[jackim]

I'm new to carving--I've completed only a couple of simple projects (a wood duck feather and a santa). Due to time constraints and Christmas crafting, I have a couple projects "in progress" that I spend a few minutes on each weekend right now.

I want to try the Spiral shown in the Dec issue of the magazine, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to get the "pyramid" shape to begin with. I'm usually pretty bright and can catch on quickly to a visual concept but this one's got me stumped. I start with the 1" square basswood, but just cannot get the pyramid shape from the instructions, "mark a line from each of the four corners to the center of one end." ARRGHH. It sounds so simple but my old brain just can't "see" it. And I'm tired of ruining 1" sticks of basswood!

Can anyone help, or maybe send me a graphic with cutting lines marked?

Thanks!

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

if you hold the stick up, take a line from the right hand upper corner and draw to the bottom center, then a line from upper left corner to bottom center....do that on all four sides, then carve the corners down making a flat sided pyramid, then round the pyramid...... don't feel bad, we all go blank, sometimes ha ha!

Here is how i tackled the project, draw out as Hi Ho mentioned above, then remove the red areas. be careful when carving as you get closer to the point, it becomes easy to break off. Good luck>. Bill

[jackim]

Thanks for the graphic, I attempted this from the info in the article but ended up with an "eight-sided" figure. Then I went back to the drawing board and ended up with a really small pyramid when I took out all the wood you show in the red on each side. What do you cut with to get sharp edges on the pyramid shape? I'll probably continue to "cipher" on this in my sleep, maybe wake up with a solution in the wee hours one morning. I think I just need to work with what I've got, and learn by trial and error. Thanks again for the help.