Hi All, newbie from Virginia

[Lenny]

Hi everyone,
Been long time WCI subscriber but only now found the messageboard.

I'm 47 and a member of James River Woodcarvers in Richmond Virginia. My first class was with Tom Wolfe in Townsend Tennessee but I've been carving since 1993.

I had surgery for a non cancerous tumor on my spinal cord in my neck. Surgery was successful, but the tumor had left my right side weak as nerves had been affect and paralyzed. One of my doctors suggested that I take up a hobby like woodcarving. Squeezing a rubber ball to build strength back up in my hand would not be as effective as taking a knife, gripping it and then using the wrist, hand, arm in natural motions to build up my arm/hand strength. It worked and I fell in love with it.

I've taken classes with Tom Wolfe, Helen Gibson, Gary Falin and enjoy carving wizards, santas, cowboys. I've got my 16 yr old nephew into carving where he dabbles in spoons and the classic ball-in-a-cage.

My dad is 79 and arthritis is starting to slow him down and he just recently started using a cane at times. He's still working on the farm and for my next project, I'm thinking of carving a cane or staff for him to use when he needs it. Any ideas on what woods would be best for this?

This is a great board and I'm hoping to learn a lot from everyone and maybe contribute some myself. [img]images/smilies/004%5B1%5D1.gif[/img] carving to all!

[Bartster]

hello lenny and welcome to the board you have come to the right place for ideads and just good freindship alot of good folks here. i to enjoy carving caricatures and santas also if you have any questions just post them here and we will try and help. well keep'em sharp

bart

[wade clark]

Lennie,
Welcome, and H A P P Y Independence Day!
It sounds like you've trained under some Greats! Let us see some pictures when you can, we'd love to see your work.
Do a search on this Forum under canes, toppers or staffs and you'll find a lot!
Have a great day!
Wade

[GaryMc]

Hello Lenny and Welcome!
This is the best place on the web for carvers, loads of talent here and great people. I look forward to seeing some of your carvings posted on the board and in the gallery. I also am very jealous of the people you have been able to learn from in your carving journey, they are the very ones that I would like to learn from! Have fun and carve a bunch!

GaryMc [img]images/icons/icon10.gif[/img]

[squbrigg]

Welcome aboard Lenny, good to see another carver carving for therapy. It's the best therapy you'll ever find. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with for a cane for your Dad, we all seem to have a "thing" for canes here! Enjoy yourself here, lots of great folks to chat with, or learn from, or teach to.

Bob

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Hi and welcome...I have made canes and sticks out of just about anything I could get my hands on..some swapped from back in your area such as hickory, sassafras etc, have made them from saquaro , ocotillo, yucca, palo verde, mesquite, sage. aspen, basswood, navajo willow..get the point! just make it strong lol