How much carving time?

[Mischief]

I was just wondering just how much time daily does the average carver spend carving in a day? I am lucky if I do 30 mins and sometime wonder what can be achieved in 30 mins. But I figure I am not achieving much because I am still correcting mistakes rather then making correct cuts to get the image I have in my head. I guess there is a part of me looking for a rule of thumb....you know...."practice piano for 1hr everyday if you want to be proficient". Do scales to practice? I have to admit I do spend more time reading the forum and reading the WCI then actually carving! lol.

[RUssL.]

My discipline is to actually put tool-to-wood for at least a half hour a day so as not to slip into "Beginner's Syndrome" where one gets all tied up collecting tools, toys, info and never spends enough time actually doing something to improve skills.
The golf and fly fishing industries (and lord knows who else) make their livings off those stuck in that syndrome.
I don't intend to fall for it when it comes to carving.
The fun is in the doing, not in the preparing to be doing.

RussL.

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

I don't think there's an answer to your question.

I happen to be a recreational carver, so whenever I feel like it, for however long I feel like it. Some times a couple minutes, sometimes a couple hours and sometimes not at all.

Then there are people who make all or part of their living off of it. They carve or starve.

[Gear Dog]

I'm still new to carving so I carry my stuff with me where ever I go. If I'm at work and stuck on the phone I always have something small to work on. I usually do some on the way home while I'm on the train. I just keep everything in my bag so I don't make a mess. Then at home when all is quiet I try to spend some time carving. All in all anywhere from 30minutes to 2 hours a day.

[Irishman]

If I start a carving, I couldn't put less than 30 minutes into it as I get carried away. During the week, I would average 2 hours at a time. On weekends it can stretch b/w 4-6 hours at a time - depending on what stage I am at and size of mallet I am using. If I'm carving a large green log, I try to finish it quickly only because it will start checking if I don't seal it soon.
Patrick

[Tom-H]

Since I am retired, and my wife still thinks carving is work; I can "work" as much as I want. I usually spend three to four hours in a day with a knife in my hand. If I am preparing for some sort of show, art festival, or demonstration; that four hours may turn into lots more. Yeah! I know, I got it made. Now if I were just a better carver.

Tom H

[kitaye]

I'm not average but I have recently started tracking my time on carvings. It seems I spend an average of 2 hours a day carving but it works out as 4 hours one day, none the next, an hour the next, and so on. Once I started tracking my hours I was amazed at how much time I spent on specific projects.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

I'd say I spend about 25 hours a week carving and another five or so just piddling around the shop doing things associated with carving. While people constantly ask how long it took to do something I really don't try to keep track. I have even seen carvers who write the time spent on something on the bottom of the piece. To what purpose I have no idea. The finished product is the important thing no matter if it took an hour or a hundred hours.

[bbeery]

I like Plain-0l-Ed's "recreational carver" theory. I carve sometimes for 30 minutes, sometimes for 2 hours, sometimes never for 2 weeks or a month. Just whenever the mood strikes and nothing more important needs doing on the ranch.

[TreeWizard]

I gave my business to my daughter a couple of years ago and most of my time was taken up just sitting around. I took a carving class this past January and since then I carve at least 3 hours per day.
It keeps me busy and that keeps the wife happy.