Whittling

[Kepis]

I was going to go for a wander over the hills the other day to a small Yew wood in order to 'liberate' some materials, but time and events conspired against me (again), so i went a whittling, as you do.

From top to bottom a small poker with a chicken head on it, a whittled stick i made the other day, again with a chickens head on it, an arrow through a ring, the ring is Elm and the arrow is Hazel, but the arrow head and flights are larger than the hole the arrow sits in, a variable pitch whistle and the butter spreader i also made the other day, all the result of absolute boredom.

 

[spandit]

Yeah, pretty good. They lack the "naive charm" of my work, though

 

[treadlightly]

I wish my boredom was so productive

 

[Docherty]

I love these - there are some little curls on the back of the first Chicken's head (the poker) which makes him look like he's rocking a mullet!
They're great

 

[Kepis]

Yeah, pretty good. They lack the "naive charm" of my work, though

im working on that, i'll get there eventually ;-)

 

[Kepis]

I wish my boredom was so productive

mine isnt normally this productive, i normally just mope about

 

[Kepis]

I love these - there are some little curls on the back of the first Chicken's head (the poker) which makes him look like he's rocking a mullet!
They're great

cheers mate

 

[jackcbr]

I'm not allowed my knife in the office, otherwise my boredom would be far more productive

 

[FelixAvery]

nice work! how did you make the arrow and ring?

 

[Kepis]

nice work! how did you make the arrow and ring?

cheers, the arrow and ring, well that would be telling ;-)

 

[nuggets]

I think the arrow head is detachable ??? Just a guess mind !!

 

[Kepis]

I think the arrow head is detachable ??? Just a guess mind !!

Nope there's no joints in it at all, the arrow is carved in one piece

 

[nuggets]

Nope there's no joints in it at all, the arrow is carved in one piece

Hmmmm !!! well the ring is either joined ?? or you placed the ring on the hazel sapling for it to grow through it ????

 

[Kepis]

Hmmmm !!! well the ring is either joined ??

Nope, it's a single, solid piece of wood

or you placed the ring on the hazel sapling for it to grow through it ????

Im not that patient im afraid

 

[Elines]

?the hole is cut in green elm such that the previously carved arrow goes through it; the elm then shrinks so that the hole is smaller and it is trapped

Is that it?

 

[Kepis]

?the hole is cut in green elm such that the previously carved arrow goes through it; the elm then shrinks so that the hole is smaller and it is trapped

Is that it?

afraid not, the elm ring was carved from seasoned wood

 

[nuggets]

you steamed the elm ring to soften the fibres then forced the arrow through ?????

 

[spandit]

You boiled the hazel to make it flexible?

 

[Kepis]

you steamed the elm ring to soften the fibres then forced the arrow through ?????

nope .

 

[Kepis]

You boiled the hazel to make it flexible?

correct

You boil the arrow then compress the head slightly and push it through the hole in the ring, the softened fibres allow compression, when it pops through the other side the fibres expand again and lock it in place.

The other way to do it if you are making a few is to boile the arrows then hold the heads in a vice overnight so they dry in their compressed state, then put them through the ring and then put them into warm water and the fibres expand again.

Easy when you know how