Thanks guys! I thought you might like those. I used to do that kind of carving a lot years ago. I gave most of it away as presents. Kinda wish I had kept them. I still do some now and then and I've got several I'm working on right now but I put so little time into these projects that it often takes me months to complete (except for a simple ball and cage in basswood which takes only several hours). I need more carving time.
I have an online tutorial on carving a ball in a cage if you are interested. Once you do one and see how easy it is, you'll know there's no real mystery to 'em.
I've been wanting to do one on carving a chain. Those are pretty easy as well, once you know how. These kind of carvings take more patience than skill.
Ball In Cage