By Robert W. Tinsley

The Welsh lovespoon is an ancient symbol of romance and commitment. Legend states that a man carved a lovespoon to show interest in a woman. He incorporated a variety of symbols into the spoon, including a heart to signify love, a diamond to promise prosperity, and a keyhole to imply she held the key to his heart. His skill and persistence in carving the spoon showed the young lady and her parents that he would be a good provider. If she accepted the spoon, she accepted him as a prospective mate; the lovespoon was a rural engagement ring. We don’t know for sure whether this legend reflects reality, but if it doesn’t, it should!

The oldest known lovespoon is in the St. Fagan’s National History Museum in Wales and is dated 1667. The first lovespoons were plain, uncomplicated designs, much like those shown here. As time went on, the designs became increasingly complex, and some professional carvers began specializing in lovespoons. However, some rural swains still carve lovespoons, reflecting the romance and hope of those young couples.

Getting Started

Transfer the pattern to the blank, and use a band saw, scroll saw, or knife to cut the perimeter. Use a 1/16″ (2mm)-diameter bit to drill a series of holes for the heart and keyhole. Later, you will connect the holes with a knife. If you decide to use a larger bit, drill the holes before you cut the spoon handle to the final thickness, which will minimize any tear-out from the bit on the back of the blank.

CLICK HERE to download the patterns.

	Step 1: Rough out the bowl. Use a craft saw to make a 1/4″ to 5/16″ (6mm to 8mm)-deep stop cut at the deepest part of the spoon bowl. Carve from the ends of the bowl to the saw cut. This method prevents the bowl from splitting along the grain. I use a knife with a long, thin blade to make slicing cuts.
	Step 2: Shape the back of the bowl. Remove the sharp corners on the back of the bowl, but leave extra wood around the edge. Aim for a consistent, gentle curve from side to side and from the widest, deepest part of the bowl to the ends. Blend the curve into the back of the stem where the bowl attaches to the handle.
	Step 3: Hollow the bowl. I use a bent (crooked) knife or a hook knife (see page 45), but you could also use a gouge. Cut from the ends with the grain to the widest and deepest part of the bowl (left photo). Cut from the sides across the grain to smooth the bottom of the bowl (right photo).
	Step 4: Carve the heart and keyhole. I carve the handle after I carve the bowl. Carving the bowl requires a certain amount of force, and the handle can be delicate after you carve the frets. If something does break, repair it with cyanoacrylate (CA) glue. To start, use a thin, narrow-bladed knife, like the Flexcut Mini-Pelican, to connect the pre-drilled holes (photo above). Carving the top of the keyhole and the sides of the heart can be challenging. At the points where the angles of the cuts become parallel to the grain (the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions), the knife will begin to dig in and split the wood. To prevent this, start from 6 o’clock and cut toward 3 o’clock. Then, go back to 6 o’clock and cut toward 9 o’clock. Move to 12 o’clock and cut to 3 o’clock, and then back to 12 o’clock and cut to 9 o’clock. You’ll be left with some curls, as shown in the photo. Once you remove the curls, there will still be a split or two in the wood. Using a very sharp, thin blade with very light pressure (little more than the weight of the knife itself) cut toward the split from both directions. With a little practice, you should be left with a nice, smooth transition. If not, don’t worry—use sandpaper to smooth the cuts. The same advice applies to the heart.
	Step 5: Shape the point of the heart. Use the knife to cut straight down to the point. Be careful not to split the wood. Insert the point of the knife into the cut at the point of the heart and slice up in both directions so you can follow the grain of the wood and make a smooth cut.
	Step 6: Draw the triangle accents. Draw a line around the edge of the handle, just outside the heart. To draw the triangles, start at the bottom on both sides. For strength, the wood should be full thickness at the start of the pattern, and the first cutout should move away from the bottom edge. Before you extend the pattern too far, start another set of triangles at the top of the arch. Work down both sides to meet the patterns coming up from the bottom. This allows you to adjust the size of the triangles gradually as the runs meet. Don’t worry about being mathematically accurate with the sizes of the triangles. I always draw mine freehand and they turn out just fine.
	Step 7: Carve the sides of the first triangle. Use a small, thin knife to cut 1/32″ (1mm) straight into the wood along the first line. To make the second cut, push the point of the blade into the wood at the top of the triangle and rock the rest of the blade down into the wood until you have a consistently deep cut. Be careful, because the basswood is very delicate and the triangle can split out. A thin blade reduces the chances of splitting the wood.
	Step 8: Finish cutting the triangle. Turn the blade of the knife flat. Slide the knife into the wood along one leg of the triangle at the bottom of the vertical cut until the point reaches the top of the triangle. Then, rotate the handle toward the other leg of the triangle. The chip will pop out, leaving a nice, smooth bottom. Be careful not to over-rotate the knife; it’s easy to slip and slice off the neighboring triangle. Repeat the process around the edge of the handle. Apply a few coats of walnut oil, or any clear finish. Attach a screw eye to the top to hang the spoon.

