A first post - and a first carving!

jwoair23 · #1 12-31-2007, 12:41 AM

Hello, my name is Jordan, I'm 22, and have just started getting into the hobby of wood carving. I bought a set of flex cut tools, and have had a lot of fun so far! Although I have gotten a cut in my finger which gave me 3 stitches when the arm of a cross broke!

But that aside, I wanted to post pictures of my first carving and get your guys thoughts. I am very envious of so many of your caricatures you all have made, I hope to get a lot better with time. My next carving I am going to try to do an indian.

With this carving, I don't have a bandsaw, so it was out of a solid piece of basswood. I made it up as I went along, with no pattern. I know the head is kind of square, but I did that on purpose, I wanted a big head, and I kind of liked the blockiness of the head. I used acrylic paint (first time painting too!) and then linseed oil, and then I roughed it up a bit with sandpaper in spots.

I apologize about the terrible picture quality, but the only camera I have is my cell phone camera.

I welcome any thoughts, critiques, comments. I hope to become an active part of this great community you have here, and be able to make carvings on par with the rest of yours!

Eddy Smiles · #2 12-31-2007, 12:21 PM

Jordan... Nice work! Before you start your next project get to a Walmart and pick yourself up a stainless steel fish filleting glove (cloth gloved with stainless steel threads) that they sell in the sports department. Most of the carvers on this forum will tell you that it's not too cool to carve without a glove and a thumb guard. They will save you a lot of stitches and trips to the emergency room!

Mottles · #3 12-31-2007, 01:02 PM

Hi Jordan and welcome. Sorry to hear you cut yourself, seems it part of the hobby. Eddy is right carving gloves and thumb guards are an important part of your carving equipment. A tip for a thumb guard is to go to your local pet store (PetsMart etc) Feed & Grain. Purchase some Pet Wrap used for securing bandages. It's strechy and adheres to itself, and will form around your thumb. Do several thickness and don't forget to cover the tip of the thumb also. Or you can buy thumb guards already made, but I find the pet wrap works great. If it gets soiled I just make another one!
Thank you for sharing your carving and keep up the good work.
Kathy

gene messer · #4 12-31-2007, 02:18 PM

Jordan .. Thats a good try for your first piece ..

Oh the pains of being christen with your first hand cuts .. we have all been a member of that club ..

Jordan .. Thanks so much for getting started and practice , practice , practice ... All of us started once ourselves and remember this ..

The face is shaped much like a egg .. so think about that when you work on your second piece ..

I can see by the excitement and drive that your well on your way to being a dedicated carver ... Gods Bless for you young carvers to take up the slack when us older guys start slacking off in time ..

Gene

wood-whittler · #5 12-31-2007, 03:00 PM

jordan,

good work on the first try, like gene has said just keep practicing and practicing,

bart

Coffeeman · #6 12-31-2007, 03:59 PM

Jordan,

Thanks for sharing your first carving with us, you'll be amazed at how fast your carvings will change and develope with each new one. Good job on your first piece.

One helpful hint I'd like to share, is that what helped me out very much was in attending a local carving club, sonme meet weekly others 1 or 2 a month, but see if there is one in your area and stop in, you'll pick up alot of ggod advise and a carving friend or two. Bill

Eddy Smiles · #7 12-31-2007, 04:33 PM

Kathy.... Excellent tibit! I wear a standard leather thumb guard but I also give it a thin wrap of the bandage wrap to hold it in place better. I'm betting that the Pet wrap is a lot cheaper than buying the bandage wrap at Walgreen's. We were just at Pet Smart on Friday. I wish that I had known. I'll look for it the next trip.

jbboston · #8 12-31-2007, 05:51 PM

Hey Jordan, That's a great start to a wonderful hobby! While it's great to admire the work you see on this site, don't knock yourself out trying to be like them, be yourself! When it comes down to it, the only person you have to please with your carvings is yourself. Keep carvin' and enjoy!
J. B.

Hi_Ho_Sliver · #9 12-31-2007, 06:52 PM

the wallyworld fish gloves only come in large at our store, way to big for me.....Rick has an excellent glove at littleshavers....been carving about 10/11 years now and just got my second one!

jillsy · #10 12-31-2007, 07:23 PM

Hi Jordan,

So glad you shared your first carving. It's so fun seeing the work of new carvers - it's so refreshing! Also, make sure you keep alot of your first carvings so you can see how much you've progressed a year from now. Believe it or not, no matter how good you get, your first ones will always be special!

Jillsy