SPRING 2023 ■ ISSUE 102 New Tools to Transform Your Spoon Carving DISPLAY UNTIL MAY 8, 2023 Fairy Home With Moving Parts! PLUS Whittle a Classic Chain With a Twist Expert Tips for Greenwood Carving Master the Details • Realistic Bluebird • Dramatic Relief • Cool Caricature Faces
woodcarvingillustrated.com 23 Carving a Bluebird Hone your power-carving skills on this springtime songbird By Randy Conner I n my mind, North American bluebirds are synonymous with spring. When I finally hear their songs and see flashes of blue fly by the kitchen window, I know the new season has begun. This project is so realistic, you may have trouble distinguishing him from the birds in your yard. Note: This article is part one of two. I’ll teach you how to carve the bird in this article, as well as provide basic paint notes. Look for detailed painting instructions in the next issue of WCI. Getting Started Attach the pattern views to adjacent sides of the blank using repositionable spray adhesive. Then cut the views with a band saw. Use a pencil to draw the top of the head on the blank. Draw centerlines on all sides of the bird, and then sketch the wings. Draw the head on top of the cut band saw blank.
34 Woodcarving Illustrated | SPRING 2023 Egg Mouse Transform a basswood turning into a cute little critter By Steve Kulp Flatten the base. Measure and mark a horizontal line 1" (2.5cm) down from the top of the egg (the point opposite the flat area). Then, with a knife, carve down from that point toward the flat spot so the top point of the egg angles upward. Adjust your cuts until the egg sits steadily and at a nice angle. 1 Lay out the mouse head. With a pencil, draw a centerline on the top of the egg, running along the grain from end to end. Photocopy the face pattern and stick a sewing pin through the bullseye, securing it to the top of the egg. Make sure the centerline on the pattern matches the one you just drew. Trace the ears and stick another pin through the pattern to mark the centers of the eyes. Remove the pattern, clean up your tracing, and then mark the eye pin holes with the pencil. Note: The area marked “B” will be used as a reference point to redraw the eyes in Step 7. 2 ROUGHING OUT This mouse is a fun project that resulted from ordering the wrong eggs and seeing the right photograph. You’ll find that with a few tools, a little time, and an easy-to-apply finish, you can start hiding little mice in corners, behind vases, and all around your workplace. Trust me, people will love it. Before You Start The carving process will be easiest if the top and bottom of the mouse sit on the sides where the wood grain lines run straight up and down (the other two sides will have visible rings). When carving a wooden egg, it’s best to carve out from the center toward the ends; carving across the grain in the middle can cause a heartbreaking tear-out. If you must carve across the middle, try a skew cut (shown at right).
woodcarvingillustrated.com 37 Bearly Fits Carve a comical bear and tree from a single piece of wood By Dwayne Gosnell I often find carving ideas in unlikely places. During a recent spring cleaning, my wife told me that several of my favorite T-shirts didn’t fit any longer. Ever the contrarian, I squeezed on a few, saying “See, they fit!” My wife replied, “They barely fit.” That got me thinking, and this ungainly bear trying to squeeze onto a little tree was born. Getting Started Transfer the pattern to the blank. Then cut the outline; I used a band saw with a 1/4" (6mm) 6TPI blade. Draw a vertical centerline down through the front of the face and ending at the bottom of the tree. Then mark 1/2" (1.3cm) out from that line on either side of the muzzle area to set the nose width. From the top of the muzzle line, sketch a diagonal line up to the top center of each ear. Sketch lines 1/2" (1.3cm) out from the centerline in the belly area to determine paw placement. Then draw the basic paw shapes, referring to the pattern. Note: Always wear a carving glove and thumb guard. These photos were taken without them to clearly show hand and tool positions. Rough out the body. With a 3/8" (10mm) soft V-tool, carve around the paws and arms, slicing around 1/8" (3mm) deep. With the same tool, begin to narrow the chest area until you reach the sides of the face. Remove the wood around the tree knot. Remove wood behind the ears with the knife, until the ears are roughly 1/2" (1.3cm) thick. The angle of the backs of the ears should match the angle of the fronts. Rough out the head. With a carving knife, remove the wood from each side of the muzzle back toward the ear. 1 2 ROUGHING OUT KEEP IN MIND • If you want to try another eye position than the one given, go for it! • For longer-lasting patterns, use thin cardboard. I use old cereal boxes. • Round the square shapes of a cutout by carving the cutout from square to octagon, and then rounding them. This will help you keep things symmetrical while rounding. TIPS