Hook Knives vs. Bent or Crooked Knives

Many people think these two types of knives are the same thing, but they aren’t. A hook knife, like the Pinewood Forge knife in the background, is a specialized tool dedicated to carving bowls, spoons, and the insides of wooden clogs or sabots. It is hot-forged and has a very curved, or hooked, shape.

A crooked, or bent, knife, like the Preferred Edge knife in the foreground, is a more generalized carving tool. It was common among the North American First Nations tribes, who used it for everything from building shelters and canoes to carving ceremonial masks and totems. Crooked knives were originally cold-forged, or hammered over a curved form to attain the desired shape, which gave them less of a curve than hook knives. They are now hot-forged, but the shape difference remains.

Materials & Tools

MATERIALS:

• Basswood 3/4″ (19mm) thick: 1″ x 4 1/2″ (25mm x 114mm)
• Sandpaper
• Finish, such as walnut oil
•Screw eye

TOOLS:

• Fine-tooth craft saw, such as X-Acto
•Carving knives: general, Flexcut Mini-Pelican, Flexcut Mini-Detail, crooked or bent (optional, to carve bowl)
• Gouge (optional, to carve bowl)
• Pencil

About the Author

Robert W. Tinsley is a retired mechanical engineer. He has been carving, off and on, for more than 50 years. He and his wife of 41 years live on a 28′ sailboat in Florida. He sells his carvings through an Etsy store: cowboybob.etsy.com. Contact him at bobtinsley785@gmail.com.

• Click HERE to get the Spring 2019 issue.

The post Carving Miniature Welsh Lovespoons appeared first on Woodcarving Illustrated.

Many carvers start out by carving a 5-Minute Owl. Chris Lubkemann shows how the bark on a branch is perfect to imply an owl’s feathers. While it might take you a few more minutes to carve this own, it comes pre-finished. Chris also shows a few ways to embellish this classic carving.

A child of missionaries, Chris Lubkemann grew up in the forests of Brazil and Peru, where he developed an appreciation for knives and entertained himself and others by handcrafting rafts, tree houses, traps, and slingshots from scrap wood. As an adult, he has continued to use his woodworking skills for gold old-fashioned fun. Chris has carved some of the world’s smallest branch carvings; in fact, his smallest branch rooster was given a Guinness World Record Certificate. The author of five books on woodcarving with Fox Chapel Publishing, Chris currently demonstrates whittling as the resident woodcarver at the Amish Farm and House in Lancaster, Pa. Visit his website at www.whittlingwithchris.com.

The post Whittling with Chris: Carving an Owl appeared first on Woodcarving Illustrated.

While some carvers resort to a chainsaw to remove excess wood quickly, other options exist for carvers who are hesitant to handle one.

Automach CH-80 This large reciprocating carver is not just for fans of edged tools. With the ability to use huge gouges that are hit up to 12,000 times per minute, this tool tears through wood at an astonishing rate. While it comes with the enormous deep gouge (2-5/32″ or 55mm wide), you can also purchase a bent flat chisel (2″ or 50mm wide), straight flat chisel (2″ or 50mm wide), a V-tool (1-9/16″ or 40mm wide), or a shallow gouge (1 3/4″ or 45mm wide). A starter kit containing the CH-80 and the large deep gouge is available for $499.99 from Woodcraft (Woodcraft.com). The other edged add-ons are available for $54.99 each.

