[CK Ole Tyme Wood Carver]

Hi My name is Chris Mize. CK's Ole Tyme Wood Carver. I'm still really new at this web site so I hope I'm in the right section. Also I've never been able to get the spell check to work so please bear with me.I recently put some of my carvings on the site as i had really never displayed any of my work before.I was very happy with the response and suggestions.also every ones honest opinions. But I have a larger question now that I did not mention before as I won'ted me work to be judged for the carving and nothing else.Ineed some good advice and suggestions from some seasoned wood carvers.I found out about 7 yr's ago that I have Multipule Sclerosis. At first I was just alittle shaky and weak from time to time. But now 7yr,s later the weakness in my arms and and otherthings make it practicaly imposable to roughout my own work.Now you have to undetrstand that When I started carving I vowed never to use power tools I like to do things the old way but I think that the time has come to consider some power carving equip. to do my roughing. I hate to have to as I was a tool maker for 20 yr's and carved steel allday every day on machines. But if it keeps me carving thats good enough for me I am carving roughouts that I order in the mean time Oh! and by the wayI have an uncle who carves and he said to me once that carving roughouts was cheating and not really carving,But I've done both and right now they sure are fun and still challenging with my shaky hands Anyway got off the subject told you I was new at this. so Please I'm open to any and all advice and ideas about how to keep carving my own roughouts to if possable. Thanks for listening and I look forward to your words of wisdom. Chris CK

[Keoma]

I can tell you there is no such thing as "cheating" If you are still carving, it does not matter what your carving...as long as you are! Much love!

[Just Carving]

An alternative is to use power to get rid of most the waste wood--to a point where you feel comfortable that you're still carving by hand, and then use hand tools to continue on until you've finished the carving to your satisfaction. And don't feel self-conscious about having MS--we have many carvers here who have physical limitations--sight, hearing, manual dexterity, etc. and if there is a will, there is a way. And your way is the only one that counts for you. So, if you want to do eveything by hand, great! But if there's a day you want to carve, and you just don't have the physical ability or strength, do what you can and don't worry about it. It's no one's business except you're own.

The only things I say to do that are mandatory:

1) KEEP CARVING!!

2) BE HAPPY!!

Bob L

[Keoma]

Amen!

[Ron T]

Hey Chris,

Glad you made it public here even if we already "talked" about it. It makes it easier for the carvers here to help you if they know what you're up against.

People say a lot of things and I believe they're entitled to an opinion so I'm going to give them one, mine. LOL.

Let's say you draw up a design and you transfer it to a block of wood and you don't have a bandsaw so you ask me to cut it out for you. I hand you back a rough out. Is that cheating? What about a carver using a chain saw, is that cheating? I know carvers who use a mallet with their chisels. Am I going to call them cheaters because I can't or don't use it? No, different strokes for different folks.

Because of my condition, my muscles get weaker the more I use them. Now I could stop carving, and do what? Watch TV all day? No way.

So, even though I love to use my knives, I use a reciprocating chisel and a Dremel to do most of the rough work and then finish with my knives and scrapers. To tell you the truth, I find sanding to be the most difficult part of the process.

Anyway, the whole idea behind carving is to release the figure trapped in the wood.

Good luck my friend.

[CK Ole Tyme Wood Carver]

This is CK (Chris) Oh, and the K is for Keith Middle name. Doing the roughing with some type of power carver is what I've been thinking about,but I don't know much about power carving tools I mean what do you think would be better , Reciprocating carver, Rotay carver,and then you have the cutters that fit on a side grinder, but having spent many hours behind a side grinder as a tool maker this is really no easyer than mallet and carving tools.So I guess I really need some suggestions on whats avalable, what works best, what don't and what is easiest to use. So Thank you for your replies and thoughts so far as well as your incoragment.And I'm still open to all suggestions and ideas that any of you have. Thanks and I look forward to any more ideas. Chris Mize CK P.S. Can anybody tell me how the spell check works?

[Ron T]

Hey Chris,

I've got a Dremel with a flex shaft and the reciprocating chisel, also on a felxible shaft conbects to the Dremel. I got them from Treeline USA
TreelineUSA: The Woodcraft Specialists You can ask for a catalog or just look at their stuff online.

It would be best if you could try it out before buying.

[CK Ole Tyme Wood Carver]

Ron T. You know I have a Dremel w/ a flex shaft. Now is what you are talking about just a regular Dremel and is there a recipricating head that will fit a Reg. Dremel. On the other hand what are the best type of bits to use for rotory work I tried a couple of bits that Dremel makes they are just like Kutzall bits and they really didn't move wood the way I thought they should and they were real bad about gumming up. I don't know if it was the bits or the way I was using them. but it do'es sound like we're on to somthing now. Thanks Ron Chris M

[Just Carving]

CK,

When you want to post a reply--click on the "Go Advanced" button--down below. You'll go to a bigger window and there's a spell check button. Click on it and you should be good.

Bob L

[Ron T]

Hi Chris,

You need to take a look at Treeline's catalog. It will tell you which Dremel models the reciprocating carver will fit.

I don't use my Dremel for a lot of "hogging" out wood so I can advise you there. Sorry.