[squbrigg]

Now there's something I did forget to mention. Curly's portable carving tray reminded me. I also have and use a carving tray, some of you may have seen a pic of it in my album. I'll post another here now.

It is simplly made from scrap 1" hard wood boards, cut in strips 3/8" thick, glued edge to edge in a tray shape. When glue is dry, sand flat, cut out the final shape on a band saw and add thin strips to edge and surface if you want compartments. The belly opening is made/cut to your own personal shape and a belly board/edging is steam bent and glued/nailed in place. I glued felt on the bottom for comfort. Finish with varnish.

If or when I make another, I'll include a small sliding trap to get rid of wood chips.

Bob

[dart]

I sit in my recliner with the tv on while I carve. I have a towel that I put on my lap to catch the chips. I dump the towel/chips into a plastic bag and save them. I have about 100 unfinished carvings in bags and boxes in my celler. They all need finished. Painted mostly. The few carvings I did finish are boxed to keep them dust free. I am working on making a carving shop in my celler. I guess I am a "lazy" carver?

[Woodartist]

Thanks for the picture Bob and it gives me even more ideas Between the 2 I have seen posted I will come up with something, but not finished as nice

[Eddy Smiles]

Bob...That looks more like a piece of fine furniture than a carving tray. Nice work.

Here in the house I usually end up scrunched over a large plastic waste bucket. But at the Dr's Office I prefer People Magazines... In between whittlin' you can always look at the pictures!

[kitaye]

THis has turned into a great thread. The pictures of the lap trays gives me ideas. Bob, I especially like yours with the belly notch. Need one of them for sure.

Right now I carve and let the chips fall onto my chest and belly. Once I'm done for the night I scoop my shirt up to catch the chips and dump them into a bucket I keep by the recliner. The chips get used as fire starter for our wood stove.

[Keithmc]

Sorry for being so late in response. I do my power carving in my workshop in the garage. I do my hand carving sitting in my den in front of the computer. However, I've been informed by my bride of 36 years that "my den" is beginning to show signs of being a complete disaster. I use a hand vac but cannot seem to pick up all the chips. I had suggested that I would really like to move the operation into the family room, I heard something about over some one's dead body or something to that effect. My question is how do you folks keep your areas so clean?
Keith

[Tom H]

Keith, Who said anything about keeping ones carving area so clean? My wife sometimes refers to me "Pigpen" from the Charlie Brown series. Everywhere I go there is a trail of wood chips. My biggest problem now is when cold weather gets here and I will be forced to do some work in my shop. That means before cold weather gets here I must clean the shop.
I been thinkin about contacting the FOX TV network, and Geraldo to be present when I clean the shop. We may find Jimmy Hoffa.....Tom H

[kitaye]

Keith, I pick up any of the big pieces and the rest gets vacuumed up. The entire house gets spring cleaned every three months or so. That seems to keep most of the accumulation down.

[Fred Zavadil]

My first carvings were carved on the dining table - you wanted a dinner, you had to clean some chips. I have a studio now and manage to "shed" most of the chips before I make it home which translates to no complaints from my wife anymore. I have a radio there but reading about a recliner, TV - hmmmmm, makes me think about the dining table again.......
I usually work on one project at the time.

[mikeg]

I do most of my carving on my lunch break at work. If it's nice out, I'll go sit under a tree with my pocket knife. If's it's cold out, I'll cover my keyboard at my desk and carve there. At home I usually carve in the tv room with my carvers apron. If I'm at the dentist or where ever, I have a pillow case that I open in my lap.

As far as the lap desks go, I like the looks of both of them. I keep thinking I should make one. Somebody had one a while ago that they had put a CD container on the bottom of and would sweep their chips into that. I like that idea.

mikeg