it forces us to pick up our tools and actually try the processes we imagine.

[pallin]

When I consider the enjoyment the carving wood gives me, the price doesn't matter one bit....

[pallin]

Nice gift, Joe. I think you will be surprised how special it will be to them.

[pallin]

Carving is unique when it comes to patterns. If you trace the pattern onto your wood blank, carving destroys it! Some carvers try to imprint the pattern in their mind, which may also require periodic refreshing. In my own case, I spend a lot of time studying the major lines of a pattern and converting...