Making Emblems & Logos For Wood Carvings

We all love wood carving but most of us all hate painting. I think part of the reason why is because we are not good at it. Painting is an art form of its own and just like wood carving it takes a lot of practice to get good at it. The area of painting that I really struggle with is doing fine detail work. Well thanks to my very, very good friend Ed Livingston there is a way to get perfectly detailed emblems and logos on your wood carvings without the hassle of painting. Ed has developed a system for transferring symbols and designs from the internet to your carvings, and has put together a tutorial on how he does it. So the following is Ed’s tutorial on “Making Emblems & Logos For Wood Carvings” which he has graciously shared with us.

Making Emblems & Logos For Wood Carvings

1. The first step is to go on-line and Google up a photograph or clip art of the emblem or logo that I need.

2. Then I import the emblem or logo into Microsoft Publisher and after measuring the actual size that I need for the caricature that I’m whittling I reproduce it a number of times using the sizing marks on the Publisher screen. I often will make a couple slightly larger and slightly smaller just in case I’m not satisfied with the size that I originally choose. At this time I will also create a text box and format it with color and writing as needed producing duplicates as I did with the emblems and logos.

3. Once I’m satisfied with my selection I’ll print the sheet out and spray just the emblems, logos, and text with a good coat of Krylon Workable Fixatif. The stuff is too expensive to waste so there’s no need to coat the entire sheet which will be trashed anyway.

4. Once the sheet is dry I cut out each emblem, logo, and text as required and glue them in place on the caricature with Gorilla Type II glue. The reason that I use Gorilla glue is that it dries whiter in color than Titebond. And of course the reason that I use a Type II is that unlike a regular white glue such as Elmer’s it’s water resistant.

5. The final step before I apply a finish to the entire caricature is to apply a full strength coat of what ever varnish I am going to use on the caricature, to the emblem, logo or text. I do this with one swipe of the brush. This puts a final seal on the emblem, logo or text. The reason is that I never apply polyurethane finishes to my carvings full strength. Most of the time they are mixed with water as much as 50-50 and sometimes, not very often, but sometimes, if the Fixatif isn’t applied evenly, the ink will still run with the heavy water mixture.

Thank you very much, Ed, for this excellent tutorial. I can honestly say that I have personally tried this method several times and it is easy to do and works like a dream.

Carving Tip

Add Wrinkles for Realism

Clothing wrinkles add realism to your carvings. Try to add wrinkles to your carvings for a more realistic look. Use various sized gouges along with your carving knife to make cuts that go in different directions to simulate clothing wrinkles. Study pictures or actual clothing for guidance on how it drapes and wrinkles on the body as it moves, twists and turns. There are also some excellent artist’s books on clothing drapery and wrinkles you may want to consider purchasing for reference.

Questions & Comments

First, we have a comment from my good friend, Jim Babcock with a response to last month’s discussion on wood carving knives. Here is what Jim had to say:

“Bob:

Thanks for your latest blog; always find them to be a nice mix of show schedules & events, patterns, and carving tips. Nice to review your feature on knives. I think everyone gravitates to vendor tables to see what’s new; never can have enough knives ! I started carving with OCCT and own many that hold an edge and keep on going. Recently added a Helvie, which sure looks nice and came sharp and ready to carve.

Jim Babcock Columbus, Indiana”

Thanks for writing and for your nice comments, Jim. OCCT knives are terrific knives and I actually own several myself. Helvies, of course, speak for themselves.

Our next comment comes from Michael Woodard Photography who writes:

“Thanks for the article. Some thoughts and updates. I have also been an OCCT person, I have seven of their knives”

I appreciate your comments, Michael, and as I mentioned OCCT knives are an excellent choice for any wood carver.

Our next comment comes from my very good friend and frequent contributor, Dean Stewart.  Dean adds some meaningful information to last month's discussion on cleaning strops.  Dean writes:

"Bob

Regarding the question about cleaning a strop. I found that a brass detail brush does a great job of cleaning out the old metal and compound. It restores the nap of the leather but doesn’t damage it. I found mine at harbor freight but I’ll bet they can be found in other stores in the automotive section.”

Thanks so much for your feedback, Dean. The use of a small brass brush is an excellent way to clean a strop and in fact, I have used one myself at times. I’m sure they can also be found on Amazon.

Next we have a question from John Nielsen regarding an old Japanese knife he bought and is looking for information on it. John asks:

“I bought some used tools and one of them was this skew knife. I enjoy using it and hoped to find one as a mirror image.

-It has no maker marks on it, only a stamp indicating it was made in Japan.

-It has a serrated skew blade and the long side is also sharp.

-The serrated blade acts like a saw & is great for removing wood in tight places.

-I have searched on Amazon by photo & description, and other sites under ‘carving’, ‘skew knife’, ‘serrated carving tool’, ‘pottery’, ‘wood tools’, ‘clay tools’ but unable to find it.

Appreciate your help in identifying it so I can order its mate.

John Nielsen

Overgaard, AZ”

That is quite a unique looking tool and is one which I have never seen. My first impression is that it was used as some sort of woodworking tool, more like for carpentry rather than for woodcarving. I can’t really offer anything more than that. Perhaps some of our fellow carvers can tell us more about it. Does anyone know anything about this kind of knife?

Our next comment comes from my very, very good friend, who at his request shall remain nameless. So I will just refer to him as I.S. I.S. has some significant information to add to our discussion from last month on wood carving knives for beginners. Here is what he had to say:

“Bob,

After reading through your latest Chatter I would like to add that BeaverCraft tools are available on Amazon, eBay, Etsy and from Woodcraft. I believe I also viewed some for sale on another carving tool supply website but I cannot remember which one it was. I was not paying attention that close.

Also, to your beginner suggestions don’t forget the tried and true low cost Murphy knife. And suggest a beginner clamp the knife handle, protected of course, in a vise, cutting edge down, and round off the back of the blade with a narrow strip of coarse emery cloth using a motion like polishing shoes, to make the knife travel smoothly through curved cuts.

I love what you are doing, keep at it.

Thanks,

I.S.”

Thank you very much for your input, my friend! That is truly important information. Carvers interested in BeaverCraft tools should definitely check out those other means of obtaining them.

The tried and true Murphy knife should always be part of any discussion on wood carving knives for beginners. They are sturdy and inexpensive (around $25), and are ideal for someone just starting out. In fact, the Murphy knife was one of the first carving knives I ever owned. I actually own several and they had served me well over the beginning of my wood carving journey.

Photo Shop

“Photo Shop” is the section of Wood Chip Chatter where carvers can send in photos of their wood carvings for display. It’s your chance to show off your work…sort of a show and tell. The photos will only be displayed and no comments or critiques will be made. For critiques on your carvings send them in to the “Carver’s Corner.” Send your photos to carverbobk@woodchipchatter.com.

Our first entries to the “Photo Shop” this month come from my friend, Tim Lassen who has been busy carving some amazing aquatic creatures as gifts for the family. Tim writes:

"Hi Bob..I really enjoy your blog and the work and thought you put into each endeavor. The penguin was carved from one of your patterns . Also photo of rainbow I finished at Christmas. Actually I completed two one for each of our sons. Again thnx..Tim"

Thank you for the photo entries, Tim! They are always greatly appreciated. Your penguin looks great and I’m glad you enjoyed using my pattern. Your rainbow trout, though is magnificent! The details are spectacular from the fins and scales to the spots and coloration. Even the rock habitat is a work of art. I’m sure your sons loved them.

The next entries are from my good friend, Vern Freer. Vern has been busy carving penguins and citrus fruit. This is what he had to say:

“Hi Bob,

Just thought I’d share some photos from a few of my more recent carvings. The playful penguins were adapted from the pattern you shared with us back in September. They’ve been a great hit with family and friends. Thanks for sharing the pattern with us. The other photos are of Clem N. Tine. He’s the latest addition to the Citrus Gang. Thanks again for the time you take putting Wood Chip Chatter together, your critiques, recommendations, and all the useful information you provide to the carving community. I know that I have definitely benefited from your advice.

Vern Freer

(@vernfreer)”

Thanks so much for the photos, Vern, and also for the kind words about Wood Chip Chatter. I work hard every month to put together a blog that I think is both informative and entertaining to my readers. You penguins came out terrific! I really like how you changed them up with different embellishments such as scarves, hats and sweaters.

Clem N. Tine, of course looks like a grand addition to your “citrus gang.” I have loved seeing each and every one of your members of the “gang” as you have posted them on Instagram. Perhaps you might send them in to Wood Chip Chatter for the benefit of everyone else to see. I’m sure they would all enjoy them.

Our next entries to the “Photo Shop” come from my friend, Kathy Savage who carved three bears (not the Three Little Bears) as gifts. Kathy writes:

“so I 1st carved this bear over 10 years ago , then decided idea to carve it again for the family Christmas yanke swap ( of course I had to carve a new one for myself)

I like the way I carved the tree in the newer ones

thanks

Kathy”

Wow! I love all three of them, Kathy! So much detail in them, and the painting and finish are top notch. Someone got a great gift in your Yankee swap.

“Thanks

The 2 ( one for my swap gift and 1 for my husband) of them got opened early and traveled around quite a bit

One of my adult nephews was amazed with the fur detail!

Kathy “

Last but not least we have an entry from my good friend and frequent contributor, Dean Stewart who carved an absolutely stunning bowl out of butternut.  Dean writes:

“I wanted to share a picture of this trinket bowl I just finished. It’s carved from Butternut and finished with clear furniture wax. It’s the first time I’ve carved butternut but I’m now a big fan. I found it easy to carve but a little fuzzy. It took the sanding well.”

That's an absolutely gorgeous bowl, Dean!  You did a magnificent job on it.  Butternut is a great wood to carve and a nice change from basswood.  It carves fairly easily and holds detail reasonably well.  Although it can be a little splintery and fuzzy at times it sands and finishes nicely.  Butternut has a beautiful grain, much like Black Walnut and in fact, is often referred to as "white walnut."

Free Pattern

This month we have a pattern for all you relief carvers out there.

