from the Editors of Woodcarving Illustrated Whittle! Anyone Can
Table of Contents Whittling Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Beginner Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Man in the Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Family of Foxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Arrowhead Blade Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Angel Ornament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Twig Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Soap Bear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Eagle Pin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Camping Fork & Spreader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Whimmy Diddle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Sitting Squirrel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Tiny Unicorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 20 26 44 72 60 48 Sitting Squirrel Tiny Unicorn Alaskan Fisherman Family of Foxes Angel Ornament Celtic Knot Letter Opener Intermediate Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Egg Hedgehogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Ozark Caricature Pin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Ball-in-a-Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Slip-Bark Whistle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Celtic Knot Letter Opener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Avocado Owl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Snowman Ornament . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Alaskan Fisherman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Clover Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Bird-in-a-Cage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Wilma Witch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Cottonwood Bark Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
xx 102 118 68 84 90 92 Simple Tomte Wooden Cup Branch Rooster Snowman Ornament Wilma Witch Grumpy Soap Man Sea Monster Advanced Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Grumpy Soap Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Sea Monster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Mocha Mary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Ball-in-Cage Rattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Wooden Cup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Easy Spoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Simple Tomte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Branch Rooster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Golf Ball Caricature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Human Figure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Beginner Projects
16 Anyone Can Whittle! This clever carving uses just a knife and a scrap of basswood. By Dave Stetson Man in the Moon Scraps of wood seem to multiply in my shop. The size and shape of this simple project allows you to use up all sorts of scraps. I’ve made this one out of 1/4" (6mm)-thick wood, but you can increase the size of the pattern and use thicker wood. You’ll enjoy carving these quick faces so much that you’re sure to have fewer scraps in your shop. Since they are so easy to carve, I hand them out to brighten the days of people I think need a smile. MATERIALS • Basswood, 1/4" (6mm) thick: 1 1/4" x 3" (3.2cm x 7.6cm) • Finish, such as stain, paint, or clear spray (optional) TOOLS • Carving knife • Saw, such as coping saw, scroll saw, or band saw (optional) • Pencil Pattern on page 19.
18 Anyone Can Whittle! Refine the nose, brow, and lips. Remove the sharp points from the positive triangles representing the nose, eyebrow, and lips. Draw the facial features. Use the pattern and the photo above as guides to draw the eyes, nose, and mouth. Make stop cuts along the feature lines. Use the tip of the knife to make stop cuts along the eye, nose, and mouth lines. Make the first cuts. Use a knife to make angled cuts along the lines drawn in Step 2. Draw the first cuts. Draw the top of the eyebrow, the eye socket, the area between the nose and the lip, and the chin. Cut the outline of the moon. Transfer the pattern to the blank. Cut around the outline of the moon with a band saw, coping saw, scroll saw, or by carving to the lines with a knife. 4 5 6 1 2 3
Carve and finish this beautiful stylized design in an afternoon. By Douglas Schauer 26 Anyone Can Whittle! Angel Ornament When I first started carving, I dreamt of designing a unique Christmas ornament each year that I could share with friends and family. This one is easy to reproduce and it makes a welcome gift for anyone! Selecting the Wood I carve my angels from mahogany because of the beautiful golden color it takes upon finishing. However, this angel can be carved from virtually any wood and could be painted, as well. Getting Started Transfer the pattern to both sides of the block of wood. Draw guidelines on the sides and bottom about 1/8" (3mm) from the edges. Then, cut or carve the outline of the angel. Leave the hands undefined at this point so they don’t get broken off. Redraw any guidelines you cut off. MATERIALS • Mahogany or wood of choice, 1" (2.5cm) thick: 2" x 4" (5.1cm x 10.2cm) • Howard Feed-N-Wax • String • Wood glue • Round toothpick TOOLS • Bench knife • Drill with bit: 3/64" (1.2mm) dia. • Pencil Patterns on page 29.
Learning to whittle a simple soap bear can lead to a lifetime of pleasure. By Janet Bolyard 32 Anyone Can Whittle! Soap Bear I confess, bears are my weakness, especially those that are soft, furry, adorable, and friendly. Bears add rustic charm and cheer to any cabin nestled in the mountains (or any home in the city, for that matter). This project shows you how to carve the levels needed to differentiate the bear’s nose, mouth, and ears. Once the basic features are done, you can learn how to texture his fur. For more soap carving tips, tricks, and projects, see my book, Complete Guide to Soap Carving. MATERIALS • Ivory soap: 1 bar for each • Acrylic paint: assorted colors (optional) TOOLS • Knife • #3 gouge: 1/4" (6mm) (optional) • #5 gouge: 1/2" (13mm) (optional) • Marking tool: stickpin or toothpick • V-tool: small (optional) • Paintbrushes Pattern on page 35.