Angle Grinder Attachments The high torque and power of a handheld angle grinder are perfect for a large rotary disc. While these discs can range from intimidating chainsaw-tooth studded discs to small contour sanders, there’s no denying that they are useful. For beginners, I suggest carbide-point discs. They are easy to control and don’t require as much safety equipment as I’d suggest for their chainsaw-based siblings. Like standard carbide-point bits, these tools come in different grits and point configurations. I’m partial to the “Holy Galahad” by King Arthur Tools or the similar discs by SaburrTooth. Strategic holes placed in these discs allow you to see through the spinning disc and remove wood quickly. If those discs don’t remove the wood fast enough, look for Kutzall Extreme discs. These tools really move wood. Prices vary, but are available from King Arthur (KAtools.com), SaburrTooth (SaburrTooth.com), and Kutzall (Kutzall.com).

Foredom Mini-Angle Grinder Attachment If a full-size angle grinder doesn’t fit into the area you’re carving, look for Foredom’s mini-angle grinder attachment. This tool connects to a flexible-shaft handpiece and uses smaller diameter discs to carve, sand, and grind. I’ve used this with Foredom’s Typhoon discs, and those made by SaburrTooth; they remove wood quickly for their size. Prices for the attachment start at $120 from Foredom (Foredom.net).

Carbide Sleeves and Cups with a Flexible Shaft If you’re limited to a flexible shaft tool, carbide-point sleeves and cups will remove wood much faster than standard carbide-point bits. The sleeves work well on relatively flat surfaces, but the cups work better for hollows and recesses. Typhoon and SaburrTooth sell the sleeves (which fit on a standard rubber sanding drum mandrel) in a variety of grits, but SaburrTooth makes the only carbide cups on the market (which also come in a variety of grits). Prices vary, but the tools are available from Foredom (Foredom.net) and SaburrTooth (SaburrTooth.net).

Plano OrbiCut All you need to use Plano’s OrbiCut is an electric drill or a drill press. These clever ball-shaped cutters are designed for use on a slower-speed drill, but they still remove wood quickly. I suggest these tools more for carvers who use edged tools but occasionally need to hollow something out. They can be hard to control if used for regular carving. For a complete review of the Orbicut, see woodcarvingillustrated.com/blog/2017/06/02/orbicut-review/. The Orbicut is available for $70 for the 3/4″ (or 20mm)-diameter size and $90 for the 1 9/16″ (40mm) diameter size from Advanced Machinery (Advanced-Machinery.com).

Want more power carving?

Check out the Power Carving Manual, Updated and Expanded Second Edition

Step-by-step projects and expert advice from today’s top power carvers will take your carving to the next level with the speed and control of power tools.

Available for $19.99 plus S&H from Fox Chapel Publishing, 1970 Broad St., East Petersburg, PA 17520, 800-457-9112, FoxChapelPublishing.com. 

The post Tools for Removing Wood Quickly appeared first on Woodcarving Illustrated.

By Harold Enlow

Many carvers add beards and mustaches to avoid carving lips and mouths. If you plan to carve a woman, though, it’s impossible to hide the lips. Learning these few simple steps for carving lips allows you to carve any face.

1: Prepare the blank. Round the corner of the blank and smooth the area for the lips with a carving knife. Because women have smoother skin than men, the area must be smooth. Draw the lips. The top lip is usually wider than the bottom lip.	2: Carve the area between the lips. Make a stop cut along the area between the lips with a carving knife. The curve of the blank makes this cut curve on both sides as you press it into the rounded wood. Taper the upper lip from the top line down to the center cut. Use the same technique to shape the bottom lip.
3: Shape the corners of the lips. Carve up alongside the bottom lip to the top lip with a 1/8″ (3mm) #11 gouge (or veiner). Cut the chip free with the veiner or a detail knife.	4: Outline the upper and lower lips. Carve above the upper lip and under the lower lip with a 1/8″ (3mm) veiner. The upper lip is slightly pointed and the lower lip is more rounded.
5: Carve the angel’s kiss. Use a 1/8″ (3mm) veiner to carve the slight groove between the top lip and the bottom of the nose.	6: Continue shaping the lips. Use a 3/16″ (5mm) skew chisel. Then, use a carving knife to create the rounded, pouty top lip.
7: Deepen the area where the lips meet. This area, called the embrasure, is the deepest part of the carving. With a carving knife, make a deep cut at a slight angle from the top. Then cut up to the stop cut from the bottom to create a thin, deep groove.

