Thanks for helping me with the dog

[Ron T]

Hi Kenn,

Thanks for looking and your nice comments. Mesquite is hard but quite carveable. You do have to go slow but it sure is nice. I'll bet that Manzanita would result in a nice carving.

[Midnight Carver]

That's a nice looking dog. I agree with Josef, something about the way you did the eyes and ears is really expressive. I haven't tried mesquite before, but the color looks good as a dog. Thanks for sharing

Eric

[jmischel]

I've carved several little dogs and other things from the mesquite. It's easier to carve green, but even the "standing dead" stuff I picked up at my friend's ranch wasn't too tough to carve. It's not basswood, of course, but it's certainly easier to carve than oak, walnut, or any of the maple I've worked with. It's not "stringy", really, although I found that it does have a tendency to splinter if I try to take big chips. The keys, as with any carving, are sharp tools and patience.

I have a lot of mesquite here: some already dry and quite a few logs curing out back. It just might become my preferred carving wood.

[draft51@aol.com]

Nice dog, Ron I wish I could have helped you, but it looks like you had enough. good job. fred k

[Ron T]

Hi Eric and Fred, thank you for the positive comments and support. It's because everyone's so helpful and encouiraging that I got my behind moving.

Jim, you're right about it not being too difficult to carve. I started learning to carve on hardwood sticks so I guess I'm just used to hard wood.

[Sharon of the Dell]

Ron, I love this little dog! I shared it with my facebook friends and they loved it also!

[Ron T]

Hi Sharon,

I'm glad so many found him cute. I had thought I messed him up when I carved him.