Thread: A Whittling-inspired hair pin

Very nice

Regards

looks good steve,

Do you people have half a clue what you're doing?
Anybody that's ever spent any time in OZ should be all over you like a rash.
Stick to the iconic Australian wildlife. By that I mean that a bird, as elegant as it is, is not readily identifiable. Maybe a Sulfur-Crested Cockie. . . . .
There are key issues like simple postage, simple mailing. Don't expect inshore sales.
I want some.
You make some.
We talk.

That's really adorable Steve!

Ingenious idea with the skewer...gives a bit of flexibility, which would help when putting it on.

Thanks for the good comments, guys.
Robson Valley, I have another in the works already that's more of an Oz icon. I won't be making them to sell, though. It takes me too long to make one. Much longer than Whittling. I'll just make a couple, while it's fun, then get on with other things.

The problem with doing all Australian icons is that we're surrounded by all things Australiana here, and it's a nice change to carve something else besides kangaroos, koalas, kookaburras, cockatoos etc. I'm not sure what I'll choose for a third one, if I make one.

I gave it a couple of coats of Danish oil earlier to finish off.
I couldn't avoid flash glare, but it's reasonably clear.

ic. Two coats Danish Oil.JPG

I gave it a third coat of Danish and a good buff. It really brought out the colour and gave it a nice sheen. I can consider it finished now and move on.

Front - 3 coats Danish oil.JPG

That's great Steve. Well done indeed.

RV: it looks very much like a Satin Bower Bird, and any number of other Robin types. I'd say you've never heard the screech of SC Cockie - nobody, but NOBODY would want one that close to their ears!

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

That's great Steve. Well done indeed.

RV: it looks very much like a Satin Bower Bird, and any number of other Robin types. I'd say you've never heard the screech of SC Cockie - nobody, but NOBODY would want one that close to their ears!

You're right, FF, it does look a bit like a Bower Bird. Perhaps that's what I should call it.
In reality, it's a common, garden-variety pigeon. I wanted to carve something simple for my first attempt.

The next, (half-finished), is a Kookaburra. It's bloody hard getting it to look like one on this scale, though. The bird itself is 40mm x 35mm. I'll have to leave it a bit rough-hewn, or I'll sand out all of the detail. (Is that acceptable in a carving?) All being well, I'll post pics in a couple of days. Looks pretty rugged right now.

A wood riffler #1 would be the go. On the right end (as per pic) it is a "knife" shape/profile (i.e. the top edge is thicker than the bottom edge).

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

A wood riffler #1 would be the go. On the right end (as per pic) it is a "knife" shape/profile (i.e. the top edge is thicker than the bottom edge).

Yeah, I definitely need something like that. My rifflers are giant and so coarse they're completely useless. (The Carbatec set.)

At AU$54, it's way out of my league though. I'll just have to persevere with the chisels and sandpaper glued to things, at least for now. I've got a set of miniature bead files, which help.

The kookaburra will have to stay a bit rough. It looks OK from a distance. (The greater the distance, the better it looks. )

Part of my problem is in technique, and learning how to stylise things a bit but still look realistic. I'm having heaps of trouble mastering wings and their feathers. It's a good learning experience, if nothing else.

The other option is a Bastard Needle File in "Knife" (not shown on their website) for about $9.

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

The other option is a Bastard Needle File in "Knife" (not shown on their website) for about $9.

Now you're talking. That's more in my price range. I'll have a look around and see if I can find one.

I just found a set on eBay, 10pc Precision Needle File Rasp Bastard Set New | eBay , but the seller doesn't ship to Oz.

My bead files are pretty similar to them, actually. About 4" long, a set of 12.
I think that maybe I'm trying for too much detail, for such a small carving.

Here I sit, sort of surrounded by the indiginous wildlife as well! Somehow, I can't imagine a porcupine or a skunk on a hair pin.

I have heard those SC Cockies scream. Just on the other side of the fence, out the back door of my flat. Half a world away now, I still recall the aggrevation. In the years that I was at LaTrobe, there was a flock of cockies which reminded me that I was a very long way from home. That was OK.

Hi Steve

Just did a couple of tests with some files and a riffler (sorry about a little bit of camera shake on the long exposures):
Timber - Spotted Gum (Janka hardness about 10 (IIRC)
From L to R:
Hand Stitched Riffler, curved Triangular (haven't got a small #1 Knife), Stitching grain #13 or 14 (very fine)
Needle Warding File, 2nd Cut
Needle Knife File Smooth

Across the grain:


Along the grain:


The grooves are about 1mm wide. 10 back/forth strokes for each tool.

I didn't have a Knife file in anything but Smooth, hence using a Warding file, which tended to wander. The Knife Smooth file was actually more effective than I thought it would be, probably because I was using the point. The easiest to control was the hand stitched riffler, possibly because i was able to use the edge rather than the point.

In short, I would say that you'll get a result with the Bastard Needles, but you'd get a quicker result with the Hand stitched riffler, which could then be finished with the needle files.