Upcoming Workshops & Seminars

Woodcarving the Waving Walker

Teacher: Dave Stetson

Dates: April 22,23,29,30 May 6,7

Times: Sat, Sun – 9:30am-11:30 Pacific /11:30am-01:30pm Central / 12:30pm – 2:30pm Eastern

12 hours (6 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

For more details and to sign up email Dave lcnmichele@aol.com

Woodcarving Old Faithful Horse

Teacher: Janet Cordell

Dates: April 24, 28 May 1, 5, 8, 12

Times: 2-4 p.m. Pacific Time, 3-5 p.m. Mountain Time, 4-6 p.m. Central Time 5-7 p.m. Eastern Time

12 hours (6 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

Contact Janet Cordell at: janet_cordell@yahoo.com

Online Classes With Chris Hammack

Teacher: Chris Hammack

Chris Hammack is offering a new series of online classes to help students learn and sharpen their woodcarving skills. Individual and Group Classes are available through his web site chrishammackart.com/groupclass

Whittle Wednesdays

Teacher: Dwayne Gosnell

Dates: Two – 2 hour classes each month on Wednesdays

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

To sign up contact Dwayne Gosnell via email dagwood_76@gmail.com

Woodcarving Academy

Bob Hershey has released his “Woodcarving Louisa Mae” Workshop recordings. All 8 parts have been uploaded. Bob takes you through his process of carving the wonderful “Louisa Mae bunny” just in time for Easter.

Reminder! we have added a Facebook group that is dedicated for students to share their creations that are based on their learnings from the Woodcarving Academy’s videos. If you are a paying subscriber please join us by clicking If you are a paying subscriber please join us by Clicking Here and ask to join the group.

News & Announcements

The International Association of Woodcarvers has upcoming Zoom meetings on the following Saturdays at 3PM EST with special guest presenters. Check them out…

Zoom: 310-460-3575

Presentation Schedule:

3/4 – Jarrod Wood

3/11 – Bruce Ankeny

3/18 – Tim Perry

3/25 – Raymond Kinman

4/8 – Van Kelly

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOODCARVERS

COME JOIN US!!!

Lancaster County Woodcarvers Zoom Meetings

(Informal meeting – Open to all)

Zoom: 417-966-8402

Schedule

Tuesday, March 14 at 7PM EST

Tuesday, April 11 at 7PM EST

Tuesday, May 9 at 7PM EST

There are no meetings in June, July and August.

Come join the fun…and you might even learn something

The Jersey Hills Wood Carvers (JHWC) club is a small but growing group of wood carvers sharing their time, knowledge and joy of woodcarving. The JHWC generally meets from 7:00 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday of each month (when school is in session) at the Jefferson Township High School wood shop classroom.

Membership is “FREE” and open to anyone interested in woodcarving regardless of their ability.

JHWC’s Upcoming Meetings and Events

Mar. 16th, 30th

Apr. 6th, 20th

May 4th, 18th

June 1st, 15th

For more information contact:

Al Santucci alsantucci4@gmail.com President

Bill Brunner billbrunnerdesign@gmail.com newsletter/website editor

Or visit:

Website: https://www.jerseyhillswoodcarver.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/736479646821641/

Don’t Forget!

We are always looking your contributions to Wood Chip Chatter. Your questions and comments help to keep this blog active and going! Effective discussions are one of the best ways to learn about the topics that interest you. Remember, there’s no such thing as a dumb question. Plus we would all love to learn about the unique tips, techniques and products YOU use in your woodcarving process.

We can also use more photo contributions to the “Carver’s Corner” and “Photo Shop”. My “Carver’s Corner” is a great way to get constructive critiques on your carvings so you can learn where to improve on your next ones, and I’m sure you all have some terrific carvings to share in my “Photo Shop” section. Photos of your carvings liven up the blog’s appearance and make it more interesting.

Send your questions, comments and photos to carverbobk@woodchipchatter.com. They will all be greatly appreciated.

Coming Shows

Does your club have a show coming up this year? Email me your brochure or send me your information so I can advertise it in Wood Chip Chatter.

The next issue of Wood Chip Chatter will be posted on Friday, April 7, 2023. Keep a sharp eye open for it!

Keep a sharp edge, and keep on carvin’!

Funny Bone

Basic Knives for Beginning Whittlers

Basic Knives for Beginning Whittlers

Whittling with pocket knives

Before I got my first whittling knife I used my pocket knife, which, so long as it was sharp, did a great job. Throughout whittling history, whittlers used pockets knifes and some still choose them over specialized whittling knives. For me, the main benefit is that they are so portable. I always have my pocket knife on me during outdoor trips, so it’s nice to know that if the opportunity or need arises for some impromptu creativity, I’m covered. I also like that you can switch between the different blade sizes, depending on your need. Although I have several good pocket knives my favorite is my two-blade Oar Carver, which is larger than most pocket knives, but the larger handle fits nicely in my hand.

Using your pocket knife is a great way to try out whittling without investing in a ‘proper’ whittling knife. If you’re just beginning whittling then having a blade that has the ability to lock is something to consider. A non-locking blade can be unstable and tricky to work with, and the potential for lost fingers is also higher than with a locking knife.

Whittling knives for beginners

Knives that are designed specifically for whittling tend to be non-folding knives, which makes them a little less convenient for on the go wood carving. However, their fixed blade makes them more sturdy and their handles sit much more comfortably in the hand than pocket knives. That said, there are also some really excellent folding knives that are ideal for whittling, and some pocket knives that are specifically designed as whittling knives.

There are a ton of specialist whittling knife options out there and many whittlers have multiple knives for different jobs. Here are some of the best whittling knife brands (in no particular order) that are ideal for beginner whittlers:

Flexcut – A good quality knife at a reasonable price with a blade that holds an edge well. The blades are made from quality steel and come carving sharp right out of the box. For me however, I find the sharply curved handles too uncomfortable for my liking. Flexcut knives are widely available from all woodcarving suppliers.

2. OCCT – An excellent quality knife at a competitive price. High quality steel blades that hold an edge well with periodic stropping. The walnut handles are straight, nothing fancy, but are comfortable to hold. OCCT knives come carving sharp right out of the box. I own several of these knives in two different sizes and really like them. OCCT knives are readily available from most woodcarving suppliers.

3. Helvie – A top of the line quality knife (my knife of choice) at reasonable prices with excellent steel blades that hold and edge with periodic stropping. You can get a Helvie knife in about a dozen different standard handle styles. Helvies also come carving sharp right out of the package. They are only available direct from Helvie Knives and not through any distributors. They are extremely popular and very hard to get.

4. Drake – A very high quality knife made with blades of excellent quality steel and top notch wood handles. Drake knives come factory sharp, although I found their selection of knifes to be somewhat limited. They are moderately priced, but I have only seen these knives available from Drake Knives and a handful of distributors.

5. BeaverCraft – Made in Ukraine, these knives are relatively inexpensive but are of very good quality. I tested their Sloyd style knife and although I don’t carve with that type of knife I found that it cut well and stayed sharp. BeaverCraft is a new and growing company from the Ukraine and is gradually expanding their line of tools and accessories and now have a fairly diverse line of carving knives available. At the present time I believe you can only get BeaverCraft knives directly from BeaverCraft Tools as well as on Amazon, although I think you will start to see them carried by some woodcarving suppliers soon.

There are many other excellent knife makers out there so you might want to ask around and do some research, but the ones I’ve listed above are all knives I have personal knowledge with and can speak from experience for them.

Carving Tip

Cut Off Those Corners!

Before you finish a carving, turn the piece around and carefully examine it. Ask yourself: “Is it too square looking? Are there a lot of sharp corners?” Unless you’re doing a flat plane carving you don’t want to leave a lot of big corners on your piece. In other words, knife facets are fine but you don’t want the overall carving to look too boxy or like it has flat sides. There are no flat areas or sharp corners on figures in real life (just look around), so your figures and caricatures should not be square, have flat spots or sharp angles either.

Take a photo! I often find that taking a photo of my carving before it’s finished will uncover flaws that I hadn’t noticed with my naked eye. I guess that’s why they say “A picture tells a thousand words.”

Don’t be too anxious to finish your carving. Take the time to do it right. Your work will look much better in the end.

Questions & Comments

Here is a copy of an Instagram message I received from my good friend, Richard Cahill with some very nice and much appreciated compliments:

Thank you very much for your thoughtful comments, Richard! It’s feedback like that that encourages me to keep doing what I’m doing. I’m glad you’re enjoying Wood Chip Chatter and your newly discovered hobby of wood carving. Keep up the good work you’re doing and I hope we will see some of your carvings here in Wood Chip Chatter.

Next I got a very good question from new subscriber, Jim Carlson about honing compound. Jim writes:

“I add honing compound to my strop every time I use it. Does the strop ever need to be cleaned to remove this accumulated abrasive?”

Thanks for writing, Jim. Adding honing compound every time you use it is adding way too much compound and is only overloading your strop unnecessarily. You should only need to add compound every once in a while (when you feel like your strop is not longer sharpening your knife), and yes, old built up compound should be scraped off periodically. Use the back of a knife or an old credit card to scrape the compound off the strop. I hope this helps.

Photo Shop

My good friend, Rick Keiper has been busy carving homes for Gnomes and has sent in some photos of his work:

“Good morning Bob,

Love your work and what you do for the art of woodcarving. I enjoy reading your Wood Chip Chatter newsletter every time it comes out. I recently carved a couple of gnome home trees that I think are great for spring. My wife loves them. I attached some pictures! Hope you enjoy!

Rick Keiper
Master Sergeant
U.S. Army
(912) 610-0722
RK Wood Carving”

Thank you for your kind remarks, Rick! Those are terrific little trees you carved! What a cool idea and very cute. I can see why your wife loves them.

My good friend, Bob Tomlinson from Madison, Wisconsin sent in a photo of a rather large project he completed a few months ago for a friend. Bob Writes:

“here is a project I completed back in September for sn Ohio State fan who lives near me here in Wisconsin.

Bob”

Thanks for the photo, Bob! Always appreciated. I read your note and then was surprised when I saw the photo at how large your carving/project is. You did quite an impressive job. It looks just like the real “Brutus.”

Free Pattern

Here is a pattern I found and modified many years ago and have gotten a lot of mileage out of.

Coming Workshops & Seminars

Cowboy

Teacher: Dave Stetson

Dates: February 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19.

