[Woodcarver] Instruction/Tools/Suggestions requested

[Ed Ertel]

Hey Rick!

I've always had good luck starting people out with what I call "touch carvings" - smoothly surfaced stylized birds or animals in soft poplar or local white pine, where the student can see the grain of the wood, and easily make sense of working with or against the grain.

Another popular project is ball in a cage.  Newbies think that is magic, and that they can tackle anything after one of those, and if one has a drill press you can make the project very easy for them.

Numerous videos on Youtube, I especially like the ones from Arlene at "carverswoodshop" or from Gene Messer at "whittler0507" which you can search for on Youtube.  Many others have worthwhile carving videos on there, too!  You can also look at Arlene's stuff at:  
http://www.carverswoodshop.blogspot.com/  .  


If they have vacation weeks during the spring, you can contact me about some of the Sr. Centers in CT that have open carving sessions and most love to have kids stop in.

EdE





>________________________________

> From: Rick Johnson <n1wgk at comcast.net>

>To: [Woodcarver] <woodcarver at carverscompanion.com> 

>Sent: Monday, January 14, 2013 8:07 AM

>Subject: [Woodcarver] Instruction/Tools/Suggestions requested

> 

>Hello all...I have a couple questions, as well as a plea...

>

>There are 2 sisters (freshman in college and a senior in high school) from our church that had approached me to teach them to carve. While I am still a beginning carver myself and still exploring the joys of carving (and making MANY mistakes along the way), I agreed to show them a few things.

>

>I think I have created a couple monsters!  (LOL), the first meeting, they carved for 5 hours straight, and when I had them meet me again later the same week, they had just about finished the project I had them start.

>

>My questions:

>Does anyone else have any novice ideas for carving? I have given them the "40 minute Santa", the Santa bookmark and each of them an egg to work on a face with.

>

>Also, being college and high school kids and children of a single mom, they don't have a lot of extra money...does anyone have a couple old knives (in decent shape, please) that I can get them started with their own tools? I might even be willing to buy them, if the pricing is affordable. How about ideas for strops for them? Suggestions for gouges? Right now, I have been lending them my tools, but it does make it harder for me to continue myself...  :-)

>

>As this is the first time I have ever taught carving/whittling, any suggestions from the more seasoned carvers? I have taught computer classes, but art is new to me...any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

>

>Thank you all for your help...

>

>Rick

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