[Eddy Smiles]

I keep tellin' you guys and gals that they don't make an apron or a sheet big enough to catch all the chips us carvin' fools let loose! And Mama ain't never gonna be happy!

[Revlis]

Originally Posted by Thomp

I lay out a bed sheet, then set on it and i also use a bbq apron with the big pockets separated, but i fed a safety wire into the top front of hem on the pockets it stands out and catches most the chips, the wire is plyable so it dont get into the way..
the sheet can be picked up and dumped into the flower beds....

I'll fess up, I've found myself carving this or that in front of the tube... It gets kinda lonely out there in the garage sometimes. The bed sheet trick is the ticket in my limited experience. Works great.

We recently replaced the old trusty sofa with some new High Quality Leather chairs and Ottomans though, so the Slate top coffee table went away along with the comfy sofa. Not sure if carving in front of the TV is going to work anymore or not... Haven't tried it yet, but I suspect I'll get a raised eyebrow should I start draggin out a sheet so I can carve something now...

[Dennis Taylor]

I have tried the "WOOD WHITTLERS", idea of using a needlepoint wood hoop, and put a pillow case in the hoop, there is just a small wooden blocks with a bolt thru them to tighten the case in the oval wooden hoop, very light weight, and it really works very nicely...I got the hoop from Pat Catan's for 2.00, and had an old pillow case, the oval shape sits over your lap, and the chips easily fall into the opening, flip it inside out to clean....it was a great idea, and works nicely....dennis

[Donna_T]

Hello all,
I have a bit of different perspective on living room messed up with wood chips. My husband RARELY ever notices a mess in the house, let alone clean it up. He laughs from time to time when someone comes by the house and I'm flinging wood chips...says his recliner has tater chips upder it--mine has wood chips! We definitely live in our living room--fireplace and tv.

I've had a lapbox for 15 years...about 1" deep and about 18x20" and one side curved to fit around my tummy. I put a strip of velcro along the front edge, cut off an oversized apron and put a strip of velcro along the middle of it to match that on the lapbox. So when I sit down, I put the neck strap over my head, stick down the velcro, and flip the "wings" of the apron over the arms of my recliner and start carving. If I'm roughing out a carving, I may get large chips on the carpet, but most of the chips either fall into the lap box or on the apron. When finished, I take the neck strap off and lay it over the top of the box, and fold the "wings" over the top, then take the whole thing outside and dump the woodchips over the edge of the deck to mulch the yard. I can strip off the apron from the box if it needs a good beating to get the chips off.

A couple of years ago, I made a 2" rack to fit into the far side of the lap box with large routed circles in it. That way I can keep my carving tools in it and out of the woodchips.

It's a good way to spend time in the same room as your spouse while they are watching tv. Since mine never runs the sweaper, I'm the only one to clean the mess anyway.

Donna T

[Eddy Smiles]

Oh! You are a very special woman indeed! Indeed! Indeed!.......