Wood Spirit Birdhouse This practical piece adds humor to any backyard or pollinator sanctuary By Chris Hill This quirky birdhouse project was inspired by a fellow named Jordy Johnson. It’s a great item to make for yourself—or, even better, to give as a gift for someone special. This project is unusual because the bird is meant to perch on the pipe and enter the box through a hole carved in the nose. Looking at the birdhouse from the front, viewers may find themselves wondering, “How does the bird get in?” Getting Started Prepare the wood for carving. Referring to the measured drawing on page 50, cut the pieces to size using a hand saw or table saw. Sand all the edges with sandpaper to remove any splinters and rough areas; I do this with a long strip of emery cloth that I’ve glued to a flat plank. Transfer the face pattern to its blank using graphite paper and a pencil. woodcarvingillustrated.com 45
Pencil Holder Store assorted office supplies in a classy chip carved container By Marty Leenhouts In Old-World-style chips, the shadow is deepest at the intersection of the two steep cuts. As the angle of the cuts changes, so does the location of the shadow. Did You Know? I like the usefulness of this project, along with its flat surfaces that are perfect for carving. The chip carving adds a nice touch to an otherwise plain container. The premade holder is readily available (see Special Sources) or easy to make if you have a table saw. The three patterns I created for this project vary in difficulty, and all three can be carved with just one knife. I’ll explain how to carve pattern A, which consists entirely of 3-corner chips; it’s the easiest of the three. However, you can use the same techniques to carve the others. Getting Started Photocopy the patterns and transfer them to the blank using your preferred method; I used a Pattern Transfer Tool (see Special Sources, page 52). Alternatively, you could use graphite paper and a pencil. If you prefer to make the holder from scratch, cut 30° angles on the inner edges of each piece on a table saw. Glue the six sides together; I prefer to use cyanoacrylate (CA) because it cures almost instantly. Sand the two sides flush on a belt sander, cut the hexagon base on a scroll saw, and glue it on. Sand all edges flush when dry. Carving Carve the border, making all three cuts at the same angle (about 55-65°). These cuts should meet in the bottom center of the triangle. To carve the center section of chips, use the Old-World-style technique: make two nearly vertical cuts with the knife, and then follow with a shallow third cut (about 20-30°) to remove the chip. If you prefer, make this third cut with a skew knife. Remove any leftover pattern lines. Use a Tombow Sand Eraser for best results; avoid sandpaper, as it will flatten the carved ridges. Finishing Apply a finish. Spray the piece with three to four coats of satin lacquer or matte acrylic, letting dry completely between coats. If you’d like a richer, more golden look, brush on a coat of sanding sealer prior to applying the clear topcoat. woodcarvingillustrated.com 51
woodcarvingillustrated.com 53 Practice carving different personalities with this rough-andtumble crew By Don Worley Caricature Biker Dude Magnets I have found that carving biker dudes can become addictive, and that’s a good thing—because the more you carve them, the better the results. These bad boys make excellent refrigerator magnets or ornaments. Getting Started Start with a 2" (5.1cm)-square of basswood, at least 4 1/2" (11.4cm) long. Secure the block in a shop-made jig and rip it diagonally on a band saw to produce two pieces. I used a 3/16" (5mm) 10TPI blade. Sketch the perimeter of the pattern onto the largest side of the diagonal piece, with the grain running vertically. Then secure the piece (corner-side-down) in another jig and cut the shape on the same saw. Note: Always wear a carving glove and thumb guard while carving. These photos were taken without a thumb guard to clearly show hand and tool positions. Clamp the blank, corner-side down, in a jig to cut the piece. Mark the nose. With a pencil, mark a spot on the center of the face, about even with the bottom of the ears. Draw a vertical line 5/8" (1.6cm) out from the point on each side and connect these with a horizontal line. Then use a knife to turn the horizontal line into a stop cut, carving up to it from below. 1 Rough out the nose. Mark and carve a slight angle on each side of the nose, angling the knife toward the middle of the ear. Then take off the sharp corners on the tip and nostrils, and begin to remove wood above the nose toward the forehead. 2 CARVING THE NOSE