Materials & Tools

Materials

• Carving wood

Tools

• Knives: carving, detail
• Skew chisel: 3/16″ (5mm)
• #3 gouge: 3/8″ (10mm)
• #5 gouge: 1/8″ (3mm)
• #11 gouge (veiner): 1/8″ (3mm)
• V-tool: 1/8″ (3mm)
• Denture brush

Learn To Carve Faces: Eyes and Lips
By Harold Enlow

Master carver Harold Enlow guides you through the nuances of carving these important but tricky facial features. Study stick also available.

Available for $5.99 plus $3.99 S&H from Fox Chapel Publishing,  1970 Broad St., East Petersburg, Pa., 17520, 800-457-9112, foxchapelpublishing.com, or check your local retailer.

The post Carving a Woman’s Mouth appeared first on Woodcarving Illustrated.

By Mark Akers

You could carefully carve a slot in a piece of wood, glue that piece of wood to another piece of wood, and then carve the two into a custom knife holder. But it’s a lot more fun to burn in a slot!

All it takes is an inexpensive paring knife, a grinder, and a propane (or MAP gas) torch.

Watch the video below to see the process in action.

About the Author

Mark Akers resides in Lexington, S.C. Carving is currently a hobby since he is employed full-time with the University of South Carolina School of Medicine’s maintenance division. His love of carving began more than 30 years ago when he attended a carving club meeting in Alton, Ill. Mark’s carvings consistently win awards at every competition he competes in, including the Caricature Carvers of America’s National Caricature Carvers Competition and the International Woodcarvers Congress. He has produced several instructional videos, available at carvingvideos.com. You can reach Mark at makers415@gmail.com.

For more great projects you can turn into knife holders, see Quick and Cute Carving Projects: Patterns for 46 Projects you can Carve in One Day, by Lori Dickie. Learn the basics of caricature carving with quick and easy first-time projects that use just blank basswood “eggs” and a few simple cuts. Includes clear carving and painting instructions, color photographs, step-by-step projects, and ready-to-use patterns.

Available for $15.99 plus S&H from www.foxchapelpublishing.

The post Burning a Slot for a Knife Holder appeared first on Woodcarving Illustrated.

By Bill Kinnear

Throughout my woodworking years, I have been continually frustrated with the sanding accessories that are available, so I set out to develop a cheap system that would work under different applications. The sanders I designed are inexpensive and easy to make. You can make a bunch at one time in different sizes and grits or customize them to fit your current project. With a small, fine-grit screw sander, you can carve and sand the finest details.

I make sanders from metal rods, bolts, and screws. The technique is similar for all of them, so I’ll demonstrate with a piece of metal rod and add a cushion. The cushion allows you to get a smooth finish without sanding away fine details. Without the cushion, you can use the sander to carve or sand sharp edges.

1: Prepare the rod. Cut a 1/4″ (6mm)-diameter rod to size and clamp it in a vise. Cut a 1 1/2″ (38mm)-long slot down the center of the rod with a hacksaw or rotary tool with a cutoff wheel. Clamp the rod in the rotary tool handpiece and lock the shaft.	2: Attach the rag to the rod. Use the template to cut the sandpaper and rag to shape. Place the tab of the rag into the slot in the rod so 1/8″ to 1/4″ (3mm to 6mm) protrudes past the end of the rod. Wind the rag snugly around the rod while keeping the end even. Stop when you have approximately 2″ (51mm) of rag left.
3: Attach the sandpaper. Position the sandpaper, grit down, so it overlaps the unwrapped piece of cloth. Wind the sandpaper with the cloth around the rod tightly, keeping the end straight as you wrap.	4: Lock the sandpaper in place. When you have wound all of the sandpaper onto the rod, hold it in place with your right thumb as you wind thread onto the bottom of the sandpaper approximately a dozen times. I carefully use the rotation of the tool, but you can do it by hand. Dab the thread with glue to hold it in place.