Soap Bear 33 Center the template on the soap bar and transfer it with your marking tool of choice. I poke a stickpin through the pattern to indicate the basic landmarks. Begin to connect the dots. Use a knife. (Or make one from a popsicle stick: use a hobby knife to shape a blade at the end of the stick, then sharpen by sanding with 220-grit sandpaper.) Remove the pattern. This will reveal a stipple outline of your bear. 1 2 3
40 Anyone Can Whittle! Curve the prongs. Slice away wood from one side of the fork’s prongs by pushing your knife through the thickest point of the head of the fork all the way through the endgrain. As you slice, begin to round the curve inward. Repeat on the other side. Thin the head. Now that the prongs are in place, thin the head to about 1/8" (0.3cm) at the ends of the prongs, leaving the beginning of the head of the fork almost at full thickness. Separate the head and handle. Start by slicing a curved line into one side of the fork about 1" (2.5cm) or so down from the head. Back the knife out and mirror that cut, slicing down from directly below the head of the fork until the cuts meet in the middle. Repeat these cuts back and forth several times until the resulting curve is relatively clean. It is difficult to get the cuts to meet perfectly, but a smooth transition is possible! Repeat on the other side. Refine the prongs. Return to the prongs to round them all around and further refine their shape. Slice with the top quarter of your knife blade to ensure finesse and control. You can leave your prongs straight if desired, but I put a slight curve for visual interest. Separate the prongs. Cut in between the prongs starting with a series of stop cuts with the tip of your knife facing toward the handle. Deepen the resulting V-shaped cuts at the ends of the prongs. Round the inner prongs. Now use the tip of your knife to further shape and separate the inward-facing sides of the prongs. Remove thin slices to avoid cutting through a prong. 1 4 6 5 2 3
Tackle this take on the traditional carved chain in just eight steps. By Bjarne Jespersen 76 Anyone Can Whittle! Clover Chain Symmetry, elegance, and smoothness are properties I aim for in my work. Of course, I should also add “magic,” for this is the property that best describes my carvings. The magic consists of carving a single block into two or more parts that are loose, yet cannot be separated, thus tricking the eye. Those familiar with my book Woodcarving Magic will recognize this “trickthe-eye” approach. This clover chain project follows the same basic premise but is manageable for intermediate carvers. The given dimensions are for a two-link chain; however, once you’ve mastered that, you can make a chain with as many links as you want! Choosing Wood Over the years I have collected many wood varieties, local as well as exotic. Sycamore (platanus occidentalis) is ubiquitous in many European cities. I had a small block of it that I wanted to try because of its interesting grain. Sycamore is not hard to carve, but keep in mind that it may split if you are close to an edge. Note: Always wear a carving glove and thumb guard. These photos were taken without them to clearly show hand and tool positions. MATERIALS • Wood, such as sycamore, 1 3/4" (4.4cm) square: 2" (5.1cm) long • Sandpaper: assorted grits to 320 • Clean rag • Finish, such as beeswax • Acrylic paints (optional) • Shoelace • Thin dowel or stirring stick TOOLS • Pull saw or hand saw • Fretsaw (optional) • Drill with bit: small (optional) • Carving knife • Files or rasps (optional) • Vise • Pipe cleaners • Clay (optional) • Pencil Pattern on page 79.
136 Anyone Can Whittle! Ball-in-a-Ball, 57 Bird-in-a-Cage, 80–83 Celtic Knot Letter Opener, 60–63 Clover Chain, 76–79 Cottonwood Bark Forest, 86–88 Egg Hedgehogs, 52–55 Ozark Caricature Pin, 56 Slip-Bark Whistle, 58–59 Snowman Ornament, 68–71 Wilma Witch, 84–85 push cut, 10 R Randich, Keith, 57, 133 rattle, ball-in-cage, 100–101 Reese, Nikki, 72–75, 133 Refsal, Harley, 96–99, 133 Roelants, Lieve, 48–51, 134 rooster, branch, 118–22 S safety tips, 8. See also posture; stretches and exercises sanding small carvings, 50 Schauer, Douglas, 26–29, 134 Sea Monster, 92–95 sharpener, making, 11 sharpening knives, 11–12 Simple Tomte, 112–17 Sitting Squirrel, 44–47 Slip-Bark Whistle, 58–59 Snowman Ornament, 68–71 soap Grumpy Soap Man, 90–91 Soap Bear, 32–35 spoon, easy, 106–11 spreader and fork, 38–41 squirrel, sitting, 44–47 Stetson, Dave, 16–19, 126–31, 134 stop cut, 10 stretches and exercises, 13–14 T Thomas-Price, Andrew, 58–59, 134 Tiny Unicorn, 48–51 Tomashek, Steve, 92–95, 134 tomte, simple, 112–17 toys and gadgets Ball-in-a-Ball, 57 Ball-in-Cage Rattle, 100–101 Bird-in-a-Cage, 80–83 Clover Chain, 76–79 Slip-Bark Whistle, 58–59 Whimmy Diddle, 42–43 trees Cottonwood Bark Forest, 86–88 Twig Tree, 30–31 Twig Tree, 30–31 U unicorn, 48–51 V V-shaped cut, 10 W Whimmy Diddle, 42–43 Wiebe, Rick, 102–5, 134 Wilma Witch, 84–85 wood basswood/linden, 9 birch, 9 butternut, 9 foraged twigs and branches, 9 selecting, 9 Wooden Cup, 102–5 Z Zanauskas, Pete, 36–37, 134