whittling a tripod from 1 piece

[wood4tom]

Happy New Year!
I'm looking for a pattern or picture or directions on how to carve a tripod from 1 piece of wood. Anyone ever see this?

Thanks,
Tom G. in NC

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Made a couple by taking a piece of 1 x 2 and making two cuts lengthwise, cutting the board in 3rds......two legs come forward, one leg goes back...used a 1/4.. 20.. carriage bolt on it.....hope this helps

[Don by the lake]

Tom
I have a carving that was bought at a garage sale a few years ago. It is carved from one peice of wood. I think this is what you are looking for. Hope it helps!

[taropatch]

Thanks Don for the pic.

Was wondering if anyone had the layout for this project? I wouldn't know where to start.

[bethc]

There are some instructions (of sorts) in an old E.J. Tangerman book, Whittling and Woodcarving, copyright 1936. I have a Dover Publication edition, copyright 1962, and I've seen a copy available at my local public library. Hope that helps some.

Beth

[taropatch]

bethc,

Thanks for the info.
Found these three Tangerman books in the state library system:

1001 designs for whittling and woodcarving
The modern book of whittling and woodcarving
Tangerman's Basic whittling and woodcarving

None of these matches your title, so I guess I'll have to just look through them. Your comment "of sorts" doesn't sound like its much of any help. Lots of Tangerman material depends on "seeing and copying" so I know what you mean :-) Thanks again!

[bethc]

Hey, Tom G. in N.C., where in N.C. are you? I'm in Kings Mountain and use the Gastonia main branch library. If you're anywhere close by, I could perhaps get a copy of the layout to you.

Taropatch, there's a good chance you will find instructions in one of the other books. In my book, the information is in the section about whittling chains. Tangerman says that the tripod is just an outgrowth of whittling triple interlocking rings. The left ring must tilt up, and the right two tilt down. Of course, instead of just carving rings, you put a long leg on opposite sides of the rings.

Tangerman starts with a block of wood 1 1/2" X1 3/4"X6". This he whittles into a rough hexagon that is slightly wider in one direction than the other. The legs of a single link take up alternate corners of the hexagon on the 6" length of the block. On the hexagon face, you will have a leg (or foot, or head, or whatever) at every other vertex. The interlocking links are carved from the center portion of the 6" length.

Hopefully this made sense and will be helpful. Oh yeah, Tangerman also mentioned that the tripod is an old East Indian and Jamaican trick, so you might find further information in books or articles about carving from those areas of the world.

Beth