CLICK HERE to download the Templates.

Changing the Sandpaper

When the sandpaper gets beat up, cut the thread and undo the sandpaper from the cloth. Then, reverse the sandpaper, recut the ends, wrap it back up, add new thread and glue, and continue sanding. When the sandpaper is worn out on both sides, cut the thread, remove the sandpaper, and replace it with a new piece. Do not throw the worn piece away, because there will be enough perfectly good sandpaper left in the center portion to make one or more of the small sanders that will fit onto a deck screw shaft.

About the Cushion

I have experimented with various materials to act as a cushion under the sandpaper and found that ordinary rags work just as well as anything else. The more material you wrap onto the rod before you put the sandpaper on, the softer the sander will be. Craft stores sell foam sheets that also work; experiment with different materials to find the hardness that will suit your project.

Making a Hard Sander

Use the hard sander template to cut the sandpaper. Insert the tab of sandpaper into the slot, wrap the sandpaper around the rod, and lock it in place with glued thread.

Materials & Tools

Materials

 • Metal rod, 1/4″ (6mm) dia.:  3 3/4″ (95mm) long

• Shop rag, 2″ wide and up to 12″ long (51mm x 305mm)

• Flexible cloth-backed sandpaper (grit of choice): 2″ x 6″  (51mm x 152mm)

• Glue

• Thread: 6′ (1524mm) long

Tools

• Hacksaw or rotary tool with cutoff wheel

• Rotary tool handpiece

About the Author

Bill Keanner is a self-taught woodcarver who has spent more than 30 years expanding and improving his carving talents in the Crowsnest Pass in southern Alberta, Canada. The few times he has traveled to the city to compete in carving competitions, Bill has been rewarded with coveted blue ribbons for bird and cane carvings.

Want more power carving?

Check out the Power Carving Manual, Updated and Expanded Second Edition

Step-by-step projects and expert advice from today’s top power carvers will take your carving to the next level with the speed and control of power tools.

Available for $19.99 plus S&H from Fox Chapel Publishing, 1970 Broad St., East Petersburg, PA 17520, 800-457-9112, FoxChapelPublishing.com. 

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By Roger Beane

Whistles are easy to make—you just need a twig, a drill, and a knife. The fun and creativity come in when you start decorating your whistles. I use them to practice carving faces, like this Santa.

I learned to make whistles a few years ago from Mike Noland at the International Woodcarvers Congress in Maquoketa, Iowa. In return for the lesson, I taught Mike how to carve a basic triangle eye. That’s what I like about going to shows and taking classes: new friends and sharing ideas.

Step 1: Cut the branch to length. Drill a 3/8″ (1cm)-diameter by 2 3/4″ (7cm)-deep hole in the center of one end. The deeper the hole, the deeper the sound.

Step 2: Measure 1/2″ (1.3cm) in from the drilled end. Make a cut down to the bottom of the hole. Then, make a cut at a 45° angle positioned so the cuts meet at the bottom of the drilled hole. Use 320-grit sandpaper to clean up the angle cut and the hole.

Step 3: Cut a 5/16″ (8mm) dowel to 3/4″ (1.9cm) long. Flatten one side of the dowel with 120-grit sandpaper (See Pattern). This will be the whistle’s fipple. Insert the fipple into the hole and blow into the end to test the sound. Move it back and forth, checking the sound each time. If you don’t get a good sound, sand a little more off the flat side. When you get a pleasing sound, use wood glue to fasten the fipple into the hole. Let the glue dry overnight. Cut off a small slice to create the mouthpiece. If you like, taper the other end to make it easier to hold. You can also drill a small hole in the end and thread a leather thong through it to make a necklace.

Step 4: Outline the area you plan to carve. Stop-cut on the line and remove the bark.

Step 5: Draw a centerline. Use a knife to angle the wood toward the line. That will be the high point for the nose.

Step 6: Draw lines to indicate the eye socket area and bottom of the nose. Make a vertical cut straight down on the eye line. Scoop in from the end of the nose to the eye socket cut to begin the nose and eye sockets. Don’t make the scoop too narrow.