Times: Sat, Sun – 9:30 – 11:30 Pacific time / 10:30 – 12:30 Mountain time / 11:30 – 1:30 Central time / 12:30 – 2:30 Eastern time.

12 Hours (6 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Cost: $125 payable thru check or Zelle, or $130 via PayPal.

Pattern for cutout will be provided or 9” tall roughout I’ve designed can be purchased from Dwayne Gosnell Roughouts.

To attend the workshop, a passcode and login code will be provided for Zoom, a free app downloadable to your computer, tablet or phone. All sessions will be recorded for student playback.

Woodcarving Old Faithful Horse

Teacher: Janet Cordell

Dates: April 24, 28 May 1, 5, 8, 12

Times: 2-4 p.m. Pacific Time, 3-5 p.m. Mountain Time, 4-6 p.m. Central Time 5-7 p.m. Eastern Time

12 hours (6 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

Contact Janet Cordell at: janet_cordell@yahoo.com

Whittle Wednesdays

Teacher: Dwayne Gosnell

Dates: Two – 2 hour classes each month on Wednesdays

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

To sign up contact Dwayne Gosnell via email dagwood_76@gmail.com

News & Announcements

The International Association of Woodcarvers has upcoming Zoom meetings on the following Saturdays at 3PM EST with special guest presenters. Check them out…

Zoom: 310-460-3575

Presentation Schedule:

2/4 – Richard Houlden

2/11 – Alec LaCasse

2/25 – Dan Gallagher

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOODCARVERS

COME JOIN US!!!

Lancaster County Woodcarvers Zoom Meetings

(Informal meeting – Open to all)

Zoom: 417-966-8402

Schedule

Tuesday, February 14 at 7PM EST

Tuesday, March 14 at 7PM EST

Tuesday, April 11 at 7PM EST

Tuesday, May 9 at 7PM EST

There are no meetings in June, July and August.

Come join the fun…and you might even learn something

Membership is “FREE” and open to anyone interested in woodcarving regardless of their ability.

JHWC’s Upcoming Meetings and Events

Feb. 16th

Mar. 2nd, 16th, 30th

Apr. 6th, 20th

May 4th, 18th

June 1st, 15th

For more information contact:

Al Santucci alsantucci4@gmail.com President

Bill Brunner billbrunnerdesign@gmail.com newsletter/website editor

Or visit:

Website: https://www.jerseyhillswoodcarver.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/736479646821641/

Don’t Forget!

We can also use more photo contributions to the “Carver’s Corner” and “Photo Shop”. My “Carver’s Corner” is a great way to get constructive critiques on your carvings so you can learn where to improve on your next ones, and I’m sure you all have some terrific carvings to share in my “Photo Shop” section. Photos of your carvings liven up the blog’s appearance and make it more interesting.

Send your questions, comments and photos to carverbobk@woodchipchatter.com. They will all be greatly appreciated.

Coming Shows

Does your club have a show coming up this year? Email me your brochure or send me your information so I can advertise it in Wood Chip Chatter.

Keep a sharp edge, and keep on carvin’!

Funny Bone

Correction to the Correction

It turns out I had the Lancaster County Woodcarvers Zoom meeting schedule correct the first time. The meeting nights which were originally on the first Tuesday of the month have now been changed to the second Tuesday of the month. So here is the CORRECT schedule of meetings:

Lancaster County Woodcarvers Zoom Meetings

(Informal meeting – Open to all)

Zoom: 417 966 8402

Schedule

Tuesday, February 7 at 7PM EST

Tuesday, March 14 at 7PM EST

Tuesday, April 11 at 7PM EST

Tuesday, May 9 at 7PM EST

No meetings in June, July and August

Come join the fun…and you might even learn something.

Corrections & New Information

It was just brought to my attention that in my last issue of Wood Chip Chatter I had the wrong dates for the Lancaster County Woodcarvers Zoom meetings. So listed below are the correct dates for the meetings. My sincerest apologies to Bob Hershey and the Lancaster County Woodcarvers for the error.

Lancaster County Woodcarvers Zoom Meetings

(Informal meeting – Open to all)

Zoom: 417-966-8402

Schedule

Tuesday, February 7 at 7PM EST

Tuesday, March 7 at 7PM EST

Tuesday, April 4 at 7PM EST

Tuesday, May 2 at 7PM EST

Tuesday, June 6 at 7PM EST

Come join the fun…and you might even learn something.

Since my last newsletter on January 6 a whole new list of IAW Zoom presentation dates became available so I wanted to be sure and get that schedule out to everyone.

The International Association of Woodcarvers has upcoming Zoom meetings on the following Saturdays at 3PM EST with special guest presenters. Check them out…

Zoom: 310-460-3575

Presentation Schedule:

1/14 – Chris Morgan

1/21 – Marty Leenhouts

1/28 – Pat Coffey

2/4 – Richard Houlden

2/11 – Alec LaCasse

2/25 – Dan Gallagher

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOODCARVERS

COME JOIN US!!!

Upcoming Shows

Keep a sharp edge, and keep on carvin’!

Woods of the European Union

I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season, and as we look toward the new year ahead we look forward to doing a lot more carving, improving our carving techniques and maybe even getting out to one or two carving shows, or join a club and make new friends. There is a lot to look forward to so let’s all make 2023 a great year!

This month, I start the year off with a brief discussion on the woods of the European Union, and follow with a list of some of the upcoming woodcarving shows and events for the first three months of 2023,

Woods of the European Union

The four largest producers and exporters of softwood lumber in Europe are Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Austria. Together they produced just over 56% of Europe’s total lumber production in 2019, and the international shipments by these “Top 4” accounted for about two-thirds of continent’s total export

The main source of the lumber used in the world is forests, which can be classified as virgin, semi-virgin and plantations. Much timber is removed for firewood by local populations in many countries, especially in the third world, but this amount can only be estimated, with wide margins of uncertainty.

Nearly all of our domestic building wood is softwood (it’s estimated to comprise about 97 percent of that used in new houses), which comes primarily from the South and West—60 percent of the Southern harvest is softwood, and 98 percent out West.

38% of the sawn softwood consumed was home grown, with 92% of the imported softwood coming from the EU and 6% from Russia. 7% of the sawn hardwood consumed was home grown, with 55% of the imports coming from the EU, 21% from the USA, and 18% from tropical sources.

China has grown rapidly over the recent decades to become one do the world’s largest wood producing countries and consumer of forest products, and it has recently overtaken the US in sawn wood production. The country is by far the largest producer and consumer of wood-based panels and paper.

The EU’s wood-based industries cover a range of downstream activities, including woodworking industries, large parts of the furniture industry, pulp and paper manufacturing and converting industries, and the printing industry.

Softwoods

European black pine (Pinus nigra)
Jack pine (Pinus banksiana)
Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)
Monterey pine (Pinus radiata)
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa)
Red pine (North America) (Pinus resinosa)
Scots pine, red pine (UK) (Pinus sylvestris)
White pine. Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus)
Lime (European Linden) (Talia europaea)

Hardwoods

Oak
Beech
Ash

European hardwoods are used extensively in construction, furniture and door manufacture.

Upcoming Shows & Events for Jan. – March, 2023

January 8 – Port Orange, Florida. Four area clubs host show at Port Orange Adult Center, 4790 South Ridgewood Avenue; 9am to 4pm. Call Connie Teeters (386) 624-2334; or email Connieteeters49@gmail.com.

January 10 – Harlingen, Texas. Chip-0-Texas Show at Park Place Park, 8:30am to 2:00pm. Free admission. Ken Eberle (785) 650-1055.

January 20-21 – Edinburg, Texas. Rio Grande Valley Woodcarvers Show and Competition at Nomad Shrine Club, 10am to 4pm. Admission: $5. Email Dennis Horstman: dhorstmanl7@gmail.com.

February 1-4 – Ashland, Nebraska. Nebraska Carving Retreat at Peter Keiwit Lodge, Mahoney State Park. Four-day classes. Email Roger Nadrchal: wood_chips@yahoo.com. Website: www.nebraskacarvingretreat.com.

February 9-20 -Tampa, Florida. Woodcarving show and competition at Florida State Fair. Competition open to all Florida residents, including seasonal. Brenda Gregory (813) 734- 2810; brenda.gregory@floridastatefair.com.

February 23-March 19 – Anchorage, Alaska. Artistry in Wood at Midtown Mall, 600 East Northern Lights Blvd #133; noon to 6pm (closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Jim Powell (907) 887-9701; j-hpowell@alaskan.com.

February 25-26 – Mesa, Arizona. Desert Woodcarving Show and Sale. Bobby Gray (480) 323-8981, bgray839@gmail.com. www.desertwoodcarvingshow.com

March 4 – Tucson, Arizona. Southwest Woodcarvers demonstrate and exhibit during Saddle Brooke Spring Art Show at Saddle Brooke Two Arts and Craft Center, 38759 S Mountain View Blvd.; 9 to 3. Email: azchipster@gmail.com.

March 11-12 – Millersville, Penn. 48th annual Woodcarving & Wildlife Art Festival at Millersville University Student Memorial Center, Shenks Lane. Saturday 10 to 5; Sunday 10 to 4. Admission $5. Jeff Pretz (717) 940-3311; jefpretz@ptd.net.

Reader’s Comments

My good friend, Dean Stewart sent in a nice comments along with photos of a couple of cool festive Gnomes he recently carved:

“Bob,

Happy holidays to you. As the year end I wanted to say thank you for all the hard work you put into the blog. I looked forward to reading every issue.

Here are a couple of gnomes for the holidays in their festive hats.”

Dean’s Holiday Gnomes

Thanks, Dean! I know I can always count on you for a few photos. I like them both but would love to know how you make the one with the moppy beard. Happy holidays to you and your family too!

“The moppy beard is jute cord. The strands were separated into just two or three pieces. They were then applied around the nose with hot glue and then trimmed. I have to give my wife credit for that. She did it.

Regards,

Dean Stewart”

Photo Shop

Our one and only entry to the “Photo Shop” this month comes from my friend, Nicky Foley. Nicky Wrote:

These are eventually finished and off to their new homes, a grandmother ordered these one for each of her grandchildren.

