New Carver in the Making

[mikeGinSC]

Howdy,

Took my 12 yr old granddaughter to my wood carver's meeting this past week and she really liked it. Of course, the first piece of wood I gave her to carve on was a tough nut to crack...African Mahogany with interlocking grain.Hammer

My six yr old granddaughter wanted to go too, but I think she's just a little young for carving, although I'm going to take her with me Saturday morning to a "Carve-In" at Hagood Mill in Pickens, SC on Hwy 178 just north of town. I hope she will enjoy it. I doubt I'll bring anything to carve on unless it's perhaps a stick and a sharp pocket knife. I'm mostly going to see what everyone else is working on and selling.Talking

Am I correct in my thinking...the six year old is just a little too young for carving?

Thanks, Mike G. in SC

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

I guess it all depends on what era your living in. I started whittling when I was 4 or 5. But I grew up in the sticks, way back in the sticks. Totally unacceptable these days. You might start her on Ivory soap with plastic knives.

[Ron T]

Hi Mike G.,

Yeah, probably for knives.

I posted but couldn't find it so I'll write again about a guy who did duck cutouts and made small sanding bows and let the little ones sand them. You should have seen the concentration on their faces and fun they had.

The bows were bandsawn plywood with strips of sandpaper stapled to the ends.

[oldbearx2]

Hey Mike maybe let the wee ones start out with Ivory soap, fairly cheap and very easy to shape with just about anything, and very safe. I have a set of dentil tools that my five year old grandaughter uses for carving either in clay or soap. She will set in my carving room talking a mile a minute, asking a million questions and carving up a storm. She makes everything from cherry pies to hound dogs. Also when they are that young they are very teachable not like us old guys.

[Iowa Carver]

Good on you for teaching the grand kids. I think the soap and plastic knife is neat or even carve a wooden knife for her so she has one like yours ... almost!

Corey

[Buckskin]

I may be a bit off here, but if she has the dexterity and understands the responsibility of wielding a knife then don't hold her back.

Otherwise, I like the soap idea!

[chuckt]

I know everyone is big on soap for kids, but the new WCI (just got mine yesterday) has an article about a gent who teaches kids to carve using Yams. Says they're soft and easy to carve yet dry nice and hard to a wook like look & feel (which makes sense since they're roots - tubers). Me - I think I'd prefer that over the greasy overly scented feel & smell of soap. But either would be a good place to start with the little one.

Cheers
ChuckT

[oldbearx2]

She has used a knife a few times just to make some shavings and she enjoyed that, so we will be moving on to some simple projects. Also found her an xtra small carving glove at the local Woodcraft store so now I feel better about it. I like the idea of the yams will have to have her try it. Not only that when shes done carving we can have the shavings for supper.

[TreeWizard]

I let my young grandchildren carve with wooden knifes and potatoes. After they finish they can cook them up for dinner, after they show them off of course.

[Keoma]

I like the potato idea! my 5 ALMOST 6 year old will like to try that! He wants to help so bad...My 11 year old now creates with me. I think I am just to nervouse to give my baby a knife Good luck Mike!