Thread: Santa with a Tree

Whittling must be so big in the US. - you can actually buy ready cut outs ?
Carved Santas must be big too if you are getting stock ready at this time of year ! I get the impression hat there is much more appreciation of folk art in the US generally, I'm ashamed to say that there is very little appreciation of it in the UK.
What knife do you like to use Claude ?
Mike

I have and use several: Flexcut detail, Allan Goodman thin blade Scimitar, Helvie thin blade carver, Helvie small detail, Bütz detail. I used gouges for about half the carving.

The "professional" carvers, such as the Caricature Carvers of America members, often sell rough outs or cut outs of their work so others can carve a copy of their work and save lots of time and effort getting rid of waste wood.

Here are just a few of the many: Introduction https://sbrownwoodcarving.com Fantasy Carving Home Page Mitchell Cartledge Wood Carving Steve Browns web site has some videos of the Renegade Woodcarving Rendezvous in Tennessee. And Allan Goodman has some Youtube videos of these and other events. These show a lot of the rough outs available to students as well as some of the instructors' completed work. Here's one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuWXvgxGpz0

These carvers (and many others) hold classes around the country and they bring a lot of their rough outs with them to sell to the students. This way, the students can concentrate on the carving and not have to spend hours removing waste wood from a block. The rough outs have enough extra wood on them that variations are possible (and encouraged). I converted a rough out of a cowboy with cowboy hat to a swamp person in coveralls and baseball cap, for example.

Claude

Nice one Claude. I like the expression you got on his face. Whittling isn't as appreciated in Australia either, but I'm working on it! I run two workshops in whittling, a beginner and an intermediate level.

A lot of my students like the idea of the flexibility and portability that whittling affords but many don't have the 'back up' equipment (like a band saw) which is, if not essential, than certainly highly desirable, in making rough outs. I teach how to rough out from either a machined block or a natural bough but for more complex pieces the band saw really saves a lot of time. I was discussing this just yesterday with a mate who suggested getting a 'low end' CNC machine to rough out carving blanks en mass and sell them. I suspect this is what's happening in the US already but its an open market here. I think one would need to build the market base a bit first though... not enough whittlers in Oz to carry it.

Several of the places that sell wood here offer a rough out service. That's where all those I mentioned above get theirs done... I know of a couple of people here who use machines to do their own rough outs, but most buy them from the people supplying the wood. The rough out (Santa, tree, axe) for this Santa cost me $35US, plus shipping.

Originally Posted by Whittling

Whittling isn't as appreciated in Australia either, but I'm working on it! I run two workshops in whittling, a beginner and an intermediate level.

A lot of my students like the idea of the flexibility and portability that whittling affords but many don't have the 'back up' equipment (like a band saw) which is, if not essential, than certainly highly desirable, in making rough outs. I teach how to rough out from either a machined block or a natural bough but for more complex pieces the band saw really saves a lot of time. I was discussing this just yesterday with a mate who suggested getting a 'low end' CNC machine to rough out carving blanks en mass and sell them. I suspect this is what's happening in the US already but its an open market here. I think one would need to build the market base a bit first though... not enough whittlers in Oz to carry it.

Yes ! I get that 100%, I no longer have a bandsaw or workshop to put one, after spending a lot of time replicating the bandsaw approach and ending up with sore wrists !
I'm now trying to develop new approaches, both in technique & design to circumvent laborious roughing out.
It seems such a shame that you only need knife to start carving , it seems so accessible & attractive but realistically - roughing out is a thorny problem preventing many beginner either progressing or even starting out on what is fascinating & engrossing hobby.
Mike

Here's an illustration I've used on another forum as a way to get a rough out (technically a "cut out") to save a lot of effort with a knife. The block of wood can be clamped to a table with a C or F clamp, the small vertical lines cut with a handsaw, and the excess wood then knocked out with a hammer and/or carpenter's chisel.

Claude

roughout_a.jpg

The handsaw/hammer/chisel technique is what I do for roughouts. Nice illustration.
I'll add that I use a drill press and big Forstner bits to rough out the void of a dish.
Still plenty to clean up with assorted carving tools.

Yes, I've used that method myself , it's probably the quickest way in the absence of a band saw. However I've fond that it does require a perfectly square block as well as the design to be drawn out on every side correctly registered , to say nothing of accurate hand sawing.

Looking at some ready cutouts though -they are very much more substantially roughed out aren't they , I do find myself wondering whether a beginner would learn more from doing the whole job & not just the finishing ?

I get one edge or one side flat. All the drawing comes away from that reference surface.
I like the handsaw approach as it's so slow, I can make one more cut, or half a stroke, to stop maybe 1/4" from the line(s).

Originally Posted by Mike the knife

Looking at some ready cutouts though -they are very much more substantially roughed out aren't they , I do find myself wondering whether a beginner would learn more from doing the whole job & not just the finishing ?

I think the idea here is a bit like learning to swim. Some can start at the deep end of the pool but others find this too daunting. The CNC rough outs make it easier to achieve a satisfactory result in a relatively short time frame. The resultant psychological positive reinforcement is likely to encourage a continuation of the craft. Early failures on the other hand are likely to discourage a sizable percentage of new starters.

The people who are sufficiently driven, to persevere through the rough out stage without the benefit of more sophisticated tools will learn regardless of how they are introduced to the craft. The rest need to coaxed and CNC rough outs are as good a way as any to do this I think.

And it gives the professional or competent amateur with the money to invest in a CNC machine, an extra income stream.... )

Originally Posted by Whittling

I think the idea here is a bit like learning to swim. Some can start at the deep end of the pool but others find this too daunting. The CNC rough outs make it easier to achieve a satisfactory result in a relatively short time frame. The resultant psychological positive reinforcement is likely to encourage a continuation of the craft. Early failures on the other hand are likely to discourage a sizable percentage of new starters.

The people who are sufficiently driven, to persevere through the rough out stage without the benefit of more sophisticated tools will learn regardless of how they are introduced to the craft. The rest need to coaxed and CNC rough outs are as good a way as any to do this I think.

And it gives the professional or competent amateur with the money to invest in a CNC machine, an extra income stream.... )

Yes, very well put, I'm sure you're 100% right.
Try & watch video of one of these machines working as they are not as fast as you might imagine & their use involves cutter changes etc.
BTW. think there are plans available for a home made wooden version !
The reason why I now this is because I considered doing this myself but lacked the workshop space to proceed.

Marketing this idea would be would be the make or break thing of course , do keep us up to date if you decide to go ahead with this interesting idea - I definitely think there may be some mileage in the idea after you've done or figures.

I know in the mountainous area of the alps they have a rich & ancient tradition of woodcarving , selling to the tourists has long been their source of income , nowadays rather than the tap of mallets coming from each cottage door it is the whine of a high speed routers in one of these 3D machines you can hear everywhere !
Cheers Mike