That sure is a nice batch of Santa ornaments, Nicky! Some lucky grandchildren are going to get a nice gift from grandma this year!

Our next entry to the “Photo Shop” comes from my good friend, Dick Bonewitz from Carmel, Indiana. Dick writes:

"Here is a picture for your next issue.

This cardinal was power carved out of Tupelo and painted with Liquitex acrylics.   It was a bandsaw cutout from Josh Guge, who is an excellent carver and instructor.

Josh has detailed cast models of his birds to follow while carving.   It makes the process of getting correct dimensions and feather detail so much easier while working remotely.

Dick Bonewitz

Carmel, In"

Thanks for the photo, Dick! I can always use it. That’s a beautiful cardinal. Very well carved and exceptionally painted.

Free Pattern

Many of you have written asking for a Comfort Bird pattern so I thought it would be a good idea to include one in this month’s newsletter.

News & Announcements

The International Association of Woodcarvers has upcoming Zoom meetings on the following Saturdays at 3PM EST with special guest presenters. Check them out…

Zoom: 310-460-3575

Schedule:

1/14 – Chris Morgan

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOODCARVERS

COME JOIN US!!!

Lancaster County Woodcarvers Zoom Meetings

(Informal meeting – Open to all)

Zoom: 417 966 8402

Schedule

Tuesday, January 10 at 7PM

Tuesday, February 14 at 7PM

Tuesday, March 14 at 7PM

Tuesday, April 11 at 7PM

Tuesday, May 9 at 7PM

Tuesday, June 13 at 7PM

Lancaster County Woodcarvers

Come join the fun…and you might even learn something.

The Jersey Hills Wood Carvers (JHWC) club is a small but growing group of wood carvers sharing their time, knowledge and joy of woodcarving. The JHWC generally meets from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday of each month (when school is in session) at the Jefferson Township High School wood shop classroom.

Membership is “FREE” and open to anyone interested in woodcarving regardless of their ability.

JHWC’s Upcoming Meetings and Events

Jan. 19th

Feb. 2nd, 16th

Mar. 2nd, 16th, 30th

Apr. 6th, 20th

May 4th, 18th

June 1st, 15th

For more information contact:

Al Santucci alsantucci4@gmail.com President

Bill Brunner billbrunnerdesign@gmail.com newsletter/website editor

Or visit:

Website: https://www.jerseyhillswoodcarver.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/736479646821641/

Upcoming Workshops

Flat Plane Figures

Teacher: Ryan Olsen

Dates: January 14,15,21,22

Times: Sat, Sun – 9:30am-11:30 Pacific /11:30am-01:30pm Central / 12:30pm – 2:30pm Eastern

8 hours (4 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Cost: $95

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

For details and to sign up email: Ryan Olsen ryanscaricatures@gmail.com

American Cowboy

Teacher: Dave Stetson

Join me carving the American Cowboy. Workshop will be hosted by the Woodcarving Academy on February 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19. Hours will be 9:30 – 11:30 Pacific time, 10:30 – 12:30 Mountain time, 11:30 – 1:30 Central time, 12:30 – 2:30 Eastern time. Six two hour sessions will take you thru design and carving techniques accompanied by stories from past experiences carving cowboys with close friends from all over the country.

Cost will be $125 payable thru check or Zelle, or $130 via PayPal. Pattern for cutout will be provided or 9” tall roughout I’ve designed can be purchased from Dwayne Gosnell Roughouts.

To attend the workshop, a passcode and login code will be provided for Zoom, a free app downloadable to your computer, tablet or phone. All sessions will be recorded for student playback.

Whittle Wednesdays

Teacher: Dwayne Gosnell

Dates: Two – 2 hour classes each month on Wednesdays

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

To sign up contact Dwayne Gosnell via email dagwood_76@gmail.com

The next issue of Wood Chip Chatter will be posted on Friday, February 3, 2023. Keep a sharp eye open for it!

Keep a sharp edge, and keep on carvin’!

Funny Bone

Are You Wasting Money On Wood Finish?

I‘ve been working hard on my booklet project these past few weeks although I did manage to take some time off for family, the Thanksgiving holiday and to put Wood Chip Chatter together for this month. I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and got your fill of turkey and pumpkin pie. We had 20 guests at our house and a 27.5 lb. turkey! I was eating turkey and pies for days!

This month I’m pleased to say we have an excellent article from my good friend, Jack Loring with tips on how you can save money on your wood finishes. There is some very interesting information here that I was never aware of. I think you will find it intriguing.

It happened to me and I don’t want it to happen to you!

By Jack Loring

What happened?

I had a large quart-sized can of wood stain and one day I opened the can and saw that the stain had developed orange-colored flecks in it. I was always careful to seal the can well and also stir the stain before every use. This stain had oxidized and it was ruined. The can was mostly full and I had to throw it away. Wasted a lot of money!

If you’re a carver, woodworker, carpenter, or a DIY person like me, you probably use a variety of different wood finishes such as; varnish, stain, paint, and other oil-based finishes. Maybe you’ve had to toss out a can of finish that’s still half full because it has oxidized, thickened, skinned over, polymerized and become useless.

The problem is oxidation, once we open a can of finish the oxidation process has begun and the more finish we use the more the level of the liquid finish goes down creating even more space for oxygen to fill up.

It’s a real problem and I’m here to share some tips (3 different methods) to help you save money by preserving and extending the shelf life of your liquid wood finishes.

Methods For Slowing the Oxidation Process

Method #1 – Rocks & Marbles

Sounds strange doesn’t it, how do rocks and marbles help to preserve wood finish?

This is an old school method of fighting oxidation. By putting rocks into the can of finish we can use the rocks to displace the liquid finish, raising the fluid level and forcing the oxygen out of the can. Some people prefer to use marbles instead of rocks.

Method #2 – Bloxygen

There’s a product called Bloxygen (Blocks Oxygen), that is basically an aerosol can of Argon gas. Argon is an inert gas which means it’s not going to cause a chemical reaction when it comes into contact with other chemical compounds in your wood stain or varnish. How does it work? Well it turns out that Argon is heavier (has more density) than oxygen – so to use the Bloxygen you spray the product into your can of finish, as the Argon goes in, it forces the oxygen out. You only need to spray for a few seconds and then immediately seal up the lid good and tight.

Although I’ve never used this product, I’ve talked with other carvers that told me it can be pretty effective. Argon gas has not been shown to harm the environment but you do need to use it in a well ventilated area.

The re-sealable paint can was patented by Sherwin way back in 1877. Before the re-sealable can came along any unused paint had to be thrown away. Although the cans are still the primary way to store paint and finish they do have their issues because it doesn’t take long for some of us to gum up the seal on a resealable can and Bloxygen requires a good seal in order to be effective.

Method #3 – Stop Loss Bags

My preferred method for preserving wood finish is to remove the finish from the can. Stop Loss Bags enable me to transfer my liquid finish from the can to a sturdy and clear plastic bag and then just squeeze out all of the air bubbles before sealing the bag for storage.

I start by writing the product name, date and other information on the bag before any liquid goes in. The Sharpie marker erases easily with some rubbing alcohol which is important because you can refill the bag and write a new date on it.

When you’re ready to use some finish It’s easy to see the contents of the bag and mix up the varnish, stain, paint, etc. by moving the bag around a bit. Then just pour some finish into a container and you’re ready to go. I like to use plastic containers that my favorite cookies are packaged in. What a great excuse to buy cookies!

A lot of woodworkers mix up their own wiping varnish by combining varnish with mineral spirits and I’ve used these bags for storing an antiquing medium made from a mixture of wood stain and mineral spirits. They work fine, no leaks or problems with the mineral spirits eating through the plastic. However – Stay away from paint thinner and lacquer thinner because the manufacturer warns against using them with the Stop Loss Bags.

I’ve even used one of these bags for storing my Howard Feed & Wax. If you’re not familiar with Howard products they have a full line of wood finishing products. You can find Feed and Wax in local hardware stores and online as well.

Remember the gummed up can lid issue I mentioned earlier? Well that’s no longer an issue since we don’t need the can anymore. And unlike the can, the Stop Loss Bag is easy to open and close without any tool needed to pry open the lid.

If you’re going to give these bags a try I recommend that you also purchase the collapsible funnel because It’s designed to fit snugly over the spout of the Stop Loss Bag.

It’s lined with silicone so you can let varnish dry overnight then turn the funnel inside out to peel off the dried varnish. You can also turn it inside out and clean it with a solvent like mineral spirits or alcohol.

What about you?

Have you ever had to throw away oxidized wood finish?
Have you tried rocks, Bloxygen, or Stop Loss Bags?
Do you have some other method for preserving finish that you would recommend?

Send in a comment to Wood Chip Chatter and share your thoughts and experiences.

Questions & Comments

My first comment comes from my friend, Jim Babcock from Columbus, Indiana who writes:

“Bob:

As always, very much appreciate the information you share on your blog on

techniques and products. Congratulations on the book project with Fox Chapel,

I will keep my eye out for the book when it becomes available down the road.

Fully understand your decision to put the blog on a partial hiatus and will still

look forward to it, just not as often.

Best regards,

Jim Babcock

Columbus, Indiana”

Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Jim! I’m really excited to write this booklet and hope it will be well received by the woodcarving community. I thought long and hard about making the decision to publish Wood Chip Chatter just once per month and I also hope my readers and fellow carvers will understand. I truly value comments like yours as they give me confidence that I am doing the right thing, and inspire me to keep moving forward.

My next comment comes from my friend, Nate Streed who writes:

“Super timely and very helpful! Thank you so much. Nate”

I‘m glad I could help, Nate, and I hope to see some photos of the great creations my readers carve using artificial snow.

Next we have a comment from carvnlad who writes:

“Hi Bob, Thanks for all the work you put into the “Wood Chip”. I learn something new from each one and save them all. Looking forward to your booklet.

Best regards, Richard.”

Thank you, Richard! I’m happy to know Wood Chip Chatter is helpful, and everyone will learn some new tips and techniques from my booklet.

Next comes a question from my friend, Gary Baker on carving happy Santa faces:

“Bob, I have been carving a few Santa ornaments without any success getting a real happy face. What’s the secret ?”

