Category Archives: Carving

This is Albert E. Gator.  ”My friends call me Al.” Carved from basswood, about three inches tall, pattern taken from Gary Batte’s book, Carving Crazy Critters. Al went to my mom, who collects alligators.

Work and a few other things have kept me busy and unable to do much in the way of carving the last few months.  I did manage to finish a little dog for my nephew’s birthday.  A few weeks late, … Continue reading →

“Ambrosia maple” is what woodworkers call maple that’s been infested by the ambrosia beetle.  The beetles colonize a dead or dying tree and bore holes in the wood.  A fungus that the beetles carry around on the bottoms of their … Continue reading →

I still have all 10 fingers, and no major cuts.  I’ve been carving a few things here and there, although other things take precedence.  I haven’t had a lot of time to work on larger and more complex projects, but … Continue reading →

I have other projects on my bench at the moment or I would have tried this one already.  A great beginner project, or a quick and fun little project for the more experienced carver, is Simple Simon the Penguin. Dave … Continue reading →

Spalting is discoloration of wood caused by fungus, most often during decay.  It can happen to diseased or stressed trees, and rarely in live, healthy trees.  Spalting can create some very beautiful colorations in the wood, as it did in … Continue reading →

A lot of wood carvers have tried their hands at Rufus and Sadie from Harold Enlow’s book, Carving Figure Caricatures in the Ozark Style.  This, perhaps, isn’t the best rendition ever, but I had fun with it.  The little dog … Continue reading →

This carving is my rendition of Mike Shipley’s “Barry the Bear” from his book Woodcarving the Country Bear & His Friends.  I deviated from the pattern quite a bit on the details, but it’s pretty clear where the original idea … Continue reading →

Last summer, I signed up to participate in the Christmas ornament swap organized by some members of the Woodcarving Illustrated message board.  I ended up sending out 22 ornaments and getting 16 or 18 back.  The other four went to … Continue reading →

Until recently, all of my carving “instruction” was through books, web sites, and YouTube videos.  I guess you could say that I was “self taught” in that I didn’t have the benefit of personal instruction, but I have to give … Continue reading →

Last week I thought I’d see if I could get a little more detail in my dog carvings.  Maple (on the left) was the first experiment, carved from a piece of maple (at least, I think it’s maple) that I … Continue reading →

As I mentioned the other day, I have a lot of oak to carve.  I typically carve small things, so those whiskey barrels are going to last me a really long time.  A few months ago, somebody posted a neat … Continue reading →

Debra got a bunch of whiskey barrels for the garden a few years back.  They smelled strongly of alcohol when I set them out.  But wood rots over time, especially when it’s sitting out in the open and filled with … Continue reading →

Today is my niece Maggie’s 17th birthday. Soccer Bear is carved from a basswood block, three inches tall and one inch square.

Enough about knives, safety, and wood.  Let’s talk about what to carve.  If you’re new to wood carving, then you probably should start with simple projects so that you can get comfortable with holding the knife and using the basic … Continue reading →

This was a gift for a friend’s birthday.  It’s carved from a 3″ x 1″ x 1″ piece of basswood.  I hope to use this basic design (shape of the head and general proportion) for a number of different caricatures.  … Continue reading →

The most commonly used carving wood in the U.S. is kiln dried basswood.  The wood is relatively soft, but hard enough to hold fine detail.  The softness and uniformity of the wood make it easier to carve than most other … Continue reading →

Before I move on to wood and beginner projects, I should talk a little bit about safety. Unless you’re a chef or a surgeon, or have some other job that requires you to play with sharp implements, your carving knife … Continue reading →