First Carving Ever!

windsong · #1 04-02-2007, 10:31 PM

Hi everyone,

I'm going to try to show the photos again. I was not able to post on my last thread.

vic.

jillsy · #2 04-02-2007, 11:01 PM

This is just toooooo adorable! Are you going to paint him? And he's your first carving ever? NICE!!! Make sure you keep him, it'll be so much fun comparing him to your work a year from now!

Jillsy

gene messer · #3 04-02-2007, 11:22 PM

Vic .... Good going ... I know this is your first try and you did a good job on the face ... Just keep doing them over and over again and watch how they get better every time .. How tall and wide is he Vic ? .... He looks small ..He's a cute little guy ...

Claude · #4 04-02-2007, 11:24 PM

Great carving, Vic!

Claude

windsong · #5 04-03-2007, 12:01 AM

Thanks All
Gene he is 2"High 7/8" wide where the wood turned dark i may have to paint him.I,m looking foward to my new Ron Well knife comeing in and the palm gouges.I know i missed the flat plane put i,m going to work on a new on tomorrow.
Vic.

gene messer · #6 04-03-2007, 12:22 AM

Vic ... The reason I ask you that question is in your first post you said you really didnt have enough wood left for the arms to protrude .. Just a suggestion .. next time cut your wood 1 1/4 wide and 2 inches long and see if that doesnt help a little ..
Good job
Gene

windsong · #7 04-03-2007, 09:40 PM

Hi Gene
I GOT THE WOOD OVER AT WALMART IN A PACK AND THERE WAS NOT MUCH TO PICK FROM.I HAVE A QUESTION BASS WOOD GROWES IN MY AREA AND BLACK GUM ALSO. COULD I NOT JUST HAVE MY LOGGER FRIEND CUT ME A FEW TREE AND TAKE THEM TO ONE OF THE SMALL LOCAL SAWMILLS AND HAVE IT CUT AND IF THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEAL. WHAT OTHER KINDS OF WOOD CAN I USE.THERE IS A KILM IN THE TOWN NEXT TO ME THAT SALE WOOD OF DIFFERENT KINDS.
YOU ALL ARE A BIG HELP.
vIC.

gene messer · #8 04-03-2007, 11:37 PM

Vic ... Walmart is ok for wood .. but there's not much to choose from .. You dont need to have anyone cut you any .. just purchase like a 2 inch block from a local carving dealer on the internet and that is wide enough .. Do you have a band saw to cut it ?
Gene

Eddy Smiles · #9 04-03-2007, 11:42 PM

Excellent work! As for your question about carving wood.... if you bought the wood at Wally Mart there's better than a 50-50 chance that you got a pack of pine. I was looking at their whittling wood the other day and it sure looked like pine to me.

If you've got a saw mill nearby pay them a visit and see if they already don't have some basswood out back drying. That's where I picked up my last load. A friend snagged me half dozen pieces that had been on the stack curing. As for having someone cut down a tree.... it takes a good six months to a year for it to dry out sufficiently for carving depending on the thickness so you might have a wait. Also, there's going to be a big difference in quality between what you'll get from the sawmill compared to what you'll get from a commercial source that's kiln dried. But if you paint your work it really will not matter. The only problem with sawmill sawn lumber is that they want to cut everything at 1-3/4" but if you know them maybe you could put in a special request.

Thomp · #10 04-04-2007, 04:18 PM

Vic,

the little piece looks outstanding for a first piece,

the dark discoloration, not that uncommon for a beginner, its from all the miles you put on it as you turned it over and over in your hands, and its picked up the dirt and oils from your hands, lots of miles on that project,,

spray it with rubbing alcohol and scrub it with a tooth brush, wipe off and do it again, it will clean up..
hard to do or remember to wash your hands before picking it up, keep clean hands and that wont happen...

the little man shows several styles one of flat plane carving in the style of the eyes, but im with you i would have to round out the features like you have, because flat plane carving looks unfinished to me no matter who dose it , but then im just an old fart with another opinion.

Walmarts whittling wood manufactured by walnut hollow is some very non-standard basswood, the packages are clearly marked as they sell 2 different whittling wood bags here, one is pine and the other is some of the worst basswood i have ever carved, in a nutshell, you got to look hard to find the label as to which it is,

im currently carving my peewee's out of walmart's walnut hollow whittling basswood because it was easily obtained, last time i was in town., but im finding flecks and knots in it (something i have never found in henical wood) along with the wood not being from the same tree the density from each piece to the other is a wide spectrum from very hard to flakey soft. and in color as well, from white to flesh color.
wood from Heinecke Wood Products have to be the best i ever carved, you order from them through email they send it and then they bill you later, so its convent to send them a money order or personal check,
i buy 2x7x12" blocks, and cut it with my scrollsaw but they have all kinds of precut wood. somebody told me they have grab boxes of pieces as well not advertised on their web site,

if you dont have a bandsaw like myself, i did go to a local cabinet shop and had them cut out several larger patterns i had, for a a nominal charge equal to a six pack was charged and i was in business,
i usually cut my own patterns out on my scroll saw but have resorted to a coping saw before i got the scrollsaw,

get some wood from heinecke and see the difference,

the odds of a beginning carver to come up with a carving good as you have made without a lot of experience , bad wood and hardly a decent knife,(exactos i think i heard you say) its hard to see how its possible but you pulled it off.

keep on trying your only going to get better as you get some decent tools and materials to work with.