Thanks for writing. The two most important factors that make up a happy face are the mouth and the eyes. Most carvers think it’s just the mouth. For the mouth, make sure you turn the corners way up. Exaggerate them if necessary. The eyes should not be big and round, but rather narrow and squinty looking. And always make sure your pupils are large, Many carvers make the mistake of making their pupils too small which gives the carving a scared or staring look I hope this helps.

And finally we have an excellent question from my good friend, Greg Meece, about a problem he has noticed with using walnut oil. Greg writes:

Hi Bob.

I hope you are not too busy with your book writing to answer a question from one of your blog subscribers. I switched from using boiled linseed oil to walnut oil as my pre-painting sealer, as you recommended. It has many advantages. One issue, however, is that I noticed that the oil tends to bleed from the bottom of the carving for many days. This photo was taken a week after I finished the carving and set it on this piece of paper overnight?

Thanks!

Greg Meece

Greg Meece Walnut Oil Problem

Thanks for writing, Greg. I’m sorry you’re having problems with the walnut oil. I’ve heard others complain of the same problem.
Walnut oil is a natural oil that is unrefined like many other oils such as boiled linseed oil. Therefore, it doesn’t polymerize and harden like those oils do. For this reason it takes much longer for walnut oil to dry. This is why you may see it running out of the bottom for a period of time.
The only thing I can recommend is to apply the walnut oil lightly with a brush. Less is more. Remember, when painting you only want to treat the wood’s surface anyway. Never soak your carving in walnut oil as this will add too much oil to the wood and definitely cause it to run out the bottom; and never brush oil on the bottom of your carving. You might also want to try spraying the bottom with a sealer such as Krylon or Deft which may slow down the bleeding process. For now, I suggest you keep your carving out on an absorbent paper towel which will help to wick the oil out.
I hope this helps.

Carver’s Corner

This month we have another carving by my good friend, Tracy Czajkoski:

Hello Bob,

Please critique my latest carving:

I appreciate your words of wisdom to help me grow as a carver!

Tracy Czajkoski

Thank you for sending in your skiing dog photos, Tracy! The carving is adorable and so very well carved and painted in every way. You got great motion in the carving with his ears flying out and the scarf flying backwards. Excellent work there!

Your painting is so beautiful too, I love your choice of colors which make the piece very colorful and eye catching, a

nd the paint job you did on the sweater is mind boggling!

I’m really attracted to the skis and would love to know how you made them and what kind of wood you used.

Awesome work on this one, Tracy! Congratulations!

Free Pattern

News & Announcements

Lancaster County Woodcarvers Zoom Meetings

(Informal meeting – Open to all)

Zoom: 417 966 8402

Schedule

Tuesday, December 6 at 7PM

Tuesday, January 3 at 7PM

Come join the fun…and you might even learn something.

The International Association of Woodcarvers has upcoming Zoom meetings on the following Saturdays at 3PM EST with special guest presenters. Check them out…

Zoom: 310-460-3575

Schedule:

12/3 – John Overby

12/10 – Jarrod Wood

12/17 – Neil Southerland

12/24 – OFF

12/30 – OFF

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOODCARVERS

COME JOIN US!!

The Jersey Hills Wood Carvers (JHWC) club is a small but growing group of wood carvers sharing their time, knowledge and joy of woodcarving. The JHWC generally meets from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday of each month (when school is in session) at the Jefferson Township High School wood shop classroom.

Membership is “FREE” and open to anyone interested in woodcarving regardless of their ability.

JHWC’s Upcoming Meetings and Events

Dec. 15th

Jan. 5th, 19th

Feb. 2nd, 16th

Mar. 2nd, 16th, 30th

For more information contact:

Al Santucci alsantucci4@gmail.com President

Bill Brunner billbrunnerdesign@gmail.com newsletter/website editor

Or visit:

Website: https://www.jerseyhillswoodcarver.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/736479646821641/

Don’t Forget!

Even though I am posting just once per month now, I still need your photos, questions and comments to keep Wood Chip Chatter interesting and informative. So please continue sending your contributions to carverbobk@woodchipchatter.com. Anything and everything is welcome and greatly appreciated.

Upcoming Workshops

Raccoon Santa

Teacher: Bob Hershey

Dates: December 3, 4, 10, 11

Time: Sat, Sun – Sat, Sun – 1:30pm-3:30 Pacific /3:30pm-05:30pm Central / 4:30pm – 6:30pm Eastern

8 hours (4 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

Contact Bob Hershey: bzcarvn@gmail.com

Whittle Wednesdays

Teacher: Dwayne Gosnell

Dates: Two – 2 hour classes each month on Wednesdays

Location: Online (Via Zoom) – Visit his web page and see learning opportunities.

To sign up contact Dwayne Gosnell via email dagwood_76 @carverbobk

The next issue of Wood Chip Chatter will be posted on Friday, January 6,2023. Keep a sharp eye open for it!

Wishing everyone a Happy Hanukkah, a Blessed and Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!!!

Keep a sharp edge, and keep on carvin’!

Funny Bone

Add Artificial Snow to Your Carvings

Add artificial snow to your holiday carvings and make them really stand out!

It’s that time of year again when wood carvers gear up to carving for Christmas, and if you’re like me your Christmas carvings include lots of snowmen and snow scenes. These carvings often require adding snow as part of the carving/project. One way (the easy way) to add snow is to paint it on, but there are better options.

Aleene’s “True Snow” – 4 oz. jar – $6.04…..is a thin white paste-like medium that spreads on and adheres to anything. Does not run or drip. Goes on smooth leaving a smooth finish. Spreads like thin frosting, dries white, cleans up with water.

Aleene’s “Glitter Snow” – 4 oz. jar – $7.76…..is a thin white paste-like medium with a very tiny amount of glitter in it to add some sparkle to your project. Like “True Snow spreads on and adheres to anything. Goes on Smooth leaving a smooth finish. Spreads like thin frosting, dries white, cleans up with water.

DecoArt “Snow-Tex” – 4 oz. jar – $7.76…..also available in 2 oz. and Jumbo 16 oz. jars…..”Snow-Tex” is a white texturizing medium that creates dimensional effects like snow and stucco on your projects…a little coarser look than True Snow. Somewhat thicker and harder to work with than “True Snow” and “Glitter Snow”. Dries white, cleans up with water.

DecoArt “Glistening Snow-Tex Paint” – 4 oz. jar – $6.17…..is a white glittering paint that can be tinted with acrylic paints. Cleans up with water. I have not had any experience with this product.

All of the above products can be tinted with acrylic paints to give added, desired effects to your carving projects. For example, my good friend Kevin Johnson from Pennsylvania tinted Snow-Tex with green acrylic paint to get a mossy effect on the roof of his cottonwood bark house.

Kevin even used Snow-Tex to add (snow) hair to his snowman!

Below are photos of how I used artificial snow on two of my winter scenes:

The first photo shows Santa pulling a snowman on a sled where I used Snow-Tex to add to the realism of the scene.

**Bob’s “Sleigh Ride” carving with Snow-Tex**

The second photo shows a snowman holding a birdhouse where I used Glitter Snow to embellish the scene.

Check out Snow-Tex, True Snow or Glitter Snow and make your holiday/winter carvings special!

Reader’s Comments

I received a lot of nice and greatly appreciated comments from readers this week about my blog. The first one comes from Gary Baker who writes:

“Bob,
I appreciate this column and look forward to it each month”

Thank you, Gary! I’m glad you are enjoying Wood Chip Chatter.

The next comment come from Steinhart Raymond who I recently met.

“Hey Bob, it was nice talking with you at the Wayne Pal wood carving show. Look forward to maybe getting some tips from the master.”

It was a pleasure talking with you too. I always enjoy attending woodcarving show because I get to meet so many old friends as well as new friend such as yourself.

The third comment comes from my friend, Jim Shay who writes:

“Hi Bob, As usual, another fantastic edition of your Blog. Thanks for all your hard work. I’m slowly beginning to get back to carving after losing my wife and again, going thru Cancer treatments, which hopefully will be finished this next Monday. Fingers and toes crossed. I’m including a photo of some recent carvings I’ve completed. Some Santas, a Sunflower carved for a family member and Mr. Pear. All of them were inspired by someone but my memory has failed me again so will blame you as your Blog continues to be an inspiration to my carvings. Thank You for that. And Thank you for the face pattern. This will be very helpful as face proportions tend to drive me crazy. Respectfully, Jim Shay”

Thank you for your kind comments, Jim! I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your wife but I’m glad to know you are near the end of your cancer treatments. I too am a cancer survivor. It’s good to see you getting back into carving and thank you for the photo. Looks like you have been busy lately. I like Mr. Pear and the sunflower is terrific. I especially like the way you layered the petals.

The next comment comes from my good friend, Al Santucci from Rockaway, New Jersey who wants to let us know about a product he found that gives a nice metallic look to your carvings. Al Writes:

“I want to share a finishing detail I found out about. If you want a metallic look, I use Rub’nBuff from American Art Clay Co.

I just put it on the 1865 revolver I carved, to improve on the finished look.

I am very pleased with the outcome, it now has an aged look”

It looks like Rub ‘n Buff does a really good job. Your revolver looks great. I had the pleasure of seeing Al’s 1865 revolver in person at the North Jersey Woodcarvers show recently and have to say it looks even better in real life than it does in the photo. Al did a magnificent job on it. It’s not just a wood carving but a real piece of craftsmanship. Nice work, Al, and thanks for the tip!

I received a question about lighting from my friend, Patrick Weddle who writes:

“Bob,

Great to talk to you at the Conewago Woodcarving Show this weekend! Sitting in my shop afterwards though I realized that there’s an area where I could use some advice. The problem I have is with lighting for both carving and painting. I use a lot of LED lights for both, but I think the LEDs are too bright because everything looks washed out. There just isn’t enough shadowing. It makes it difficult for me to get shadows in the right places.

I’ve tried florescent lights, an Ott light and others, but I don’t seem to be able to get the right mix. Maybe the angles are wrong. Most of my fixtures are mounted above my work.