Step 7: Draw the bulbs of the nose and the smile lines. Use the knife to make an angled cut from the nose back to the smile line. Stop-cut this area and take out a small triangle. Repeat for the other side.

Step 8: Draw the sides of face and mustache. Carve along the lines with a 1/8″ (3mm) V-tool. Narrow the temples. Round the mustache and cut up to it; the mustache should be higher than the beard.

Step 9: Carve the eyes. Use the knife to carve slit eyes. Use the 1/8″ (3mm) V-tool to carve wrinkles and eye bags.

Step 10: Carve the hair and beard. Use a 1/16″ (2mm) and the 1/8″ (3mm) #11 gouges. Carve flowing strands, making sure they are different lengths and widths and are not placed in unnatural parallel lines.

Step 11: Add the details. Carve the Santa hat, or other decorations as desired.

Step 12: Paint the Santa (optional). Thin acrylic paints with water to create washes. After the paint dries, apply several coats of Deft spray satin finish and allow it to dry.

Materials & Tools

MATERIALS:

• Birch stick, 1″ (2.5cm) dia.: 5″ (12.7cm) long
• Dowel, 5/16″ (8mm) dia.: 1″ (2.5cm) long
• Sandpaper: 120, 320 grits
• Wood glue
• Acrylic paint, such as Delta Ceramcoat: medium flesh, tompte red, ivory white
• Finish: Deft satin spray

TOOLS:

• Drill with bit: 3/8″ (10mm)-dia., twist
• Detail knife
• V-tool: 1/8″ (3mm)
• #11 micro gouges: 1/16″ (2mm), 1/8″ (3mm)

CLICK HERE to download the pattern for the Santa Whistle

For more holiday patterns, check out Holiday Woodcarving Pattern Collection. Available for $9.99 plus S&H from Fox Chapel Publishing, www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

• For more great articles, click here to see Woodcarving Illustrated Summer 2018 (Issue 83).
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The post Carving a Santa Whistle appeared first on Woodcarving Illustrated.

By Harold Enlow

Photography by Scott Kreiner

Eyes add expression and character to a carving. Many folks struggle with carving eyes, so they paint the eyes on their carvings. But this often requires the entire carving to be painted. Because I use a natural finish on many of my carvings, I prefer to carve the eyes.

While the shape of the eye may change depending on the emotion you are portraying, the general technique is the same. I use the same four V-tool cuts to shape every eye. The same cuts are made in the same order regardless of whether I’m carving a happy or angry eye. The shape or placement of the cuts is what determines the expression.

Step 1: Round the corner of the blank using a carving knife. Faces and eyes are not flat, so it’s best to start with a rounded blank.	Step 2:  Make a semi-circular stop cut with a carving knife to outline the brow line. Cut deeper at the rounded corner and shallower as you approach the sides. Carve up to the stop cut to create the eye socket. Repeat the process until you have a fairly deep eye socket.
Step 3: Rough in the eyeball. Remove a triangular chip of wood from the inside and outside corners of the eye with a carving knife. This helps you begin to round the eyeball.	Step 4: Carve the upper eyelid. Make the first V-tool cut along the inside crease of the top eyelid. Use a sharp 1/8″ (3mm) V-tool. This separates the upper eyelid from the eye socket and the brow line.
Step 5: Carve the lower eyelid. Use a sharp 1/8″ (3mm) V-tool to make the second V-tool cut along the inside crease of the bottom eyelid. This separates the lower eyelid from the bottom of the eye socket and the top of the cheek.	Step 6: Refine the upper eyelid. Make the third V-tool cut along the bottom edge of the top eyelid. Position the wing of the V-tool perpendicular to the eyeball. This separates the upper eyelid from the eyeball.
Step 7: Refine the lower eyelid. Use the same V-tool to carve along the top edge of the lower eyelid, making the fourth V-tool cut. Position the wing of the V-tool perpendicular to the eyeball. This separates the lower eyelid from the eyeball.	Step 8: Finish the eyelids. Use a detail knife to make a stop cut along the bottom of the upper eyelid, separating it from the eyeball. Then, use the same knife to thin the lower eyelid slightly so the upper eyelid overlaps the lower eyelid at the outside corner.
Step 9: Round the eyeball. Make a stop cut along the top of the bottom eyelid with a detail knife. Use the same knife to cut up to the stop cut along the upper eyelid and down to the stop cut along the lower eyelid, rounding the eyeball into these stop cuts.	Step 10: Decide how to finish the eye. Make sure the upper eyelid sticks out more than the lower eyelid. If you plan to paint the eye, you are done carving. If you plan to apply a natural finish, carve the iris and pupil.
Step 11: Carve the iris. Use a 1/16″ (2mm) #6 gouge to make a stop cut around the iris. The eyelids hide a portion of the iris unless you are creating a surprised or scared expression. Recess the iris area slightly with the same tool to create a little shadow. Clean up the iris with a detail knife and micro gouge.	Step 13: Carve the pupil. Stab in the pupil with a micro veiner. The whole pupil shows under the upper eyelid. Carve out the pupil using a micro veiner and clean up the pupil with a detail knife. The goal is to create a deep shadow.

