Carving More Basswood Necklaces

I've been carving on so many projects during the last week that I haven't found time to post the progress so I'm going to  try and play a round of catch-up.

The first update is found in the picture to the right where I'm currently working on carving ten new basswood hippie necklaces that I will give away at our upcoming Conclave Scouting event on the North Carolina coast later this month. You can find more information on how I carved them here. The kids in woodshop class have expressed a LOT of interest in carving this project so I'll be getting that set up for next sessions classes too.

The picture to the immediate right shows the beginnings of several new necklace ideas that are in the earliest stages of development. From left-to-right I'm holding a flower, and a heart to wear on Valentines Day. Next is a tiny totem pole that I'd like to replace the "stamped" out Indian on my Scout service necklace. The simple "O" necklace will be a tiny dreamcatcher necklace. Remaining are the American flag, a four-leaf clover, and a cross. I will show the progress of each necklace as they are completed.

I never imagined having so much fun making wood necklaces from small pieces of basswood scraps but I stand to be surprised yet one more time!

WIP: "Corn Cob Carter" - Another Scrap Stick Carving-Part 2-(Final)

WIP= "Work in Progress"

 Lately I've been involved with a lot of projects so my old friend "Corn Cob Carter" got put on the back burner for a while, but finally the old man has come to life and what an interesting character he is.

As seen in the picture to the left I just caught glimpse of him in an early spring patch of wild onions just at the base of his mountain. Just yesterday morning Carter was out from his hole-in-the-tree during a brief warm moment to catch a peek at the early spring  green. But unlike Punxsutawney Phil, Carter didn't return to his hole declaring another six weeks of winter but instead just gazed at the few green plants of spring with the hope that winter is finally gone.

This North Carolina winter was so long and hard that Carter actually ran out of his wonderful corn grain and had to compete with the squirrels and deer for wild acorns. He is now anxious to get his corn planted because that alone is what makes him strong, bold, and happy.

In the first posting of Carter you might recall that I had only sketched him out, then just briefly began the carving of his corn-cob head. Well, you might say that he has really "sprouted" into full-bloom since then and is now happily living in his tree hole.

As seen in the pictures to the right, after roughly beginning the corn-cob head I then went on to sketching on and carving his puffy little face. For some reason the big lips of Fat Lips Bill seemed to linger on with this carving.

After finishing up the face I then went on to burn in the kernels of corn into his cobby forehead. This is the part that I was looking forward to since I've never incorporated corn into any of my carving projects and using the woodburner is always a very fun way to compliment a carving.

The burning went well but I had to lightly sand it down just a bit with 220 grit since the initial burning is usually too strong and leaves behind  some rough hanging particles that don't help the carving at all.

I also liked the way that the husks "enclosed" the corn which almost gave good old Carter a sort-of bunny rabbit look. Also if you look at the pictures above before the burning I was also amazed at how similar these husks looked like a flower such as a tulip. This gave me the idea of perhaps experimenting with carving some sort of flowers as part of a future carving. It's amazing how one thing in carving a project can be the catalyst for another whole direction which certainly makes carving one of the greatest life adventures!

After burning I then went on to mix up my acrylic paints for adding the final color tones. All of my paints were watered down with water to one degree or another until I achieved the correct tone.

Although Carter thinks that he lives in a fine tree hole in the forest he actually sits proudly with his other scrap-stick friends on the shelf in my living room and that is where he should remain happy for the rest of his cheery life.

Carter was a lot of fun to dream up and then carve but I'm not sure just yet what whimsical character that I must carve next to be his new neighbor.

Carving The Classic Hippy Necklace

One of the funnest parts about most major Scouting events are the various themes selected by competing sections. Competition can be fierce between these sections who are competing for the events  spirit award so having a good costume or props is a plus.

The theme for our section at Conclave this April will be the psychedelic 60's so as you can see from the pictures to the right, I've been busy carving up a hippy necklace. This was a very easy carving project that probably only took about an hour to design, cut, carve, and paint.

Since woodshop and Scouting classes have been centered around the upcoming pinewood derby race, there were plenty of basswood scraps lying around so that's what I used for this project. I started with a piece of basswood about 7/16" thick, 1-3/4" wide, and 1-7/8" tall.

Although I could have used a compass and pencil to get a "perfect" circle, I just sketched out the circle freestyle thus giving it a more handmade appeal. Using the scrollsaw I then cut out the design in preparation for carving. As you can see from the pictures to the left I allowed for a small block protruding from the top of the the necklace where I then drilled a 1/8" hole for the cord.