Any suggestions would be appreciated! Patrick”

It was great speaking with you at the Conewago show as well. Lighting is kind of a wide open topic, It’s pretty much a matter of what works for you. Ask 10 people and you will probably get 10 different answers. I actually just use desk lamps with LED lights. Nothing fancy but they seem to do the job for me. They’re probably not perfect but they’re portable, convenient and seem to work fine for me. I’ll admit the LEDs are bright but with my poor eyesight the brightness helps.

I found that positioning the lamp directly over my work works the best. If the light is off to one side or the other it creates shadows which I find annoying. LED desk lamps are not expensive. You can pick one up just about anywhere for around $20 – $30.

I’m by no means a lighting expert but I hope my answer was at least a little helpful.

Carver’s Corner

“Carver’s Corner” is the section where you can send in photos of your carvings to have them critiqued by me and get my truthful opinions on what you did right and where you might improve next time. It’s an excellent opportunity to improve your carving skills! Send your photos to carverbobk@woodchipchatter.com.

My good friend Tracy Czajkoski has sent in photos of some carvings she would like me to critique. Tracy says:

“Hello Bob,

Please critique my latest carvings:

I tried utilizing your making “dirt” tip from previous blog with the beaver.

My turtles seem so rough. I think I need to not only sharpen knife more but

perhaps be patient with more experience to get the cleaner cuts? How to get

into tight spaces?

I appreciate your words of wisdom to help me grow as a carver!

Tracy Czajkoski”

Thank you for the photos, Tracy! I’ll be happy to critique your carvings.

I like your beaver, Tracy! It’s a very cute carving. Your dirt looks great. Was it difficult to work with? I think the carving overall is good and my main concerns are with your design. To me he looks more like a gopher or woodchuck coming out of a hole in the ground. Beavers don’t live in the ground and without the classic beaver tail it’s hard to tell it’s a beaver. Larger teeth would have helped too. A large part of a good carving starts with the design work. Research and learn about your subject before you start carving, and your carvings will be more accurate.

I absolutely love your turtles! They’re adorable and very well carved and painted. As a caricature carving I don’t see anything wrong with this one. I love the way you carved and painted the shells, and how you crossed the legs on the one turtle. I like how you carved the hands, and the facial expressions really finish off the carving. Excellent job on this one!

I don’t think your turtles are rough. Your cuts look clean so your knife must be sharp enough. It’s always a problem getting into tight spaces. This is a time when a special tool such as a particular type of gouge or a knife with a longer blade might help.

Photo Shop

This week’s entries are photos of some carvings done by Darlene Tarlton.

“Klingspor Extravaganza 10/22/2022 Catawba Valley Carving club

Darlene R. Tarlton”

Spectacular work, Darlene, and congratulations on all the ribbons. They are certainly well deserved. The wood burning you do on your animals is spot on!

News & Announcements

NOTICE:

I’m announcing that I will be putting Wood Chip Chatter on a partial hiatus for the next few months. Fox Chapel Publishing (Woodcarving Illustrated) has asked me to write a small woodcarving book (booklet) which for me is both an honor and an opportunity I can’t turn down.

This project, which has already begun will take several months to complete, and will require nearly 100% of my available time. As such I will not have the time necessary to dedicate to writing Wood Chip Chatter every other Friday. Therefore, I have decided to temporarily publish Wood Chip Chatter monthly, on the last Friday of each month. This was a very difficult decision for me but I hope you will all understand.

The next issue of Wood Chip Chatter: Friday, December 2, 2022

Meanwhile, don’t forget the search button at the bottom of the front page of Wood Chip Chatter. You can use this button anytime to easily search for past blog posts which may interest you. Simply enter a key word or phrase for the topic you are looking for and the search will bring up one or more past blog posts on that topic.

As always, if you have any woodcarving questions don’t hesitate to contact me.

The International Association of Woodcarvers has upcoming Zoom meetings on the following Saturdays at 3PM EST with special guest presenters. Check them out…

Zoom: 310-460-3575

Schedule:

11/12 – Jim Feather

11/19 – Ryan Olsen

12/3 – John Overby

12/10 – Jarrod Wood

12/17 – Neil Southerland

12/24 – OFF

12/30 – OFF

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOODCARVERS

COME JOIN US!!!

Upcoming Workshops

Carving the Nellie Doll

Teacher: Janet Cordell

Dates: November 11, 14, 21, 28 December 2, 12

Times: 2-4 p.m. Pacific Time, 3-5 p.m. Mountain Time, 4-6 p.m. Central Time 5-7 p.m. Eastern Time

12 hours (6 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Cost: $185 Including Roughout and shipping (US)

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

Contact Janet Cordell at: janet_cordell@yahoo.com

Raccoon Santa

Teacher: Bob Hershey

Dates: December 3, 4, 10, 11

Time: Sat, Sun – Sat, Sun – 1:30pm-3:30 Pacific /3:30pm-05:30pm Central / 4:30pm – 6:30pm Eastern

8 hours (4 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

Contact Bob Hershey: bzcarvn@gmail.com

Teacher: Ryan Olsen

Dates: January 14,15,21,22 in 2023

Times: Sat, Sun – 9:30am-11:30 Pacific /11:30am-01:30pm Central / 12:30pm – 2:30pm Eastern

8 hours (4 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Cost: $95

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

For details and to sign up email: Ryan Olsen ryanscaricatures@gmail.com

Whittle Wednesdays

Teacher: Dwayne Gosnell

Dates: Two – 2 hour classes each month on Wednesdays

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

To sign up contact Dwayne Gosnell via email dagwood_76@gmail.com

Wishing everyone a Safe, Healthy, Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

Keep a sharp edge, and keep on carving’!

Funny Bone

A man knocked at my door and asked for a small donation for the local swimming pool. So I gave him a glass of water.

Halloween and the Jack-O-Lantern

This week I have a Halloween treat I think you will not only enjoy, but will perhaps also learn a little something along the way. Enjoy!

The Story of Halloween

Most people think of Halloween as a night of dress up in ghostly or funny costumes, to have parties, or to go “trick-or-treating” and never consider why or how much a holiday evolved from a serious annual rite in ancient times. What is actually being celebrated is two customs that have been combined into one.

The first tradition is the observance of a Catholic religious day set aside to honor saints. Referred to as “All Hallows Day” or “All Saints Day,” this holy day is held on November 1st. The night before is known as “All Hallows Eve,” from which the name Halloween evolved.

The second celebration is from Northern France and the British Isles where the Celtic people celebrated the end of the Celtic year known as Samhain (pronounced sow-en) or “Summer’s End.” This festival was a time set aside to honor the dead. The Celts believed that the realm of the dead, or the spirit world, and the physical world were closest together during Samhain.

The traditional celebration of Samhain included carving jack-o-lanterns from gourds and turnips, then lighting them with coals or candles to show the way for deceased loved ones. At the same time, these lanterns were believed to ward off evil spirits. Another version of the celebration indicates that disembodied spirits of those that died during the year intermingled with the living on that night. They attempted to possess the living to hopes of being allowed to have an afterlife. In an effort to frighten away the spirits, people would leave their houses unlit and cold, dress up in ghoulish costumes and parade around town being destructive as possible. This tradition set the stage for today’s children’s refrain “trick or treat.” When the Europeans arrived in the New World, they discovered a new fruit that was larger than the turnip and easier to carve: the pumpkin. The pumpkin has been the symbol of Halloween ever since.

The Story of the Jack-O-Lantern

The story of the name Jack-o-lantern has a history of its own. It derives from a folk tale about a disreputable drunkard by the name of Jack who, upon learning that the devil had come for his soul, tricked the devil into buying him one last drink. Having no money, Jack convinced the devil to transform himself into coins so that Jack could buy his last drink. Instead of buying the drink, Jack placed the coins in his pocket along with a silver cross, thus preventing the devil from returning to his common state. To be released the devil agreed to leave Jack’s soul alone for ten years.

After ten years had passed, the devil appeared to Jack as he was walking down a country road. The silver tongued Jack managed to talk the devil into climbing an apple tree before claiming his soul. While the devil was in the tree, Jack pulled out his knife and carved a cross in the base of the tree, thus trapping the devil again. Again he struck a bargain with the devil, this time extracting a promise that the devil would never take his soul.

When Jack finally died, he went to Heaven but was not allowed in because of his drinking and dastardly ways. With no place to go he went to Hell. The devil, remembering Jack’s trickery, refused him entrance. Jack then convinced the devil that the way back was so dark and windy that he needed a light to find his way. To get rid of Jack, the devil gave him an ember from Hell. Jack placed the ember in a turnip he was eating to shield the flame from the wind and began to wander back in the darkness forever doomed.

Reader’s Comments

Last time we had a question from Glenn Calabrese of Fort Worth, Texas about how to finish off a face he had started. I hope my explanation was helpful, Glenn. After thinking further about what had said I thought that maybe a couple of patterns would be helpful. So I’m including these two head patterns (Front & side views) which I believe will go a long way in helping carvers create better faces and heads. They are very generic patterns which can be adapted to most any kind of face you wish to carve. You can shrink them or enlarge them to suit your needs.

Following these patterns will enable you to get the general shape of the head correct. Once the overall shape of the head is correct the rest of the facial details fall into place much more easily.

Photo Shop

Our first entries to the “Photo Shop” this week come from my very good friend, Al Santucci from Rockaway, New Jersey. Al likes to carve all kinds of things. He never gets hung up on one type of carving, but whenever he sees something I’ve carved he has to give the project a try. So here are a few photo of carvings Al has done based on some of my patterns.

Our next entry comes from my very good friend, Wayne Smith from Nova Scotia who enjoys carving Christmas ornaments all year round. Here is a photo Wayne sent in of the bright and whimsical Santa ornaments he has carved recently.

Excellent work, Al and Wayne, and thank you very much for sending in your photos. They are always greatly appreciated.

Our next entries come from new subscriber, Jim Babcock from Columbus, Indiana who does some beautiful relief carving. Here are two photos of his work.

Welcome to Wood Chip Chatter! I’m glad you have decided to subscribe and hope you will find my blog both enjoyable and informative. You do terrific relief work. The depth and amount of detail you achieve are both exceptional. Thank you so much for your photos!

Free Pattern

Here is a Pelican pattern that can be carved in relief or in the round:

News & Announcements

If you’re in the area this weekend stop by the show. It’s a great show and well worth it.