CLICK HERE to download a pattern drawing of the eye.

Materials & Tools

MATERIALS:

• Basswood blank

TOOLS:

• Detail knife

• 1/8″ (3mm) V-tool

• 1/16″ (2mm) #6 gouge

• Micro veiner

For more great information on carving facial features, see Carving Faces Workbook by Harold Enlow. Pull up a seat next to Harold’s carving bench as he teaches you how to carve faces with life and expression while sharing decades of carving tips and techniques.

Available for $19.95 plus S&H from Fox Chapel Publishing, www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

The post Carving an Eye appeared first on Woodcarving Illustrated.

Make a miniature tool with a sharp knife and a few careful cuts

Based on a traditional design made famous by Ernest Warther

The ability to make multiple interconnected parts from a single piece of wood is a whittler’s specialty—as evidenced by the popularity of chains and cages. These miniature pliers aren’t your casual, sitting-on-the-porch type of whittling, but they will reward you with an amazing mechanism. Even after we made our first successful pair of pliers, we had trouble figuring out how it actually works. This is a nifty little project you’ll make to confound people time and again.

Marking the Blank

The success of this project begins with a properly marked blank. CLICK HERE to download a detailed set of drawings.

1. Draw centerlines on two opposite sides of the blank, now the right and left sides. Draw the blunt nose of the pliers as dotted lines.

2. With the left side facing up, measure and mark 1/2″ (13mm) down the centerline. Draw a line at a 45° angle to the right edge. Measure and mark from the end down 1″ (25mm) along the left edge of the blank and draw a line at a 45° angle to the centerline.

3. Extend the lower end of the first 45° line from the left side across the top of the blank. Use a dotted line to mark the upper end of the line across the top and bottom of the blank.

4. Extend the upper end of the second 45° line across the bottom of the blank. Use a dotted line to mark the lower end of the line across the top and bottom of the blank.

5. Refer to the drawing and mark the right side. The right side should be a mirror image of the left.

6. Draw two parallel lines lengthwise on the top of the blank, dividing the blank into thirds. Extend the lines just past the dotted lines. Connect the two parallel lines with a line corresponding with the line across the bottom of the blank.

