Thread: Christmas Ornament Exchange

And YES it was supposed to be a rocking horse originally but that turned out to be more like a rocking dinasaur and then the tail broke off. image.jpeg image.jpg
But I was determined to make this work. I do realize that poplar still is a hardwood but after carving Bubinga, wenge and Pau Ferro it feels more like carving pine.
I finally just cut the tail off and glued it to the back. The ears were taken off and it got transformed into a dog.

With both pieces I did quite a bit of sanding because I still can't get used to seeing the knife or chisel marks. I'm not sure why. I love seeing paint brush strokes in original paintings but for some reason this drove me nuts so I had to sand it. Here is what it looked like before.
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Here is another piece I'm working on in the same wood. I'm making this for my mom since she loves teddy bears. Maybe I won't sand this one but either way I'm learning a lot from the process and it's nice being introduced to both knives and chisels. It's very fun and addictive.

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Really fantastic. Great to see your determination and that you didn't give up. A boo boo here and a slip up there are the best teachers of all. I like the way you've shown the tools you used for each carving. Well done!

Well what a great start , well done !
Taking a creative approach to "surprise new directions " in a carving is all part of he fun & the learning curve - don't worry about that !

Of course now you will know for next time that , the tail should have been left attached to the back legs for strength & not separated from the body for all of it's length to give strength at that point.

You say "With both pieces I did quite a bit of sanding because I still can't get used to seeing the knife or chisel marks. I'm not sure why. I love seeing paint brush strokes in original paintings but for some reason this drove me nuts so I had to sand it. " - Maybe it is because you hadn't refined the tool marked surface enough yet ?
The tool marks are like the facets on a diamond & can suggest a surface or describe it in shimmering burnished detail , in this mass produced age they are the mark of an authentic hand made item as well as an opportunity for subtlety.
For me personally, coming down to that final surface & landing at it so gently is perhaps the greatest joy of carving & also perhaps where you have the deepest appreciation & understanding of grain direction.
Cheers Mike

Originally Posted by Featherwood

Really fantastic. Great to see your determination and that you didn't give up. A boo boo here and a slip up there are the best teachers of all. I like the way you've shown the tools you used for each carving. Well done!

Thanks Featherwood
After seeing your work on Facebook I'm honoured that you'd even comment on mine. Lol.
Mistakes as always our greatest teaching tools; for sure.

Originally Posted by Mike the knife

Well what a great start , well done !
Taking a creative approach to "surprise new directions " in a carving is all part of he fun & the learning curve - don't worry about that !

Of course now you will know for next time that , the tail should have been left attached to the back legs for strength & not separated from the body for all of it's length to give strength at that point.

You say "With both pieces I did quite a bit of sanding because I still can't get used to seeing the knife or chisel marks. I'm not sure why. I love seeing paint brush strokes in original paintings but for some reason this drove me nuts so I had to sand it. " - Maybe it is because you hadn't refined the tool marked surface enough yet ?
The tool marks are like the facets on a diamond & can suggest a surface or describe it in shimmering burnished detail , in this mass produced age they are the mark of an authentic hand made item as well as an opportunity for subtlety.
For me personally, coming down to that final surface & landing at it so gently is perhaps the greatest joy of carving & also perhaps where you have the deepest appreciation & understanding of grain direction.
Cheers Mike

Hey Mike
Thanks for your feedback. It's always appreciated.
Yes the tail should have been left on but you may have noticed the big crack in the tail. It's not like I could leave it like that and if this carving had a functional purpose I wouldn't have done this but it just has to hang there and look pretty so I did.

Knife & chisel marks! I completely get what you're saying. Those marks are what define handcarved and should be honoured proudly but my carving marks are not quite as refined yet perhaps. I honestly marvelled while carving the shape of the horse; I liked it so much. I think maybe finickiness is because I equate a nice smooth finish to excellent quality. A smooth polished coffee table is beautiful. Smooth wood is beautiful but so is textured wood.

"Maybe it's because I haven't refined the tool marked surface enough yet?"

I believe you're exactly right BUT how does one do that? Doesn't all this come with practice also?
Somebody more skilled at carving would presumably have cleaner nicer looking tool marks, leaving the end result just better looking.

OR maybe I'm going to be one of these people who prefer smooth surfaces. I couldn't help notice when I looked at featherwoods work on Facebook that his carvings are smooth and they certainly look incredibly appealing.

Could surface texture merely be a personal preference and not a rule of thumb because I've seen many different types that I've admired and they didn't all show tool marks. (?)

Originally Posted by Spiritwolfe

Could surface texture merely be a personal preference and not a rule of thumb because I've seen many different types that I've admired and they didn't all show tool marks. (?)

Yes of course ! it it's totally down to your taste , I mean scandinavian flat plane carvers leave as big a flat as possable & the style has a unique charm , other carvers will sand it totally smooth with excellent results.

Some carvings seem to need a smooth surface others not . Whatever you think looks best is right for you.
Mike


　

Well I DO like them both. They were my first projects in using manual tools and I didn't give up but finished each one. No they aren't perfect but hopefully the giftees I made them for aren't looking for perfection.
Tough group!