The International Association of Woodcarvers has upcoming Zoom meetings on the following Saturdays at 3PM EST with special guest presenters. Check them out…

Zoom: 310-460-3575

Schedule:

10/29 – Rod Gatlin

11/12 – Jim Feather

11/19 – Ryan Olsen

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOODCARVERS

COME JOIN US!!!

The Jersey Hills Wood Carvers (JHWC) club is a small but growing group of wood carvers sharing their time, knowledge and joy of woodcarving. The JHWC generally meets from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday of each month (when school is in session) at the Jefferson Township High School wood shop classroom.

Membership is “FREE” and open to anyone interested in woodcarving regardless of their ability.

JHWC’s Upcoming Meetings and Events

Nov. 3rd, 17th

Dec. 1st, 15th

Jan. 5th, 19th

Feb. 2nd, 16th

Mar. 2nd, 16th, 30th

For more information contact:

Al Santucci alsantucci4@gmail.com President

Bill Brunner billbrunnerdesign@gmail.com newsletter/website editor

Or visit:

Website: https://www.jerseyhillswoodcarver.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/736479646821641/

Upcoming Workshops

Santa

Teacher: Dave Stetson

Dates: November5,6,12,13,19,20

Times: Sat, Sun – 9:30am-11:30 Pacific /11:30am-01:30pm Central / 12:30pm – 2:30pm Eastern

12 hours (6 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

For details and to sign up email Dave lcnmichele@aol.com

Carving the Nellie Doll

Teacher: Janet Cordell

Dates: November 11, 14, 21, 28 December 2, 12

Times: 2-4 p.m. Pacific Time, 3-5 p.m. Mountain Time, 4-6 p.m. Central Time 5-7 p.m. Eastern Time

12 hours (6 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Cost: $185 Including Roughout and shipping (US)

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

Contact Janet Cordell at: janet_cordell@yahoo.com

Raccoon Santa

Teacher: Bob Hershey

Dates: December 3,4,10,11

Time: Sat, Sun – Sat, Sun – 1:30pm-3:30 Pacific /3:30pm-05:30pm Central / 4:30pm – 6:30pm Eastern

8 hours (4 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

Contact Bob Hershey: bzcarvn@gmail.com

Teacher: Ryan Olsen

Dates: January 14,15,21,22 in 2023

Times: Sat, Sun – 9:30am-11:30 Pacific /11:30am-01:30pm Central / 12:30pm – 2:30pm Eastern

8 hours (4 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Cost: $95

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

For details and to sign up email: Ryan Olsen ryanscaricatures@gmail.com

Whittle Wednesdays

Teacher: Dwayne Gosnell

Dates: Two – 2 hour classes each month on Wednesdays

Location: Online (Via Zoom) – Visit his web page and see learning opportunities. To sign up contact Dwayne Gosnell via email dagwood_76@gmail.com

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!

We are in serious need of your contributions to Wood Chip Chatter. Your questions and comments help to keep this blog active and going! Effective discussions are one of the best ways to learn about the topics that interest you. Remember, there’s no such thing as a dumb question. Plus we would all love to learn about the unique tips, techniques and products YOU use in your woodcarving process.

We also need more photo contributions to the “Carver’s Corner” and “Photo Shop”. My “Carver’s Corner” is a great way to get constructive critiques on your carvings so you can learn where to improve on your next ones, and I’m sure you all have some terrific carvings to share in my “Photo Shop” section. Photos of your carvings liven up the blog’s appearance and make it more interesting.

Send your questions, comments and photos to carverbobk@woodchipchatter.com. They will be greatly appreciated.

I want to be sure to wish all of you a very safe and Happy Halloween! Eat loads of candy! Just keep your dentist’s phone number on speed dial!

Keep a sharp edge, and keep on carvin’!

Funny Bone

Traditional Santa Carving With Tom Wolfe

by Tom Wolfe

Text written with Douglas Congdon-Martin

A Book Review

Tom Wolfe, who unfortunately passed away in September, 2020 was one of America’s most recognized and respected carvers. A long-standing member of the Caricature Carvers of America, Tom was also a well known instructor and author (over 10 books) who was originally from West Virginia, but was most recently living in North Carolina where taught woodcarving from his studio.

“Traditional Santa Carving With Tom Wolfe” is somewhat of a follow up to Tom’s greatly successful book, “Santa and His Friends”. Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. (1st edition January 7, 1997) this 64 page full color paperback book takes the carver from start to finish (including painting) of a Santa leaning back while sitting on the floor.

The photography provides large, clear, close-up photos with easy to follow text explaining each step. Patterns for 2 other Santas and an elf are included in the book, along with a full color Gallery in the back showing the finished projects.

In addition to the Gallery, there is a section in the back Tom calls “Study Models” As an added bonus, Tom shows you step-by-step how to carve a Santa face in a pencil.

The one disappointment I have with the book is that I would like to see patterns for more Santa projects as well as carving instructions and photos for at least one more project.

“Traditional Santa Carving With Tom Wolfe” as well as his many other carving books are available through most woodcarving suppliers. The book is also available on Amazon for $10.27.

Questions Comments

Our First comment this week comes from Bill Jones who writes:

“Nice Penguin project, and thanks a lot Bob. I did a bunch of your simple Santa carvings years ago, and this is similar and will do several.
Bill”

Thanks, Bill! I’m glad you enjoyed carving my Simple Santa and hope you will have just as much fun with my Simple Christmas Penguin.

Our second question comes from Terry Grimm who wants to know about storing and carving freshly cut (damp) basswood. Terry states:

“A buddy of mine gave me some basswood for carving. A couple pieces have knots, but that’s okay, it’s free wood.
Kind of damp right now, he said there was 25% moisture content. I have the boards in my basement with a dehumidifier running, he told me it shouldn’t take too long to dry out. Or would it be okay to start carving now, the largest I carve is 2″X2″X4″ flat plane carving.
I think this is going to last me awhile.”

That’s a very good question, Terry. Keeping your damp basswood in the basement with a dehumidifier running should be fine. The wood will dry out slowly enough that you shouldn’t experience any serious problems with checking (cracking) on the ends of the boards. You can also feel free to start carving the wood right away, though. Carving wet wood is often easier because the wood is softer when wet than when it is dry, which is how the 50/50 alcohol and water mixture works on hard to carve basswood.

I also received two very nice “Thank you” comments this week. The first one is from my friend, Dan Bennett who said:

"Hi Bob,

Thanks for your suggestions and kind words in reviewing my photo submission last issue.   I really appreciate it.

—Dan Bennett"

You're quite welcome, Dan, and thanks for sending it in, and I hope to see more of your fine work in the future.

The second comment comes from my good friend, Tami Wass who said:

“Hi Bob ~ I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to critique my carving. I appreciate the accolades, and the honest and inspiring feedback.

Hope you had a nice time at the CCA Show. My husband and I were planning on going, but he ended up having a gall bladder flare up and we were unable to go. Hopefully next year.

Thank you again ~ Tami”

You’re quite welcome, Tami! I always appreciate the opportunity to provide my constructive feedback to anyone who asks. I truly enjoyed seeing your adorable fisherman scene! Thank you for sending it in, and I hope to see more of your carvings soon.

Next, we have a question from Glenn Calabrese of Fort worth, Texas who needs some advice on finishing s face on one of his “gourd heads”. Glenn asks:

“Hi, Bob. I’ve been enjoying your carving tips and photos. I’ve been carving these “gourd heads” from basswood goose eggs and I’ve run into a carving block on what to do with the mouth, chin on this last one.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Glenn Calabrese

Fort Worth, TX”

I’m glad you’re enjoying Wood Chip Chatter, Glenn, and I really like the gourd heads you’re carving. I think on your last one you just need to flatten the mouth mound a little. Make it less pronounced. Maybe a mustache will help out on this one also.

Take some off the mouth mound and keep going. I think you’ll be fine.

Carver’s Corner

Thomas Buie sent in photos of two pumpkin head men he recently carved and would like me to give them a little critique. Thomas asks:

“Please give me ideas to improve my carving. I have enjoyed the comments you have given me on previous carvings”

Those are two terrific pumpkin head men, Thomas, and I can’t really see anything wrong with them. They are carved very well with clean cuts and the paint job excellent. The paint was applied in thin layers so the wood shows through, and a like the way you antiqued the carvings, or is that wood burning. Either way it looks good. Perhaps you share what you did with everyone. I’m sure many of us would appreciate that.

On your next ones you might want to try adding some creases to the cuffs of the pants with a small deep gouge or V-tool. You can even do it with your knife. You might also want to add another way to make the creases where the shirt tucks into the pants. Now this may be a matter of personal preference but I like to make some of my creases in the form of “V”s. I’ve drawn a diagram (Figure 1) to help illustrate what I mean. The creases will look much better in person than they do in the diagram.

These “V” cuts are also useful on the inside of the legs behind the knees, and anywhere you want to show stress where a button pulls against fabric. Notice where these cuts are used behind the knees and where the strap pulls against the overalls in Figure 2.

Lastly, you want to get your elbows to stick out more. Notice the elbows on my caricature in Figure 2 and how they seem to stick out away from the body. To do this, make sure the elbows are the widest part of the carving and carve inward towards the shoulders and the knees. At the same time you want to make the body a little thinner which will give you more wood for the elbows.

Overall you’ve done two very fine carvings, Thomas. You should be pleased with them as they make nice additions to your Halloween decor.

Our next entry to the “Carver’s Corner” come from my good friend, Vern Freer of Ontario, Canada. Vern would like to know more about making realistic folds and wrinkles in clothing and faces. He would also like a little critique on his latest caricature. Vern writes:

“Hi Bob,

Thanks for sharing the tutorial for your penguin ornament. It’s a great pattern which can easily be given lots of variation. I know it will get lots of use in the days ahead. I was wondering if you might share any tips or techniques you use to make more realistic folds and wrinkles in clothing and faces when carving.

I would like you to critique my new friend Earl Lenmeier (he comes from a past existence). Earl just loves to be outside in the fall enjoying life.

Like many, I seem to end up carving pumpkins of some sort in the fall so here is a group photo of some of the latest. Most of these pumpkins follow Doug Linker’s pumpkin video tutorials which are well done, easy to follow, and just fun to do.

