[Bob_in_TN]

Thought I'd try to shrink one of Ron Ransom patterns that I had done years ago. The santa is fairly simple, but found that it was no easier at the reduced size. It seemed my fingers were always in the way. Oh well, here's what I got.

[Kenny_S]

Nice one. I understand what you mean on fingers. Since mine are fat ones they definitely get in the way.

[wood-whittler]

nice work bob,


bart

[Mark N. Akers]

Bob:
Great job on the wee Santa,keep them coming.

[Tom H]

Hey Bob: very nice little Santa. Tell me, have you found out which works better on the small carvings - little knife or a big one? Tom H

[jillsy]

He's really cute!

Alot of people think bigger is better when it comes to carving; they don't realize how difficult carving minis can be. I think you did a great job! With practice, you'll see it gets easier.

Jillsy

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Hey Bob....cut the head off a drywall screw and drill a hole in a piece of dowel and put the cut end in the dowel and glue...makes it really easy to hold those little carvings!

[Bob_in_TN]

Thanks for all of your comments

Tom, I did most of the carving with a razor knife I had gotten from Rick, some with a Ron Wells that I have modified. Of course, anything else that I thought may help was also used.

Jillsy, I think they will improve as I do more of the mini's.

This has turned into more of a learning experience then I expected. I always try to learn from every carving I do, but in this case it was more unexpected. I had fun doing it, took the pictures, posted them, and now that I have looked at them on here, I'm not as happy as I was. But, here's the learning part. I think that after this, if I do mini's I'm going to take a couple of digital pic's before I paint, study the pic's, make adjustments, take more pic's, more adjustments, etc. When your working that small, it's hard to see (at least for me) all of the detail or lack of. But if you take the pic's, look at them larger then life size, you see things you would not normally see. So for me, I'm going to use the camera as another carving tool!

[Kenny_S]

Understand what you posted on learning experince. However, I don't adjust the carving I completed but try to change the next one. Sometimes the change or adjustment works and sometimes it doesn't. I hear a lot about carvers throwing away a piece they don't like. I don't as it does the mind and heart good to look back and see if there is any improvement or how much improvement that has been accmplished.
Just my thoughts.

Dave, I have what you suggested for painting but Have not used it to hold while carving. Mine was made from a 2 x 4 x 4 base with a 3/8 hole and dowell and a screw epoxed on the dowell. Works wonders for painting.

[Blake Lunsford]

Real nice Bob! I'm sure my fingers would just get in the way if I tried something that small! Keep it up!

Blake