[Woodcarver] My best carver

[Alex Bisso]

I also have a grandson who is 7 years old recently started wanting to carve.
As several have suggested, I got a couple of books on soap carving for ideas
and made him an array of wooden carving tools, including:

Basic carving knives (one from a popsicle stick and one from a plastic
knife)

A small shallow gouge (shaped the end of a popsicle stick)

A wider shallow gouge (shaped the end of a tongue depressor stick).   

A small deeper gouge (from a piece of dowel that I cut in half lengthwise on
the bandsaw and carved the end shape).  This one has proven very useful and
he          has learned to drill perfect holes in soap with it and to make
circles that from which the outside can be relieved for a flower center or a
button.

A "V" tool (made from a slat of wood about 3/8" thick, carving the "v"
cutting shape into the edge of the slat and shaping the neck of the tool and
handle.  

                

All of the tools have proven useful - much better than just a knife.  I also
made him a small tool rack to stand them up in and keep them together when
not in use.   We first did a shallow relief of a flower with a button center
and 4 2-lobed petals and he did very well on it.  Next we did a large heart
relief-carved on the bark of soap and painted red.  I was amazed at how well
cheap watercolor paints worked on the soap.  Now we are working on an
in-the-round simple fish shape.  I have not had much time (not nearly as
much as he asks for) but I think he is off to a good start and has amazed me
at how well he can follow instructions and get good results.  

 

One warning about the soap carving - soap gets on his hands from holding the
soap and from wiping off the flakes and a couple of times he wiped his eyes
and got soap in them.  I gave him a brush to help keep the carving clean and
that helped, as did learning about what can happen the hard way.  I wish I
had thought to warn him but I had never carved soap before and did not think
of it until he came to me, eyes burning.  

ALEX

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