Thanks again for all you do for the carving community!

Vern Freer

Ontario, Canada”

I’m glad you like my pattern and tutorial on the Christmas Penguin ornament, Vern. Have fun carving it and perhaps you’ll send in some photos.

I carve folds and wrinkles in clothing with various size gouges. Then I trim off the hard edges with a knife. To carve realistic folds and wrinkles in clothing you need a good understanding of how the clothes fit on the body and how the move and pull when the body moves in various directions. Like anything else, it also takes a lot of practice. Become a people watcher and take note of how clothing lays and folds on people when they are in various positions. Drawing simple sketches will help.

There is an excellent reference book out called “Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery” by Burne Hogarth. The book is actually written for artists but the same principles apply to woodcarving. It contains sketches of people in all sorts of positions and clearly illustrates how the clothing wrinkles and stretches as the body moves. I highly recommend it.

Carving facial wrinkles is done with small gouges and V-tools. From looking at your carving of Earl Lenmeier it appears you have the hang of it. As before, just keep practicing.

Now for my thoughts on Earl Lenmeier. Overall the carving is well done and very pleasing. I like the job you did on the plaid shirt. The shape of the face is nicely formed, as all of the details (eyes, nose, ears, mouth, etc.) are done well. You also did a good job on the hands which are hard to do for many carvers. Deeper knife cuts all around and less wood burning would look a little better on your next one. The paint is on a little too thick for my taste. I like to see the paint applied in thin layers instead of one thick layer so that the wood grain shows through. And of course, work on adding some wrinkles to the clothing.

That’s a great patch of pumpkins you carved there, Vern! I really like them. Nice detail and great facial expressions. Thanks for sending them in, and thanks for sending in Earl also. Carving photos are always greatly appreciated.

Photo Shop

This week we have two more contributions from my good friend, Dean Stewart. The first one is a photo of the pumpkin he carved with a natural stem.

"Bob,

My wife and I teamed up to make this 6 inch basswood pumpkin with natural wooden stem. Came out really nice. Acrylic paint and brown wax. Happy Fall Y’all.”

Well, Dean, I must say, it looks like a "Great Pumpkin"!

The second is photos of the amazing fox ring he carved for his son-in-law.

"Bob

I returned to ring carving recently. This shy fox is for my son-in-law. It’s carved from basswood, textured with my wood burner and painted with acrylic paint. It was finished with a coat of Howard’s Feed and Wax.”

That’s a cool looking ring you carved, Dean, and you did an excellent job on it.  The carving, wood burning and painting are all very well done.

Next, we have a photo of the remarkable fish Barry carved. This is only his second one! “Here is a photo of my second fish. I have found that I learn with each carving that I do so the next one will be better.”

Quite a superb job you did on this one, Barry! Your first one was good but this one really shows the improvements you’ve made. Very nice work!

Finally, since the month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month I thought I would post some photos of my Breast Cancer Awareness Cat. Thanks for looking!

**Bob’s breast cancer awareness cat Front view**

News & Announcements

The International Association of Woodcarvers has upcoming Zoom meetings on the following Saturdays at 3PM EST with special guest presenters. Check them out…

Zoom: 310-460-3575

Schedule:

10/15 – Nikki Reece

10/22 – Bob Hershey

10/29 – Rod Gatlin

11/19 – Ryan Olsen

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOODCARVERS

COME JOIN US!!!

Upcoming Workshops

Santa

Teacher: Dave Stetson

Dates: November 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20

Times: Sat, Sun – 9:30am-11:30 Pacific /11:30am-01:30pm Central / 12:30pm – 2:30pm Eastern

12 hours (6 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

For details and to sign up email Dave lcnmichele@aol.com

Raccoon Santa

Teacher: Bob Hershey

Dates: December 3, 4, 10, 11

Time: Sat, Sun – Sat, Sun – 1:30pm-3:30 Pacific /3:30pm-05:30pm Central / 4:30pm – 6:30pm Eastern

8 hours (4 sessions – 2 hours each day)

Location: Online (Via Zoom)

Contact Bob Hershey: bzcarvn@gmail.com

Whittle Wednesdays

Teacher: Dwayne Gosnell

Dates: Two – 2 hour classes each month on Wednesdays

Location: Online (Via Zoom) To sign up contact Dwayne Gosnell via email: dagwood_76@gmail.com

Stay sharp, and keep on carvin’!

Funny Bone

Carve A Simple Christmas Penguin Ornament

Carve A Simple Christmas Penguin Ornament

By Bob Kozakiewicz

This is a 9 step tutorial on how to carve a Simple Christmas Penguin Ornament.

1. Start with a 1″ square x 5 1/4″ block of basswood and mark the blank according to the diagram.

2. Make stop cuts along both the upper and lower lines of the hat trim and cut back to them. Make a notch cut to undercut below the beak but do not cut the lower trim above the beak yet.

3. Lay your knife blade against one edge of the beak then begin at the point of the beak and make a cut straight back to the back at the hat trim. Make the same cut on the other side. These two cuts should form a sharp edge along the top of the beak from front to back. A few extra small cuts on either side of the beak may be necessary to get both sides to meet evenly at the top.

4. Round off the top and bottom of the hat trim edges all around and begin tapering the hat.

5. Carve the pom-pom and finish carving the hat.

6.Slightly round off all four sides of the penguin’s body. Be careful not to make the penguin’s body too round.

7. Draw the penguin’s wings on both sides. Make stop cuts along these lines and cut toward them.

8. Draw a shallow arch across the front from the bottom of one wing tip to the other. Make a stop cut along this line and cut up to it from the bottom forming a wedge. Separate the wedge in the middle to form the feet.

9. Paint the hat trim and pom-pom white, then the hat red. Paint the beak yellow, the front of the penguin white and the rest of the penguin black, including the feet. Add some extra fine crystal diamond glitter (optional) to the hat fur and pom-pom, Spray with the finish of your choice. Add a small screw eye on top and hang with a hook, ribbon or colored string of your choice.

**Completed Christmas Penguin Ornament**

Reader’s Comments

I got a great suggestion this week from Jessi who wrote:

Hi Bob! I just wanted to submit a suggestion for a blog post. Could you write about flat-plane carving?

Jessi

Thank you for writing, Jessi, that’s an excellent suggestion! I’m not much of a flat plane carver…I just could never master it, but I do know several wood carvers who are excellent at flat plane work. I am also aware of some books on flat plane carving so I will do some research and see if I can get some flat plane information out in future posts down the road.

Carver’s Corner

Elise Hartnagel of Palm Harbor, FL send in a couple of photos of a terrific miniature caricature she carved and asked me to give it my critique. Elise writes:

“Hi Bob,

Here are a couple of photos of a miniature 3 inch figure that I carved in front of a quarter scale dollhouse that I built out of cardboard and craft wood. Any advise or critique would be welcomed.

I enjoy your wood chip chatter newsletter.

Elise Hartnagel

Palm Harbor, Florida”

First of all let me say that I hope you made it through the devastating hurricane that just went through Florida earlier this week okay. We pray for you and all those who lost so much.

It’s not easy to get detail into miniature figures but you seem to have done a good job. All of the facial feature are there, including the ears which are always a challenge. I like how you did the collar on the shirt and how you have the back of the necktie showing out from the front of it.

The first thing that caught my eye, though, was that your paint is too thick. Next time try adding your paint in several layers of thinned out washes of paint and build the color up that way instead of applying it in one thick coat.

Your face is a little too round. It should be a little more egg shaped. Try thinning the lower part of the face from the cheeks towards the chin. Maybe add a shirt pocket next time. Little details make a big difference.

It looks like you did quite a nice job on your miniature doll house too. I really like it, and I like that you are enjoying Wood Chip Chatter. Keep up the good work, Elise!

Our next entry to the “Carver’s Corner” comes from Dan Bennett who writes:

“I certainly enjoy all your guidance in your newsletters! Thoughts please!

Thanks Bob. —Dan”

Thank you for your kind words, Dan! I’m glad you’re enjoying Wood Chip Chatter. As I mentioned above I’m not much of a flat plane carver and really admire those carvers who are talented in that form of woodcarving. From your photos I can see you are quite an accomplished flat plane carver yourself. Not being an expert in the field it’s difficult for me to judge a flat plane carving but from what I know it appears to me you’ve made all of the major basic cuts. It may be a little bit too rounded for most flat plane experts but that’s about all I can say. Perhaps a few more V-cuts for wrinkles in the clothing.

Keep at it, Dan! You’re well on your way to becoming an expert flat plane carver!

News & Announcements

The International Association of Woodcarvers has upcoming Zoom meetings on the following Saturdays at 3PM EST with special guest presenters. Check them out…

Zoom: 310-460-3575

Schedule:

10/1 – Chris Gardea

10/15 – Nikki Reece

10/22 – Bob Hershey

10/29 – Rod Gatlin

11/19 – Ryan Olsen

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOODCARVERS

COME JOIN US!!!

The Jersey Hills Wood Carvers (JHWC) club is a small but growing group of wood carvers sharing their time, knowledge and joy of woodcarving. The JHWC generally meets from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday of each month (when school is in session) at the Jefferson Township High School wood shop classroom.

Membership is “FREE” and open to anyone interested in woodcarving regardless of their ability.

JHWC’s Upcoming Meetings and Events

Sept. 15th, 29th

Oct. 6th, 20th

Nov. 3rd, 17th

Dec, 1st, 15th

For more information contact:

Al Santucci alsantucci4@gmail.com President

Bill Brunner billbrunnerdesign@gmail.com newsletter/website editor

Or visit:

Website: https://www.jerseyhillswoodcarver.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/736479646821641/

ASKING FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION!!!

Your contributions to Wood Chip Chatter are a key component to making it the blog that it is. You may notice that some weeks certain sections are missing and the reason is there were no entries sent in to that section. For example, there is no “Photo Shop” this week. I hate to see that and I’m sure you do to. So let’s all pitch in and do just a little bit once in awhile with a question, comment or photo. Send them to carverbobk@woodchipchatter.com. They will be greatly appreciated.

Stay sharp, and keep on carvin’!

Funny Bone