[cats pa]

Originally Posted by Lightningbolt

most of the time I pencil sketch it in before burning to be sure that all my spacing is going to work. Less often I will just count the letters in the words then just measure off the spacing with little pencil marks

I have to sketch it out to get a good result. I find that "M" and "W" need more room than "L" or "I", and if I don't compensate, it looks awkward, especially going around a curve or other irregular shape.

There's a whole science concerning the proportions of letters and numbers, and how fancy they can get before they're unreadable. Don't know much about it, just know it exists.

I admit this rather sheepishly, but I can't recall ever eating a turnip, unless maybe one was disguised as a pork chop or something and I didn't know it. But I agree with susie about growing your own. Also, my girlfriend says I have nice legs...

Parker

[Banjo]

Dave, I love your Santa's. Very unique and sooo well done! Those are lucky people that are going to receive them!!

[Colin_Partridge]

Nice Santa's really well done I am sure who ever gets them will give them a good home. BTW did you know that before pumpkins, turnips were used as jack a lanterns. They look really good though making me hungry for turnip.
Colin

[windsong]

Thanks Dave for the information.I sure would like to have one of those fancy wood burners!!!
windsong

[Eddy Smiles]

As usual, nice job on the Santas! As for the turnips, I always thought that they were an aquired taste! Back in the 50's when I was a kid my folks were a poor a church mice and my Mom use to grow them in our garden as one of our staples. Never could aquire a taste for them.... same for succatash!

[Lightningbolt]

Thanks again for all the comments and to Parker for adding his lettering hints since we can never have enough information.

I sorta got diverted last week and spent part of my precious santa carving time doing some decorative nameplates then started another chainsaw carving, but somehow I managed to finish my third triangular santa yesterday. I tried to slow down a little and give more thought to the detail on this one such as making his beard a little more interesting with some "waving" (instead of the generic flat & straight) and I got the hair on the sides of his head looking something like the nutty professor.

There's been a lot of santa's posted with the hat drooping to one side or the other so I decided to give that a shot. That was an interesting little experiment and the little white ball on the end of his hat is the only part of the santa that I completely carved from the rear side of the santa which adds another little interesting mind-twister for the recepient to ponder upon.

His mustache is a little different than I've ever attempted before as it's really seperated from the lower beard and is much more in line with his face. Not necesarily good or bad but just something that ended up different from what I normally do.

Anyhow, I hope ya'll like him.

[Eddy Smiles]

That's a keeper Dave!