As seen in the picture to the right I then just smoothed up all of the rough edges left by the scrollsaw, then used my small V-parting tool to etch in the notches seen around the "chicken-foot" peace sign. I decided to use hot pink acrylic paint for the peace sign, then I chose a variety of rainbow colors for the surrounding circular frame of the necklace. I completed the necklace by applying a satin polyurethane then strung a piece of black leather lacing through the hole as the lanyard.

This was a very fun and quick scrap wood project that has now inspired even more ideas for future necklace projects, perhaps with a different theme. The possibilities are limitless so I've already started brainstorming a list. Basswood was also an excellent choice for this project since the open spaces between the peace sign and the surrounding frame could be a fragile point using soft wood. Basswood also has the strength to withstand drilling the small lanyard hole.


I'm looking forward to Conclave 2010 which should be a premium Scouting event where everyone can have a lot of fun. The little hand-carved hippy necklace is small but I hope that it will generate a few laughs and to help us bring home the award for most spirit!

Pinewood Derby 2010: The Power Of Simple Tools

Currently everyone is focused on the upcoming April Fool's 500 Pinewood Derby race next month so both woodshop and Scouting classes have been spent working on the winning cars. During Scouting classes we are usually on the trail working with map & compass, fire building, or perhaps a natural science hike but lately we've been working on our cars.

Working on our cars outside the woodshop during Scouting classes presents a wonderful opportunity for the kids to be more resourceful since the saws, drills, and hammers aren't available. What we do have are the most essential tools available which are our hands and our minds.

After more than 15 years in the woodshop, I am still amazed at the power found in a simple piece of sandpaper. Here we have all of these wonderful power tools (and yes they are wonderful!) but in their shadow I so often see equally powerful transformations of the mind and hands occur with just a simple piece of sandpaper.

As you can see from the pictures to the left, I spent almost two hours last Friday with one group working on their derby cars with no more than one piece of sandpaper per person and a few carving tools. The kids really got into the sanding with an intensity that would never be accomplished inside the woodshop. This was all that they had so they adapted to the situation and used their sandpaper like the sculpting tool that it was. They would fold in, re-enforce it, and shape it to reach the odd contours of their wood.

On the car to the right, a very nice hood scoop was first chiseled away with a small carving knife then another 45 minutes was spent carefully shaping it with a simple piece of sandpaper. Also notice the fine hood lines directly in front of the scoop that was the result of correctly folded sandpaper, even hand motions, and a fine connection of hands and mind to wood.

These same connections are also obtained from using power tools but sometimes I believe that an even more powerful connection occurs with just our hands and simple tools. Using just the hands is a more "primitive" connection with the wood and I think that something in our head registers the activity in our brain as being real, basic, and fundamental to our very being.

As seen in the pictures to the right I worked with another group today in our cabin as they had only sandpaper, carving tools, and paint brushes as their main tools. And once again another hour passed by way too fast. Here 12 kids sat around the table using their hands to fashion the  cars in their own way and if I had to sum up the class in one word it would have been "contentment".

They sanded their wood, they painted their tire rims, and they carved shapes to their cars. I moved around the class providing hints but most of all I complimented the creative ideas that had been produced from such very simple tools. Even though we weren't inside the woodshop with all it's expensive power tools, I also didn't hear a single whimper. They only had their minds and a few simple tools to make a meaningful and productive connection with their wood and they did it well.

For hours on end, they are content when using their hands to make something. They are calm, patient, and seem to have a lot more mutual respect for one another during these periods. They are also learning to be resourceful with just a few basic tools. Like the sandpaper they use to shape their cars, I am also convinced that the character of these kids lives are also gradually "shaped" into a better, more successful person. Never underestimate the power of using simple tools.

Carving Thunderbird Wings For the 16' Totem Pole:Parts 2 and 3 (of 3)

Here are the two remaining videos which concludes my carving of the Thunderbird wings for our new camp totem pole.

Carving Thunderbird Wings For the 16' Totem Pole (Part 1 of 3)

This is Part 1 of 3 videos (total about 30 minutes) where I demonstrate step-by-step how I made and carved the wings for the Thunderbird on our new 16' camp totem pole. I made the videos during the actual carving during November of 2009 and they now proudly fly upon the Thunderbird that is on top of the totem pole of yesterdays posting New Camp Totem Pole (Parts 1 and 2) 



I'll probably get all three videos uploaded during the next couple of days since I need to use some of my bandwidth for getting other stuff done too. I hope that you can perhaps glean some new tid-bit of helpful information from them but most of all, I hope that it will inspire you to pick up your chisels and take on a carving project of your own as the nice weather of spring is upon us. Happy carving!

