Keep carving and your chance will come. I use the vet wrap too, but it won't stop the blade like the glove does.

I'm assuming that in order to get 'vet wrap' then the only place to get it is at the vet's, is that right or is there somewhere else to get it?
What kind of material is it? Does it protect well? I've never heard of it,tell me more, please.

My instructor told us 'be sure you're always in control'. Use a vise to hold or at least block it into a corner on a benchstop. A good pratice is using a controled cut using two thumbs one for guiding and one for pressure. Meijer's has a filleting glove the same as a carving glove but cheaper. Jesus shed blood for us, no need for us to.

[Captain_Bandaid]

:'( while we are on; the subject of safe carving, let me reiterate a message that the Editor of WCI posted on dust. This is more insideous than a cut: you can see a cut, lung disease takes a while, then it's too late. If you power carve and don't have a dust collector or a GOOD dust mask, or both, you run the risk of toxic reactions to wood dust. I did a bit of Dremmel routing yesterday on some Butternut and forgot my mask. I was up all night with a MAJOR headache!

[Shimmy]

On the subject that the Capt. is writing about.Years ago when I started Carving.I had some White Pine & Mahogony.
I started noticing everytime I carved with the Mahogony my throat bothered me like I was getting a sore throat.WellI have given up on Mahogony. Has anyone had this problem?

I don't know about mahogany dust, but a friend of mine that does woodturning bought some exotic wood from Africa and whlile turning it started getting an 'itchey' feeling. He stopped working with it and looked the wood up(in a book or somewhere) and found the wood was from a plant that is very much like our poison oak.
As the captain said, wood dust is bad for the lungs. And some of the exotic woods can be very TOXIC. My advice would be to read up on all wood used (especially imported wood) and find out if they can harm you.
Masks are cheap and easy to replace, Lungs aren't.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention Captain, I salute you!

[Captain_Bandaid]

My dad had the same symptoms when he worked with mahogany. Sore, irritated throat. I haven't tried to carve the big piece I bought yet but you can bet I will use my mask! Incidentally, not all maskes are made for sanding and wood dust. Some are only rated for dirt and pollen. Check the mask rating before you buy one.

Vet's wrap is a gauze like material that is treated so it sticks to itself. You wrap it over the area you want to protect until you get the thickness you desire. It comes in many designer colors and is available in WI through 'FARM & FLEET' stores and saddle shops.

[Captain_Bandaid]

for those of you who have not heard of Chris Pye, his website is worth visiting. The following link will take you to the page on Safe Woodcarving. http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/...ing_index.html. He is a professional woodcarver and, judging from his work, he must be quite busy. However, he answers his e-mail personally and will offer helpful suggestions and hints on carving.

[Captain_Bandaid]

:P OK, then, the link doesn't work. I copied it off of the address screen when I was there and pasted it into the text of the last post. Try typing it in and see if it works. It's there, honest, I was just at his website!