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  1. #31
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
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    Ponchatoula, LA, USA
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    342

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    Redwood is not a good carving wood. It tends to splinter and the grain wanders a bit. It is soft, and will not hold much detail. Here's one I carved many years ago for a granddaughter. You can see the "state of the art" tools I was using at the time...

    Claude

    bear2.jpg

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  3. #32
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    McBride BC Canada
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    3,543

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    Redwood appears to be a superb carving wood. For anything where the form suggests the features.
    Of course it's hopeless if you plan to carve the gill filaments in a salmon.

    If you desire significant detail, then walk away for different wood.
    If you want to carve a story pole of a family adventure, Redwood looks as good as it gets.

    In each of the 4 different carving styles in the Pacific Northwest for massive figures,
    none of it needs the exquisite details as seen in Argillite or Silver.

  4. #33
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    back in Alberta for a while
    Age
    68
    Posts
    12,006

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    Quote Originally Posted by Luke Maddux View Post
    Thanks for the advice everyone. It's greatly appreciated and very valuable.

    I've ordered Mary May's book, "Carving the Acanthus Leaf". This isn't a motif in which I have a tremendous amount of interest, but the book is well reviewed, and I think that it offers a lot of learning opportunity. I'll probably start by buying the tools for the respective projects in the book and eventually get more as I progress through the projects. When I feel like I've reached a point in the book where I'm ready to step outside it, I'll buy the tools appropriate for the Newport shell, the Ball and Claw, etc.

    This will be the closest thing I've ever done to taking a class, but I think that I need it for this skill. I've mentioned this in posts before, but I'm not even really sure that I can do this... like EVER. I've never been great at drawing things, and that's half the battle with carving.

    But we shall see...

    I'll post a progress report some day. In the meantime thanks for the help and if anyone thinks of anything more to offer let me know!
    Hi Luke

    7 weeks later ... has the "some day" for a progress report arrived?
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian

  5. #34
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    McBride BC Canada
    Posts
    3,543

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    Never a mention of the refined business to make tools " carving sharp."
    I'll bet that more people quit because of that than all other reasons combined.

  6. #35
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    1

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    Luke,
    Marry is great! She use our shop to teach her first class 20+ years ago. I was one of her first students and I thank my luciky stars.
    She had just finished a 4 year apperatinship under a Greek master carver when I meet her. The first 4 months all he would let her do was sharpen tools. Well she showed us how to carve the first class but it will take months to learn how to get a good set of tools sharp.
    Carving and sharping first movement starts from our toes.
    Good luck with all your projects!

    John

  7. #36
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    granville ohio usa
    Age
    85
    Posts
    34

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    I have some wood that I traded for, from Oz. Stubi is not a great brand to carve on these . The wood is harder than my last Stubi tool which I drove into a joist to hang coats on.. Everyone to their own opinion.. I guess Basswood and lime are fine, but I have something called African Maple that I played with.. Stubi would dull rapidly, sharpen fast... the mark of a soft tool...and the reason it became a coat hanger. I am 80, destroying wood in town since 1969. Learned a little, forgot most of it.. Band saw , big old German 1985 monster went ballistic this weekend, bad belt on upper wheel, have the belt. going on local "for sale site" ten dollars and bring a truck to haul away.. There are times when you get too old and are unable to do the repairs. my problem.

  8. #37
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    granville ohio usa
    Age
    85
    Posts
    34

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    Talk about karma, just got back on the site. Kestrel tools mentioned. Went out to the garage, and there were several tools that had " taken a vacation" on my bench. One is a bent knife I had purchased 30 odd years ago maker kestrel.. I had a standing offer to give carvers my scrap wood. Send the pattern, I'll fit it and mail, you refund postage...No one can be bothered, so it goes into mushrooms, and kindling..

  9. #38
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    3,330

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    Quote Originally Posted by nadcarves View Post
    I had a standing offer to give carvers my scrap wood. Send the pattern, I'll fit it and mail, you refund postage...No one can be bothered, so it goes into mushrooms, and kindling..
    The issue is, I think, that there aren’t many carvers about any more, and the number is declining rapidly every day. I could mention the long time between inspiration and accomplishment and how it doesn’t appeal to people any more, but I don’t like to needlessly hammer generations y or z or whatever.

    Tastes have changed. One hundred years ago almost every piece of quality furniture had some type of ornamental carving, even if just a beading somewhere. Now it’s just not what people want at all.

    The only good side of this is that it’s easy to build up big collections of really good carving tools at ridiculously cheap prices. I assemble sets of Addis and Charles Taylor’s.