7. Refer to the drawing and mark the bottom side. The bottom should be a mirror image of the top.

1: Mark the blank. Follow the instructions on the previous page. Use a sharp pencil or thin-leaded mechanical pencil. The blank pictured on the left shows how your blank should look after completing Step 4; the one on the right is ready to carve.	2: Taper the nose end of the pliers. Shave the top and bottom of the blank to achieve the look you want. The angle can be as steep or wide as you like, and the profile should be symmetrical. Don’t carve the end to a sharp point; keep it a little blunt.
3: Make the parallel cuts through the blank. Make sure the blade cuts are perpendicular to the surface of the blank and not angled from side to side. The cuts you make through the top of the blank should exit on the lines drawn on the bottom. Don’t try to cut too deeply in one pass; it will take several passes to cut through the blank. Extend the cuts a little past the dotted lines on the blank or the pliers will not open. When you’re sure the cuts are true from the top side, you can finish them from the bottom of the blank.	4:  Cut the 45° lines on the sides of the blank. Again, the blade should be perpendicular to the face of the blank. Cut from the centerline to the edge of the blank. Cut only the top third of the blank, down to the first parallel line marked on the top edge. Make sure the cut is clean through to the connecting cut. You may hear or feel a little click when it is cut through. Cut both lines on one side, flip the blank over, and then repeat the process on the opposite side.
5: Make the angled cut between the parallel cuts. Cut the short line drawn last (Steps 6 and 7, Marking the Blank on page 43). Make a plunge cut at a 45° angle. Your aim is to reach and connect with the inner cuts made in the previous steps. When cutting on the top of the blank, angle the cut toward the handle end. When making this cut on the bottom side of the blank, angle the cut toward the nose of the pliers. In both cuts, run the blade into the blank and rock it back and forth. Flip the knife and re-enter the cut and rock the blade again until the middle third section is free. Take your time—these are critical cuts.	6: Cut the handles and jaws apart. Make long, straight, even cuts along the centerline from the 45° cuts to the ends to separate the handles and the jaws. Do not cut the area between the 45° cuts. Cut all the way through the blank. Make several passes of the blade to keep from splitting the wood.
7: Carefully open the pliers. Open them with as little force as possible or the pliers will break. If it doesn’t work, extend the short angled cuts made in Step 5. If it still does not open, check all the cuts to ensure that the hidden interior cuts all meet. Eventually, the halves of the pliers will free themselves.

Materials & Tools

Materials:

• Basswood, 3/8″ (1cm) square: 3″ (76mm) long

Tools:

• Pencil

• Small ruler

• Protractor or tri-square

• Hobby knife, such as X-Acto knife, with #11 blade

The post FREE PATTERN & TUTORIAL: Working Wooden Pliers from a Single Piece of Wood appeared first on Woodcarving Illustrated.

By Vernon DePauw

The pineapple has long been a symbol of welcome and hospitality. Rather than carving down the entire surface of the sign, carve and attach the pineapple separately.

Making the Sign

Determine the size you want to make your sign. The pattern is sized to make a 4″ x 28″ sign. Trace the pineapple onto the appropriate blank and cut it out. Carve it to shape, but leave the back flat so you can glue it to the rest of the sign. Then, mark the location of the pineapple, transfer the letters to the sign, and carve them with a knife. Apply glue to the back of the pineapple and drive a screw from the back of the sign into the pineapple to secure it. Rotate the pineapple into its final position, and lock it in place with a second screw. Paint or finish as desired. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to apply gold leaf if desired.

CLICK HERE to download the patterns for a vertical format welcome sign.

Materials & Tools

Materials:

• Basswood, 3/4″ (1.9cm) thick: sign, 4″ x 28″ (10.2cm x 71.1cm); pineapple, 3″ x 6″ (7.6cm x 15.2cm)

• Drywall screws, #8: 2 each 1 5/8″ (4.1cm) long

•  Latex house primer: light gray

• Latex house paint: white

• Milk paint, such as Olde Century: settlers blue, hemlock green (optional), goldenrod yellow (optional)

•  Gold leaf, 23-karat loose: at least 5 leaves

• Gilding size, slow set, such as Rolco clear oil

• Wood glue

•  Spar urethane, such as Helmsman: clear satin

Tools:

• Carving knife

• Screwdriver

• Paintbrushes: 1/4″ (6mm)-wide angled shader, 1/2″ (13mm)-wide angled shader, 1″ (25mm)-wide artist, 1/2″ (13mm)-wide soft craft, 1″ (25mm)-wide soft craft

• Small sponge

Complete instructions to carve, paint, and add gold leaf to a welcome sign (along with a horizontal format pattern) can be found in Woodcarving Illustrated Spring 2018 (Issue 82).

About the Author

Vernon DePauw started carving in seventh-grade shop class and has been carving for pleasure and profit ever since. For more of his work, visit his website at www.vldwoodcarver.com.

Want more sign patterns? Check out Lettering & Sign Carving Workbook
By Betty Padden

A contemporary look at a nostalgic craft with updated techniques and a fresh variety of styles for carving and painting a variety of signs for the home, summer cottage or basement bar.

Available for $19.95 plus S&H from www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

The post Carving a Rustic Welcome Sign appeared first on Woodcarving Illustrated.