This past weekend I enrolled in a seminar on Basic Chip Carving, taught by Dennis Moor, had a wonderful learning experience, keep in mind, up to this point, I never even owned a chip carving knife until his class.

Attached pictures of my practice boards done in the class. Taking seminars is a fantastic way to learn, Dennis taught us the everything from how to hold a knife, drawing out patterns, how to make the cuts, etc. It was a great learning experience that I will cherrish for a long time.

Have a project or two in mind, after I get sure enough of my cuts through more practice boards & practice boards, on the basic cuts.

As some of you know, I enjoy experiencing new things in carving, and wanted to learn the correct way to chip carve before the bad habits set in. Its another demension in carving that I'm glad to play around with.....Not sure if I'm ready to deal with chainsaw carving just yet, sticking with my knifes and gouges for now.

Again, these are just my first attempts at practice cuts in chip carving, can't wait to do my first small project probably some coasters for the dining room table to start with.

[squbrigg]

Great start Coffeeman....I can see lots of ideas forming in those practice cuts. So many styles and shapes, put them together in the right combinations, and they will be calling you Chipman instead of Coffeeman! Good luck with your projects.

Bob

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Good Job Bill! You are lucky....to be close enough to take classes must be great! I wish I would have known, I would have asked you to say hello to Dennis....I have never met him in person, but dealt with him numerous times and usually on the phone, he is a great guy and has been helpful to me several times. I learned to chip carve by using Wayne Bartons book, and following his directions to the "T" even if they seemed very awkward (which they were)...but they work and eventually are not awkward at all.....I think Wayne Barton is the master chip carver in the US and Dennis in Canada and they are both fine men.

[MelNM]

Looks like you went to a good class, I have been trying to incorparate chip carving into some of my carvings

[papasar]

Nice work!
Look out! The chip carving bug is not easy to catch, but once you get it....... It is probably the least expensive of all types of carving except one knife whittling. I enjoy it because of the ease of creating various types of gifts that can be custom made to suit almost any occasion. Doesn't make much of a mess e.g I carve at the office, in my car, doctor's office etc. I carve plates, crosses, tissue boxes, shelves, name plates, plaques, inspirational sayings, all of which are done as gifts for people I know.
carving.
Bill K.

[meipo]

I envy you for being close enough to take the class with the famous "Pop"! As matter of fact, I first got attracted by seeing images of chip carving as I literally freeze with mouth wide open. I got knives made by Dennis Moore and they are great to use. I am also learning from reading his book. It is not as great as getting someone to show you in person and correct you when you make mistakes. I practice martial arts in the evening. I find carving and doing martial arts very similar: learning to focus and control your body so something will happen in the way you want. It's a lot of repetition until you can move consistently. It is amazing how many things you ahve learnt and how beautiful your cuts are just from taking one class!

meipo

[Anthony Filetti]

Bill,
Great job! ...and by the way thanks for the free coffee (Phil & Vicki's)...

[jax]

Coffee Man, those practice cuts look great!

Jax.

[Mottles]

Oh I agree with everyone nice work! Looking forward to seeing somemore chip carving from your worktable. Yeah, HI HO I don't live in an area either that offers woodcarving classes or workshops. We have some excellent woodcarvers in our carving club that could teach a workshop. It's just getting them to do it.
Kathy

[mdallensr]

Coffeeman, been there and done that, with the same great results. Dennis Moor came to Ohio to do a weekend chip carving class for our group. He's a great teacher. I have a similar set of practice boards, and I still have the washer he gave us to draw the circles. It almost ended up on my mower deck a couple of years ago, but that's another story. Mike