Woodburned Bunny AdvancedProject Of the many subjects I’ve burned since becoming a pyrographer, animals bring me the greatest joy. There is nothing more gratifying than capturing the splendor of wildlife in the organic beauty of wood, and the rich sepia tones of pyrography lend perfectly to the color variations of woodland creatures. The seated rabbit I chose to portray appears relaxed, yet vigilant. With ears upright and front legs slightly elevated, it illustrates the fine line between rest and readiness—the delicate, instinctive balance that is survival. A watchful rabbit stars in this lifelike pyro portrait By Melanie Layne Hylton Getting Started Use an orbital sander to evenly smooth both sides of the wood, moving up progressively through the grits to 180. Place graphite paper onto the wood, securing just the upper edge with blue painter’s tape. Position the pattern on the graphite paper, securing the upper edge with tape. Using a red pen, transfer the pattern. 60 Woodcarving Illustrated | SPRING 2023
woodcarvingillustrated.com 65 Woodland Scene IN RELIEF Learn to achieve maximum depth with a tableau full of shadows and textures By Randall Stoner What’s not to love about woodland animals? In my carvings, I always try to create a backstory for my subjects that sets a stage for onlookers viewing the work. Every effort is made to draw the viewer in for additional details that spark a movie in their mind. Undercut the edges of the log to give the illusion of hollowness.
woodcarvingillustrated.com 87 Fail-Safe Spoon Carving Tips Follow these wisdoms to create a safe, rewarding, and personalized carving practice By Emmet Van Driesche Most of us carve our first spoon because it seems possible. We then continue carving because of what else is possible. As with all things, roadblocks will pop up. This article is designed to help you identify and anticipate those you might encounter along the way, and give you tools to deal with them. Be Choosy About Your Wood We might be reluctant to admit it, but when the spoon we are carving fails, it’s almost always our own fault for choosing that piece of wood in the first place. Sometimes we don’t have a choice. Sometimes what we’re carving is all we truly have access to. But I’ve learned over the years that there is a tremendous difference between an average piece of wood and one that is exceptional. Use this QR code to view a comprehensive sharpening tutorial.
Woodland Gnome Ornament Try your hand at texturing and detailing without having to carve the whole body By Nikki Reese This ornament is my very simple take on a Green Man, but with an earthy-gnome twist! It’s a straightforward project you can complete in a short time. There is plenty of room for your own customization: add different or more mushrooms, or even swap in a different kind of tree bark for the hat. Getting Started Prepare the blank by drawing centerlines down each side of the wood with a pencil. Once you’ve decided which side of the block will be the face, draw a horizontal line for the hat. The lower the line is, the longer the hat will be. On the back of the block, draw another line to demarcate the hat, just a touch lower than the line on the front. Draw lines on either side to connect the front and back. Note: Always wear a carving glove and thumb guard. These photos were taken without them to clearly show hand and tool positions. 90 Woodcarving Illustrated | SPRING 2023
woodcarvingillustrated.com 31 This caricature shows how to make an impression using the art of opposites By Floyd Rhadigan Granny’s in the Garden I’ve always been a fan of the Popeye® comics —they’re full of funny personalities and over-the-top facial expressions. This gardening granny was inspired by those cartoons. Here, though, she’s annoyed because each time she tries to show off her garden’s bounty, her corncob pipe sets it on fire. Let’s hope she has better luck this time! Getting Started Sketch the front and side view patterns onto the blank, with the grain running vertically. Cut the front view on a band saw, leaving a small tab of wood connecting the shape to the waste wood; this will keep the wood from rocking on the saw bed as you cut the second view. Flip the blank 90° and cut the side profile. POINTS OF CONTACT When using the band saw to cut blanks, make sure to always have two or more points of contact between the wood and the saw table; this keeps the wood from moving around, minimizing safety hazards and increasing the accuracy of your cuts. TIP