Nice looking ornaments! Modifying the horse to a dog because something broke is a great save! One way to get less-noticeable tool marks is to take off very very very thin chips as you approach the final contours. Thin chips will not be as noticeable as large chips (flat plane...), but will still be there as evidence of a hand-carved item.

BTW, on my carvings, which are usually totally painted, I never paint the bottom of the carving, not even varnish. This is "proof" that it's hand-carved wood and not a resin casting...

Claude

Here's what I truly loved about these projects. Most of the woodworking I do is on extremely dense hard wood and is done with power tools. The finishes are always sooth and sleek. Much of the work is custom made so there isn't a lot of room for spontaneous creativity. Plus It's not really work made for manual carving so I hadn't had a chance yet at trying manual carving. The new knives I got were sharpened for me so when the opportunity came up to carve Christmas ornaments I thought it would be fun to try my new knives.
I got to use domestic wood from our property and use a variety of tools.
Normally if a part broke off I'd chuck it and start over but I was determined to finish this no matter what to get the full experience of carving which I did. Because the stencil I used was meant to be a profile, it made the ears come out all wrong. I hadn't thought of that yet but I was having soooo much fun that I just wanted to continue so I took them off and decided to make it into a dog. Sure the anatomy isn't correct and the tail is too long and in the wrong place but I keep going. When it came time to add an eye hook for hanging I broke off two in its back so had that showing. I was going to use either leather or rustic twine to add the D clasp but decided to add Christmas colours so used ribbon instead.lol
Ok it IS a bit crazy but so am I and it was a blast making it. I had so much fun and learned a lot.


With the Santa ornament the background wasn't meant to be flat.
I used the black lines of the spalt to separate the three different levels and textures of the wood. I didn't quite capture that in the picture. Plus I placed the Santa in a position that emphasized the spalt , coloured it and added some festive sparkles. I think it's fun and playful and definitely unique. I wood-burned my name and date on the back. In my opinion in does look old fashion which was the goal I was aiming for so I am very pleased with these projects.


Ok Maybe I'll make another ornament to replace the rocking dog. It does look a bit retarded but it was soooo much fun. I was proud because I figured I was showing patience and persistence.


Ok perhaps I had a bit too much fun

Originally Posted by ClaudeF

Nice looking ornaments! Modifying the horse to a dog because something broke is a great save! One way to get less-noticeable tool marks is to take off very very very thin chips as you approach the final contours. Thin chips will not be as noticeable as large chips (flat plane...), but will still be there as evidence of a hand-carved item.

BTW, on my carvings, which are usually totally painted, I never paint the bottom of the carving, not even varnish. This is "proof" that it's hand-carved wood and not a resin casting...

Claude

Thats Claude. That all makes sense. It will take a bit of practice but I'll get there eventually.

Originally Posted by Mike the knife

Well what a great start , well done !
Taking a creative approach to "surprise new directions " in a carving is all part of he fun & the learning curve - don't worry about that !

Of course now you will know for next time that , the tail should have been left attached to the back legs for strength & not separated from the body for all of it's length to give strength at that point.

You say "With both pieces I did quite a bit of sanding because I still can't get used to seeing the knife or chisel marks. I'm not sure why. I love seeing paint brush strokes in original paintings but for some reason this drove me nuts so I had to sand it. " - Maybe it is because you hadn't refined the tool marked surface enough yet ?
The tool marks are like the facets on a diamond & can suggest a surface or describe it in shimmering burnished detail , in this mass produced age they are the mark of an authentic hand made item as well as an opportunity for subtlety.
For me personally, coming down to that final surface & landing at it so gently is perhaps the greatest joy of carving & also perhaps where you have the deepest appreciation & understanding of grain direction.
Cheers Mike

Do you think I would have been better off gluing the tail or starting over? What would you have done in that situation.?
And i suppose creating our own certain style comes from our own personal preferences and not everyone's going to like those. Like anything else, people have their own preferences and as long as we are happy with our work, it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks.

I still haven't really tried my case knife. I didn't know how to sharpen it nor did I have all the stuff to do that so I purchased the other knives. They came exceptionally sharp which was a big factor for me that I hadn't really considered. Soon I'll be breaking it in though.

What are you currently working on? Anything exciting?

Originally Posted by Spiritwolfe

Do you think I would have been better off gluing the tail or starting over? What would you have done in that situation.?
And i suppose creating our own certain style comes from our own personal preferences and not everyone's going to like those. Like anything else, people have their own preferences and as long as we are happy with our work, it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks.

I still haven't really tried my case knife. I didn't know how to sharpen it nor did I have all the stuff to do that so I purchased the other knives. They came exceptionally sharp which was a big factor for me that I hadn't really considered. Soon I'll be breaking it in though.

What are you currently working on? Anything exciting?

Well I think you did the right thing because you got there with an attractive finished carving !
I think starting over is not a good idea , wood is a natural flawed material & there is very definately an attitude in woodcarving generally of rolling with the "suprises & shocks" that inevitably come with working with it.