    Or maybe it’s not so good - if the demand is not there they’ll be worth even less then I paid for them in years to come.
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

  10. #39
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    3,330

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    Weird double post deleted
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

  11. #40
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    McBride BC Canada
    Posts
    3,543

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    nadcarves: Aaron is right = there aren't many of us left at the bench.
    Every anglo carver that I've met in the last 20 years has been self-inspired and motivated to pick up a gouge and make chips.
    Me? A short course to try something that I had never done before and even so, was years later to pick it up.
    I've not met a soul interested in learning.

    Pacific Northwest native carving communities still use a child-apprenticeship program
    for the the kids that show some innate talent. It's been very effective to see all the old family names.

    Every instance when I've been invited to carve in an artisans' exhibition,
    the native carvers want to sit and talk wood and tools for hours. That's OK by me.

    nadcarves: are you willing to part with that old Kestrel knife?
    PM so we can discuss money for the knife and shipping. Please.
    I'd like to carve with something that Gregg was making 30 years ago.
    I make daily use of some modern Kestrel blades and adzes.

    I'm just across the continent, up in the Canadian Rockies at 53N.

  12. #41
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Denmark, WA
    Age
    66
    Posts
    174

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    Quote Originally Posted by Arron View Post

    The only good side of this is that it’s easy to build up big collections of really good carving tools at ridiculously cheap prices. I assemble sets of Addis and Charles Taylor’s.

    Or maybe it’s not so good - if the demand is not there they’ll be worth even less then I paid for them in years to come.
    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 they go for more or less the same price as new tools.

  13. #42
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Central Coast, NSW
    Posts
    3,330

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    Quote Originally Posted by HuonPhil View Post
    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 they go for more or less the same price as new tools.
    No, not for resale. I have difficulty parting with really nice things.

    I have a limit of about $6 or 7 dollars for a Addis or Taylor tool. I buy them when I see them at that price, but actually I’ve been given quite a lot. I often need to rehandle.

    Cheers
    Arron
    Apologies for unnoticed autocomplete errors.

  14. #43
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    granville ohio usa
    Age
    85
    Posts
    34

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    Quote Originally Posted by Robson Valley View Post
    nadcarves: Aaron is right = there aren't many of us left at the bench.
    Every anglo carver that I've met in the last 20 years has been self-inspired and motivated to pick up a gouge and make chips.
    Me? A short course to try something that I had never done before and even so, was years later to pick it up.
    I've not met a soul interested in learning.

    Pacific Northwest native carving communities still use a child-apprenticeship program
    for the the kids that show some innate talent. It's been very effective to see all the old family names.

    Every instance when I've been invited to carve in an artisans' exhibition,
    the native carvers want to sit and talk wood and tools for hours. That's OK by me.

    nadcarves: are you willing to part with that old Kestrel knife?
    PM so we can discuss money for the knife and shipping. Please.
    I'd like to carve with something that Gregg was making 30 years ago.
    I make daily use of some modern Kestrel blades and adzes.

    I'm just across the continent, up in the Canadian Rockies at 53N.
    Tell you what, when it turns up. Present location unknown, but near. You can refund my postage , and buy me a Dude, which is a drink at a dive known as Taco Dan's, that I limit myself to ONE. Dan made me a second, went outside and tripped right in front of a cop .Told him not to mind me, just came out of the light into the dark, and ,at 80, the eyes don't adjust that rapidly. A kinda Whew!!! moment.

  15. #44
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    granville ohio usa
    Age
    85
    Posts
    34

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    I plunked all the tools into several boxes.. In excess of three hundred... Am dyslexic, so when I concentrate on something, it hides ,then pops out, " SUPRISE"...Was wandering around not paying attention, just gathering, getting ready to sharpen. Dyslexia that I have is most interesting, actually can focus on something I will need in the future. Walking by a table, a pair of nose scissors stood out. Put in my pocket, went over to the community garden, a small wren was trapped in the mesh fence, with three cats drawing straws as to who was going to do the honors.. Just right size to free the little guy

  16. #45
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    McBride BC Canada
    Posts
    3,543

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    S'cuse the side bar here. I've used Kestrel blades for some years.
    I'd be really happy to blow the dust off and use that again.

    As long as old carving tools don't show any rust pitting, they are good to go.
    Some brands, like Pfeil and Aurioux, I'd buy sight unseen, sharp or not.
    I have several dozen Pfeil. Over the last 10(?) years, I drifted into
    the crooked knives and adzes which are common here in the Pacific Northwest carving community.
    A few Kestrel, a few Diamond, but mostly remakes from farrier's crooked hoof trimming knives.

    Good for you to release the bird. Some get lucky.
    One drink and must be food, too. I won't drink with the flies anymore.
    Brian

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