Would it suit me?

[Tazehale]

Let me start off with telling a bit about myself;

I'm 21 years old living in British Columbia, Canada with my girlfriend, we're avid snowboarders in the winter and hikers/mountain bikers in the summer, we're both self employed writers for a gaming magazine.

Most of my younger life in school and such I enjoyed doing origami so it's safe to say I like working with my hands which is why I'm interested in woodworking (not sure of the exact types/names of them).

After doing some research on google I decided to goto youtube and check out some videos (who would of guessed) and then I saw whittler0507's videos and he just makes it look so much fun, I watched his entire "5 minute wizard video" and it liked a blast and took his advice and went and bought some of the older Woodcarving Illustrated magazines (the 5 min wizard one was my first choice seeing as he said it was a good place for a beginner to start).

So while I'm waiting for it to arrive I just had a few questions:

1. Seeing as I'm pretty active and outdoorsy would this hobby suit me well? there's days where it's sometimes colder than -30c and we just stay inside instead of snowboarding (brr frostbite) so would I be able to do it casualy or is it something you have to work for long periods of time at?

2. I noticed in a lot of videos everyone had the exact same blocks of wood, are they purchasable somewhere, or do you just cut them yourselves?

3. I was personaly amazed by how the 5 minute wizard looks, what kind of carving was that exactly? and what tools would I need for it?

4. What kinds of woods do you use? I noticed when whittler0507 was cutting his wizard, it almost looked like soft butter.

Thanks in advance for answering my questions, awaiting your replies :-D

Sean

[William]

Hi Sean and welcome to the forum,

1. Woodcarving is an excellent inside hobby and can be done casually.

2. Most carvers use Basswood and small blocks can be purchased in a
Michaels arts and crafts store but it will be more expensive than ordering from a wood supplier but it's a good place to start.

3. I've not tried the Wizard yet but I think it would be considered "Flat-Plane". Tom used a pocket knife because he does a lot of carvings away from home but I would suggest a fixed blade knife "bench knife" for your work.

4. The Wizard in WCI is made from basswood.

HappY Trails
Bill
^v^

ps; I wish digital SLR's were around when I was backpacking, the pictures in my collection would be a lot better than the limited film shots I have (take lots of pictures Sean). Photography is my outside hobby, I have the older XTi but one of the hottest deals today is the new Canon Digital Rebel XSi with the image stabilizer lens.

[mtngoat]

Tazehale,

I am new here but I will try to answer your questions

1. The great thing about carving is you can setit down when you don't want to work on it and pick it back up when you are ready. So you can put as much or as little time into it as you want.

2. You can purchase blocks of wood from places like Woodcraft or online at Heinecke Wood Products, you can buy a large block of wood and cut it down your self if you have a saw, or you can buy smaller blocks that are ready to carve.

3. The 5 Minuite wizard is done in Flat plane carving, you only need a knife and a v-tool tyo get started, ask Gene Messer (whittler0507) for info he is on this board and excellent at flat plane carving.

4. In the videos Gene is using basswood. It is a good wood to carve, some say it is the best carving wood out there. But there are choices: Butternut, White Pine, and many others just research carving wood.

You will find a great amount of wood carving knowledge and friendly people here willing to answer any questions you may have. Wood carving/whittling is fun and relaxing but when you start off start simple and work your way up to the complex pieces so you do not get discouraged.

Good choice in hobbies and happy carving

goat.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Get a beginners carving kit from Rick at Littleshavers.com....then you are in the country where there is lots of basswood and butternut..on your hikes watch out for them...also agree....Heinecke is the place to get wood!

[Lonewolfcarver]

Hey Tazehale, welcome to the forum. I think woodcarving would be a perfect fit. Mountain biking and hiking in the summer is a great way to find wood for carving while wandering through the bush. Good luck!
Shawn

[Pete Rieger]

greetings from BC as well. Woodcarving is an excellent hobby, and goes great with an outdoor lifestyle. Things like those 5 minute wizards can be carved from local wood with a utility knife pretty much anywhere, anytime. I know that most of our larger cities have stores that sell carving supplies. I prefer Swiss Made, and would say not to buy no name brand tools. The easiest thing to do is just start whittling with a small sharp knife. Yellow cedar, red cedar,alder,pine, spruce,and cottonwood bark all carve very well and can be had free if your'e in the right place, say where you live and I might be able to give you more info. Basswood must be bought as its not native although there are private specimens around in yards and parks.If you have a Windsor plywood store they carry exotic wood and carving wood, at least in PG they do. When collecting wood, try to use clear( means knot free) wood with straight grain,dry is preferable to green in most cases as green wood often cracks as it dries and shrinks.Those wizards are a great place to start and can be carved from scraps of 2x4s and such as most of them are spruce and pine.I hope this helps you get started on a rich and satisfying hobby.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Like the others have said, wood carving is a great hobby and craft to get involved with. However, it does require lots of time spent in a stationary position so for those of an active disposition it might be a hard craft to follow. While the 5-minute Wizard is a good example of what one can do in a short time most carvings take much longer. As you and your girlfriend like to hike and explore in the warmer months I would suggest starting out with a few walking sticks. While assisting you up and down the hills and mountains one of these carved sticks might come in handy even during your winter snowboarding excursions to encourage other boarders to clear out your way on your downward descents!

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Or your downward descents even LOL

[Kindlyoldpoop]

Hello, I do most of my small carving sitting in my chair listening to reruns on TV I just put a plastic tray in my lap to catch the shavings and pick up a knife or chisel and Im ready to go, so for me it very much an indoor hobby, some bigger projects require a vice on a bench but for the most part mine are done in the house.

[Tazehale]

Ah thanks for all the positive replies, and unfortunately I live in a smaller town, but fortunately the next town 30 minutes away is massive and has a Arts and Crafts store the size of a small city, I always hovered through the wood carving section and it always peaked my interest, but never could get myself to pick up the supplies, now that I hear your replies I'll be heading right over there :-D

What are some good chipping/flat plane kits? I hear a lot of people talking about Pfiel I think it's called?

Thanks again :-D
Sean