I would have glued the tail back on but remember it is a weak part of the grain & the actual glueing surface is small , so I would hahave carved the tail whilst still seperate with a pen knife.
Then when it came to glue it back on I would have glued an extra small piece of the same wood in the saw cut to support & strengthen the repair.

SHARPENING - Yes it really is perhaps the most important factor in being able to carve easily , safely & enjoyably .
I would advise you NOT to learn your sharpening on good tools as it can waste a lot of good steel , instead find an old pocket knife & wear that out !
I've looked on the net. for a video to recommend but can't find one that used the traditional methods I use (clearly put) but perhaps someone knows of one ? (Claude ?)
If you know any whittlers get them to demostrate sharpening technique, the "case" will need to be ground to a whittling bevel angle.
I'm pleased that you have experienced (however briefly !) the joy of a razor sharp knife though it really is a prerequisite of any worthwhile carving.
Don't be afraid or resist learning shapening , it isn't that hard at all - just practice ! & when you've got it , it is a very useful skill to have, essential to carve.

Me ? I've got 3 sticks that are air dried for 5 years in Blackthorn a rare wood , very hard & heavy but a gorgeous carving wood , I'm just bring the moisture content down to 12% very slowly & carefully then I shall have a go at them if they don't crack up & self destruct before hand !
Depending on how long the drying might take (months ? ) , sooner or later I may do something small to keep me going .
Cheers Mike

　

What a nice save on the rocking dog. Well done.

image.jpg

Originally Posted by Mike the knife

Well I think you did the right thing because you got there with an attractive finished carving !
I think starting over is not a good idea , wood is a natural flawed material & there is very definately an attitude in woodcarving generally of rolling with the "suprises & shocks" that inevitably come with working with it.

I would have glued the tail back on but remember it is a weak part of the grain & the actual glueing surface is small , so I would hahave carved the tail whilst still seperate with a pen knife.
Then when it came to glue it back on I would have glued an extra small piece of the same wood in the saw cut to support & strengthen the repair.

SHARPENING - Yes it really is perhaps the most important factor in being able to carve easily , safely & enjoyably .
I would advise you NOT to learn your sharpening on good tools as it can waste a lot of good steel , instead find an old pocket knife & wear that out !
I've looked on the net. for a video to recommend but can't find one that used the traditional methods I use (clearly put) but perhaps someone knows of one ? (Claude ?)
If you know any whittlers get them to demostrate sharpening technique, the "case" will need to be ground to a whittling bevel angle.
I'm pleased that you have experienced (however briefly !) the joy of a razor sharp knife though it really is a prerequisite of any worthwhile carving.
Don't be afraid or resist learning shapening , it isn't that hard at all - just practice ! & when you've got it , it is a very useful skill to have, essential to carve.

Me ? I've got 3 sticks that are air dried for 5 years in Blackthorn a rare wood , very hard & heavy but a gorgeous carving wood , I'm just bring the moisture content down to 12% very slowly & carefully then I shall have a go at them if they don't crack up & self destruct before hand !
Depending on how long the drying might take (months ? ) , sooner or later I may do something small to keep me going .
Cheers Mike

　

Oh cool! So you would have done the same thing also. That rolling with the surprises and shocks that inevitably come with the hobby is what was exciting about it. It was the first time I'd really sat down with a sharp knife and gotten into carving and once I started I couldn't stop. In fact, I stayed up the entire night just so absorbed in the process. It was awesome.

Once I broke the tail I considered gluing it and then perhaps just painting the mane 'n tail to cover the glue marks but then I realized that I 'd done the ears all wrong and my design wouldnt work, I had to go to plan number two. I hadn't used a 3D drawing but instead had used a flat profile showing both ears . Cutting the ears off wasn't a big deal and neither was attaching the tail. I made a 4 mm point on the tail and then drilled a corresponding hole into the backend, added some glue and it was a tight snuck fit. I really wanted to keep this piece as organic as possible so I'm glad it worked.
The eye hook looked awesome but I just had to turn it one last time too many until it broke off so the D ring was an alternative option.


I am slowly but surely learning to sharpen my tools. I've gotten several stones now, 2 leather strops and a belt sander like this one image.jpgbut don't yet have a leather belt . I can't order one for it. I know I've shown you this unit before but what I'd really love to try is one of these for sharpening . Yes definitely on old knives. Lol
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=--9BcM5kUJo


I've also got a couple of stropping compounds. I'm slowly but surely making progress.


I think you may have showed me some blackthorn before. Doesn't it have a burgundy tone to it and you made an owl from it? If it is it looks similar to Bubinga wood which is beautiful
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Hey! Have you ever heard of a carver named Nancy Tuttle? She turns washed up driftwood into thought provoking fine art. She's currently featured in Wood Carving magazine.
I thought you'd appreciate how she approaches her work. She finds unusual pieces of wood and creates what she sees in the wood or where her intuition takes her and her work is outstanding.
Here's some pics for you.
What do you think? I find her work fascinating.

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