One-hour Wizard

I was inspired by readers' letters to try my own 5-minute wizard. My first one took about one hour.

I received some very motivating letters in reference to Tom Hindes' 5-Minute Wizard (featured in WCI Summer 2008, Issue #43). Many beginner carvers shared their stories of how the wizard article was the push they needed to finally put knife to wood. John W. from Oak Harbor, Wash., relayed that although it took him several hours to complete his first wizard, the project helped him develop his carving skills. John used the same steps to successfully carve many similar projects.

After reading Howard Hawrey's tip on making a layout guide for Tom's wizard, I was inspired to give the project a try. So many readers were achieving success and having fun with this project that I was a bit embarrassed by the fact I hadn't carved one myself.

I had several small basswood blocks and I cut the largest one in half on my scroll saw. I didn't do a very good job of cutting the block, so I ended up with only one 4"-long triangle. I then sat down to carve my own 5-Minute Wizard. When I made the cuts to separate the nose from the face, I must have cut too deep, because I split the nose right off the face. You'll notice a very flat nose on the larger wizard. I tried to salvage it, because it was the only 4"-long block I had. You can also see some pretty rough cuts on the first wizard. I have yet to master sharpening and my knives could really use some attention. My first attempt took about an hour. I was pretty pleased with the outcome and started carving a second wizard right away.

At this point, I was down to 2" blocks, so he would have to be a miniature wizard. I decided to use a disposable X-Acto blade for this carving and it went much smoother (further proof that my knives really need sharpened). Considering the wizard was much smaller, and I was using a sharp blade, it's not surprising that I was able to carve the second wizard in about half an hour. I even dug out a palm V-tool (also in need of sharpening) and added a bit of texture to the beard. I spent another hour painting the little guys. My miniature wizard looks more like a gold miner, but I'm very proud of him.

Next, I think I'll try carving another wizard and finishing him with stains instead of paint. I also need to find someone to write a really good beginner article on sharpening!

Shannon Flowers