Wood Carving Tip

   Recently I have returned to wood carving.  A few years ago I joined a club in Burlington and found that I enjoyed carving, though I didn't really have much aptitude.  Well, I still enjoy carving and haven't suddenly developed any new talent but enjoy it none the less.
   
   In the back of my mind I am thinking that some of my projects would profit from some additional detailing, and carving is one way to add that extra little bit of individuality.  As we often see, quality carving can raise a simple box to the level of a work of art. 

chip carved box by an expert, not me.

  I have carved several of this style of penguin recently and have installed one as a security feature on the sliding patio doors.

  Ever the school teacher, I began to wonder about wood carving for beginners.  How would someone get started in carving or at least try it out, for cheap.  It was my good fortune to inherit  a bunch of carving knives and my natural love of knives generally, that means I have lots of knives to work with in my shop.  So I didn't have to think about it much or look to far for an excellent tool with which to carve.

    However, if you don't have a really good carving/whittling knife  you are not likely to succeed while carving.  A carving knife needs to be razor sharp, none of my shop knives or pocket knives are sharp enough to be used for carving. I own a number of very fine pocket knives, but the knives have been used to cut fruit and put away dirty, or have been used to cut cardboard or other terrible things, this means the blades need significant work to get them razor sharp once more.  Besides, pocket knives don't need to be razor sharp, they spent as much time scraping and prying as they do cutting.  A razor sharp, micro feather edge on a pocket knife would just get broken down and ruined in everyday use.  The same thing happens with shop knives, my knives forage in corners for glue squeeze out and are used to scrap away little bits of paint or stain, as often as for cutting.  For serious cutting, I have razor sharp chisels and planes.

  So where do you find a knife sharp enough to do some basic carving?

Bessy folding utility knife

  I mention this knife because it is the one with which I carved my most recent  penguin. Admittedly it is a bit heavy, and I did strop the blade (remember the strop) but as a carving tool it did a fine job.

   If you are interested in trying to do some basic wood carving I suggest that you get a solid utility knife; one where the blade does not wiggle at all, and some basswood and give it a try.

Security Penguin

   Famously people use dogs and farmers sometimes use geese to guard their hearth and home.  We have opted for a non-traditional security helper.

our penguin stands on guard for us

   

   Every house with sliding patio doors faces the same security issue, and probably solves it the same way, by putting a stick (in Canada a piece of hockey stick often) in the track to prevent the door from sliding open.  My issue with that method is that you have to get all the way down to lift the stick, up and down were easier in days gone by.  Our guard Penguin also lets us see if the stick is in place from across the room, penguin up-stick is in, penguin down-stick is out.

  The further benefit is finding a use for my wood carvings.  I enjoy the quiet and relaxation of wood carving and now have a use for the completed projects, as I have written before I like to make things that are useful, not just ornamental. 

  This particular fellow is carved from Basswood, and was painted by my Mom.

   thanx Mom.