s'been ages!

urbansheepdog · #1 08-07-2010, 06:34 AM

Well, after the best part of a year, I finally managed to pick up a knife again. My box of knives were all shiny unlike me who was rusty, siezed up and needed several squirts of WD40 on all my joints!

I'd seen Arleen's (carverswoodshop) video on Youtube with the little duckling and wanted to have a go at that one but sort of 'stylised' instead of detailed.
Boy, was I rusty with a knife! I think there was more sitting looking and head scratching going on than cutting! Haha!
I then had a go at a 'Woodie' which didn't go too badly considering and a couple of Wee Guys which I've still to finish the faces on. (need to have a few hacks at some scrap pieces first)
I must admit it felt really good sitting out the back whittling again. The chickens certainly enjoyed pecking about in the wood chips anyways!
At the same time, I didn't want to just jump back in where I left off so I've been doing some reading up on power carving and bought a Wecheer 1/4 HP power carver set-up and some Typhoon Burrs. I've started, well probably halfways through, a stylised carving of a dolphin on a splash and have cut out half a dozen blanks for a shelf mouse, Both pieces are in one of the books I've picked up. The power carving is a bit scary and can remove wood quicker than I can eat strawberry cheese cake and I need to watch out for my fingers with both of them! LOL!
I've still got quite a bit of varios hardwoods in the shed from making ukuleles in a past life, so I'll use the power carver on these and keep the Lime wood ( UK basswood ) for my whitlings. Well, that's the plan at the moment.