No interest in woodcarving?

[BorderReiver]

Just had the local education office on the 'phone.The woodcarving course I enroled on has been cancelled due to lack of interest.Bum!

I thought that after carving a spoon or two and the odd knife handle,that I could pick up some tips about how to do it properly.

But no one else is interested.

I blame the tv,oh,and the internet.

 

[C_Claycomb]

My experience of wood carving in such places is that you would be using gouges and chisels and carving animals, sculptures, dolls and so on. A large part of the skill is transfering your 3 view drawing onto a block of wood. Doesn't share a lot with whittling.

 

[BorderReiver]

My experience of wood carving in such places is that you would be using gouges and chisels and carving animals, sculptures, dolls and so on. A large part of the skill is transfering your 3 view drawing onto a block of wood. Doesn't share a lot with whittling.

Cheers.I feel a lot better now.

 

[Eric_Methven]

It's probably no great loss Mike. I enroled a few years ago and paid a lot of money to do a wood carving course and was very dissapointed with what I got. First of all the instructor insisted I use (and buy) the wood he'd brought with him. He wouldn't let me use the greenwood I'd brought along. Secondly he tried to sell us all sets of very expensive gouges and chisels and thirdly we had to slavishly carve owls and more owls. I left on the third day of the five day course. Maybe it was just that one course but I get the feeling from others I've talked to that wood carving courses organised by people that predominantly live in towns deal with seasoned woods that can be purchased from a shop and tools that can be purchased from a shop and carried out in a workshop that can be fitted out with stuff bought from a shop.

The difference between carving greenwood and seasoned wood is obvious once you've tried it. It's a bit like moddeling with clay and carving a brick. Trouble is, too many urban woodcarvers have never had access to greenwood so they don't know what they're missing.

Don't feel too bad about missing the course.

Eric

 

[C_Claycomb]

Very well said!

That was how I found it. Fortunately I didn't have to pay, just went along for a couple weeks as a friend of a club member. They were all skilled, just not my thing.

 

[BorderReiver]

Don't feel too bad about missing the course.

Eric

Thanks Eric,I feel positively overjoyed that it's been cancelled now.

 

[JimH]

The difference between carving greenwood and seasoned wood is obvious once you've tried it. It's a bit like moddeling with clay and carving a brick. Trouble is, too many urban woodcarvers have never had access to greenwood so they don't know what they're missing.

Well said.

Having done what limited carving I have on green wood 'til recently, when chunks of an ash tree I "acquired" (after the local rangers had cleared it) finished seasoning, there is a world of difference.

Mind you, a mortice chisel *would* be the tool of choice for (part of)the bowsaw I'm making. I'm enjoying cutting a true(ish) slot with a knife, but at great length...

Jim.

 

[Eric_Methven]

Jim, you want a twybill to do the slot for your bowsaw. Just a little tip as well, if you are making the bowsaw from green wood, let it season for a while before tightening the string, or the ends will bow and follow the string (become permanently bent).

Eric

 

[JimH]

Jim, you want a twybill to do the slot for your bowsaw.

I'm sure you are correct. As I have no idea what one is, this may prove troublesome

From the very limited info I've found Googling, I would infer this is some kind of augur...Please correct me if I'm wrong. They do seem a tad thin on the ground, though. I guess I need to recognise one first, then trawl the car-boot/country show circuit.

Just a little tip as well, if you are making the bowsaw from green wood, let it season for a while before tightening the string, or the ends will bow and follow the string (become permanently bent).

Good call. This one is from the aforementioned seasoned ash, so no problem, but thanks for the advice.

Jim.