Stylizied Baby Elephant

Tom H · #1 05-24-2007, 08:14 PM

I think I just made a good trade. I carved this stylizied baby elephant while sitting in the Dentists waiting room. Now I did not know the Dentists wife collected elephant figures. Dentist needed a gift for wife, I needed some used dental burrs. I carved the elephant with the pocket knife, sanded it, stained it and buffed with wax. He gave me maybe 100 burrs, with the promise of more to come. Oh! he did mention Mom and Dad elephant.....Tom H

GeorgiaCarver · #2 05-24-2007, 09:19 PM

Good job Tom! Not often you get the best of a dentist....

Nice looking elephant, I have got to learn to do small projects while I am waiting. What type of wood was it? Again, love the elephant, thank you for sharing it with us.

Greg

feb · #3 05-24-2007, 10:16 PM

Tom, nice work, what's a dental burr? how does pertain to carving. feb

gene messer · #4 05-24-2007, 10:57 PM

WOW Tom ... 100 burrs .. what a trade !

Great looking elephant ..

If you play your cards right .. who know's .. perhaps free dental care for years to come .. Wouldnt that be a miracle ..

That's why I love carving with just a knife so much ... not only can you carve anywhere .. but you meet , talk , and trade favors with people who just see your work for the first time ..

great job Tom

Gene

Thomp · #5 05-25-2007, 02:17 AM

Tom if them is used burs, look into getting them into an autoclave bleach bath and dip in alcohol...

you dont know what they were used on, and its likely you might catch something....
unless the dentest sanitized them for ya,

in case of the latter as Edith? of laugh in use to say "NEVERMIND!"

when we was kids we use to go to the army salvage store and get dental tools, round saw blades, shot needles for oiling our slot cars and everything imaganable from there lots looked like blood stained items, saws and such, but we never cought anything that i know of... now days? wow its like a jungle out there of communicable deseases........
be careful folks

i got a slug of them from my dentest but he wouldnt give me the used ones all mine were new in the cards... hope you got that lucky...

workinforwood · #6 05-25-2007, 06:29 AM

Thanks for that tip Thomas...I hadn't thought about that and I get burrs from the dentist all the time for free...used ones of course. He was showing me how he sharpens them in reverse on a stone too, but never mentioned the disease part that never crossed my mind also. I haven't used any of the burrs yet, they are in a match box, so I'll toss them in some oven cleaner.

The elephant looks great. What's the wood, and does it have a tail? Who cleaned up all the wood chips on the floor? <wink> My dentist never leaves me to wait more than a couple minutes. It would be pretty funny to bring in a couple big burrs and some wood into the dental chair and power up with the dental drill while waiting. I can't imagine the looks I'd get.

Tom H · #7 05-25-2007, 07:58 AM

Thanks folks, for peekin at the baby elephant. Dental burrs were put into the oven at 180 degrees, now they are stored in a can in alcohol.

The wood, believe it or not is redwood. I also soaked (and I mean soaked) it in alcohol too; and still hard to carve.

I kept the chips in my lap for the most part. I cleaned up too.

I am just now finding uses for the dental burrs. I have a WECHEER $29 detail rotary carver, with an adjustable chuck. This piece of equipment is so under powered that it's perfect to add details to a small carving, like the folds in an ear. You can also use the burrs to clean up messy/fuzzy knife cuts. If you use them in a more powerful rotary carver they might get away from you purty easily.

The baby elephant does have a little tail too.

Actually I am about to start a small Noah's Ark with a limited number of baby animal pairs.

Thanks again, Tom H

jillsy · #8 05-25-2007, 08:30 AM

Really cute, Tom. And your story is cute too! I love hearing little stories like this and how people barter their carvings. It works out for everyone!

I never understand how some of you can carve in offices, malls, etc. Maybe it just comes with experience, but when I carve, chips fly everywhere. I think I'd get alot of people angry if I carved in public!

Jillsy

Tom H · #9 05-25-2007, 08:53 AM

Jillsy, I think I'll start a new thread titled "Carving in Public". I am sure that there would be lots of carvers that both do carve in public, and lots who would if they had a little push.

I am sure you have heard of the phrase "babe magnet". Well some one carving in public is a kid magnet.

Thanks, Tom H

mikeg · #10 05-25-2007, 09:23 AM

Boy Tom, isn't that the truth! I haven't been carving much lately but yesterday I chaperoned a field trip for my youngest daughter's class. It was a perfect day for the Shelburne Museum which is a group of buildings, a train, a paddle boat, etc spread out on a large compound.

About 1/2 an hour before the bus was ready to head back, I suggested we park ourselves in the shade since we were all tired. On a whim I pulled out my handy Double Cross and a 1x1x3 piece of basswood that had been sitting in my pack for who knows how long and carved a face. By the time I was done, there were 8-10 kids gathered around.

I gave it to one of the kids and had time to knock out another before the bus came. The kids loved them. It also helped fire me up to get back to carving. A win-win situation!

mikeg