New Camp Totem Pole (Parts 1 and 2)

It's been a long time in coming but the day finally arrived last week on March 23rd when we raised our new camp totem pole! She is now flying high in the sky and proudly looking over all who walk the trail near her path.

This is a very special totem pole for many reasons. For beginners, it was a sad occasion the day before when we had to remove the original totem pole that has towered over our camp for 17 years, since the spring of 1993. The pictures below show it just after removal last Monday and being hauled away. In a future posting I will most assuredly retire it here on the blog with the full story and with the respect that it deserves.

The story of the new totem began more than a year ago when the local power company donated a fine utility pole to our camp with a $400.00 value and a 30 year in-the-ground life. At the time I didn't know that it would become our new camp totem pole and the only thing I was thinking about was the generosity of the power company. Heck, there's a million and one uses for a utility pole.

During the fall fellowship last year I was studying the totem pole at Camp Raven Knob which was obviously made from a utility pole. The idea began to brew in my head of the possibilities and before you knew it I got my gouges and a maul for some experimenting on our utility pole. I was amazed at how well the wood carved so I then began sketching my own totem designs in a note pad until I had it all figured out. About Halloween of 2009 I had the pole on the back porch of our dining hall and the carving had begun!  
      

As you can see from my original design to the right, all of the characters were my own but I did love the upward slant of the wings of the totem pole at Camp Raven Knob. I've carved many totems over the years but this upward slant of the wings was very appealing and gave the Thunderbird a powerful look. By the way I will shortly be posting a detailed video of how I made and carved the wings for our new pole... that will be part 3 of this series so check back soon.

So all of the carving was completed between Halloween and Thanksgiving then between several other high priority projects and the many blizzard snows of this winter, the finished pole sat patiently for 4 months on the back porch. Finally a two-day window of opportunity was opened last week and with the help of a group of 12 boys, the new totem pole was set into it's hole. The following are the meanings of all the characters carved on our new pole:

The Bear: On the bottom is the bear which symbolizes strength and thus the counselors in our program because they build the foundation (see the hammer in the bears paws) upon which all else stands. Without our counselors we would be nothing so sometimes the most important character on a totem pole is on the bottom and for good reason.

The Beaver: Next is the beaver which represents the program directors since they always seem to be gnawing on wood seeking the sometimes elusive trail to a safe and effective program for the kids.

The Frog: This little creature represents the family workers who do a lot of "hopping" around between the kids, families, counselors, and everyone on property as they mediate various problems and solutions that make our program work.

The Wolf: Indian symbolism sees the wolf as having great wisdom and knowledge so this magnificent creature will represent the teachers who make sure that our students stay current in their school work and are well prepared to succeed in the future.

The Raven: This bird will represent the campers family who are also working hard to make the necessary changes in their own lives and preparing the home "nest" for their son to eventually return and flourish into the future together again.

The Thunderbird: The Thunderbird with his wings spread out tall and proud at the very top of the pole will represent the youth and the successful people that they are capable of becoming. If a strong foundation is laid beneath then every kid will have the opportunity to succeed and that will be the real story of our totem pole as they "fly" into their future.

The following are two videos of the totem pole that you might find interesting. I am currently editing another video that will show how I made and carved the wings so check back soon for that one.

WIP: "Corn Cob Carter" - Another Scrap Stick Carving (Part 1)

WIP= "Work in Progress"

All that I can say is "Here I go again"! The porch is full with scrap pieces cut off from last years walking sticks that I just couldn't bring myself to throw away or burn in the pot belly so another folk-like character is currently in the process of coming to life. The wood I'm using is the same used in the previous carvings which is dried rhododendron.

For now I'm calling him Corn Cob Carter because I'm starting the carving with an ear of corn which I'm thinking will be part of his head. Carter will be a somewhat comical character but I'm not sure yet just what his story will be. As you might recall from my carving of Fat Lips Bill I've begun to come up with a short story and history of the characters that I'm carving. To me, the story gives them more personality, something to smile about, and perhaps if they ever make it to the Antique Road Show in a hundred years from now, then it will be worth 10 times more with a history than without one. Hey! You never know.

So far I've sketched out what I think that an ear of corn looks like and begun removing some of the waste wood. All of this I did with just a basic jack knife and a "V"-parting tool. Not too much to see just yet but the next posting should have a face shaping up. Not sure exactly how I'm going to go about it at this point but when the knife is in one hand and the wood in the other hand, somehow things start coming together. I just hope that my corn don't start looking like a sweet pea but if it does I'll just have to adjust his name to Sweet Pea Pete!