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So I have had a response from the seller and yes his father was the WA artist/sculptor Howard Taylor.
I think they may have sat unused for some years which may explain the grubby/rusty state of them.

Because the box has an owner's name and address on the inside I did a bit of Googling.
I found an entry on Wikipedia for a Birmingham photographer who did an apprenticeship with a church furniture...

Found these on Gumtree recently. 66 mostly Addiss tools. Small size and unusual shapes. Came to Australia from Birmingham UK after the war. Originally owned by Harold Baker.
$8 per tool!!!

...

I had 1 board of Paulownia left over from my rocking horse project so I thought I would see what it like for carving fine detail. I often see these birds from the shed window so thought I'd have a go...

"I'm in."

So how did your builder react?
I'm surprised to hear that you don't rate Blackwood. The couple of occassions I have used it I found pretty easy going.
Westbury's lady carver, Ellen Nora Payne and...

Hi Alec
I can't offer any NSW specific timber advice, but it may well be easier to find a timber seller close to you and ask what they have that is suitable. Hopefully someone in your area can be...

I haven't posted for some time, primarily because I have been working on a large (for me) project.
Based on plans from The Rocking Horse Shop in the UK. This is the first time I have worked on such...

Hi Mike.
The Rocking Horse Shop in York use this as their timber of choice. You can see some examples on their website. I was going to try it but couldn't get the sizes I needed. I am going to try...

I decided it was time to ditch my metal music stand and replace it with something more sculptural. Based on this image of a humpback whale.
The second tail fluke goes under the heading of...

Are you collecting these old tools for resale? If so I would be interested. I have had very little luck trying to find Addis tools here in Tas. Moreover when I do see them, usually in the UK or US...

A member of my family suggested the 2 colours on her face reflected the two sides of the characters personality.

I've been working on this for a while, but finally it's finished. I didn't realise when I started that the change in colour would end up right in the middle of her face. Rotating it 45degrees would...

Now that is a serious set of tools. Are they Robert 'Mousey' Thompson knock offs behind the tool chest?

I'm in.

I recently got hold of a piece of Horizontal Scrub. 3 metres long and 70mm diameter. I figured ideal for 2 - 1 piece hiking poles Having cut it in half and formed the shank it became obvious that the...

I shall try and drop in some time - where is it?

Nice. Digital or bricks and mortar shop?

Philip.

It would be entirely possible to spend 2 months of intensive training just learning to properly use a single tool. I remember spending countless hours at the start of my apprenticeship converting...

I like the idea of making 'yewtensils'

Philip.

Hey Mike, isn't it the case that those cuts into the claw are in what is waste material as you round/shape the claw? Looking good all the same.
Philip.

Thanks tasbloke. If Bruny weren't in the way we could potentially see each other!

Back in the 80's when we first arrived in Western Australia I worked with a Tasmanian who had an oilstone box made of HP, and waxed lyrical about this wonderful almost mythical timber. Obviously...

This isn't an attempt to channel Robert 'Mousey' Thompson but I guess anytime you carve a mouse that my be a reasonable assumption. Supposed to be the Tasmanian endemic long tailed mouse. Huon pine...

My neighbours gifted me a couple of pieces timber from an old walnut grove. It had been on the ground for a while so is starting to deteriorate. Maybe good as it gives an owl like mottled effect to...

Thanks Mike.
Apparently the Sheela na gig can be found more often in Ireland. While I was working on this I started wondering if this Sheela was in anyway connected with the use of Sheela for girls...

Thanks Claude.
If you could see my interweb search history you'd see 'cabachon' featured quite heavily!
Philip.

My walking stick collection so far.

416900
Posted previously - Sassie and Leatherwood. I really ought to fill those holes.
416902
Changed the head angle for a better feel in the hand - Eucalypt...

I don't know if I previously mentioned but I have MS. Recently my sometimes uncooperative leg has become very wobbly if I walk any distance. Time for a walking stick. This design seemed most...

If the quality is good, and the price is not outrageous I would always prefer to buy local product.

Philip.

Hi All.
I haven't had a lot of time for carving since moving into the new house, far too much to do getting the gardens sorted.
I have however recently finished a female partner for Big Ed.
Meet...

#ThatwouldbeTasmania!

I have no idea if this is the best place to put this, but, I am trying to find a source that will allow me to understand the maths/geometry behind the tracery seen in Gothic church furniture. I have...

I have no idea if this is the best place to put this, but, I am trying to find a source that will allow me to understand the maths/geometry behind the tracery seen in Gothic churhc furniture. I have...

Ah, Mike you do seem to cop it when you offer the benefit of your experience. I'm guessing, you have developed a thick skin over the years. I hope so because I for one would be sorry to not have your...

Hi Rob
I found that piercing the wood multiple times with a skew chisel gave a fairly convincing (to my eye) beard/whiskers effect. Thinking of this in terms of scale, whiskers could just as easily...

Even so, as I said previously, It is nice to occasionally have a multi faceted conversation. The idea that we all agree on everything all the time just doesn't feel right. So a few tolls every now...

You might expect that those who went before would use all the tools available. Having served an apprenticeship in a very traditional shop my experience would suggest otherwise. The standard answer to...

Realistically, you'd have to think that the chances of this being the future of 'all' sculpture are similar to the chances of ebooks spelling the end of printed books.
There are some fantastic...

It is instructive to see the range of styles that people adopt, from the most naive to the most refined.
I confess I much prefer work at this end of the scale. Everything blended properly,...

If the posty came down our road I'm sure he would at least be glad for the break in monotony. Unfortunately when you live off the main road in rural southern Tasmania the posty doesn't come your way....

Thanks RV.
There are a couple of pieces of 25mm rebar in the base, concreted into a deep plinth, and a bolt through the fence. I'd be kind of flattered (and extremely angry) if someone tried to...

Well, finally, finished painted and installed. Some cheeky bugger had placed a witches hat/ fluorescent cone over the mantis last
night so it looked like the beaver had a big orange hat on!!!


...

A project with 10 potential break off protrusions? Respect!

Philip.

Internet image.

[QUOTE=artful bodger;1922676]Out- Blooming- Standing, work !. It really reminds me of those antique Chinese carvings you see made in ivory.
Whats the timber Phil?
Hi Brad, funny you should mention...

Haha, that's funny. Some of the 'perspective' issues are photographic. Of course some of the issues are in the carving. Typically I find these occur when I get absorb in a detail and forget that it...

Hi Whittling.
Yep, the man/bird in hand is one piece. Whilst I agree to some extent I got an 'Asian' feel to his face I am a bit disappointed in the lack of character. I am gradually coming to terms...

Huon pine, 280mm high. I tried to put as much fiddly detail and courageous under cutting as possible into this one. Only paid the price in one location. The wing of the bird in hand snapped off...

The first batch of logs for tender has been released. 27 unsawn logs 11 slabbed. Unfortunately many of the slabbed logs do not have pictures of the individual pieces. See here for details.
I am...