Popular WCI contributors, Gerry Canavan and Gary Fenton, also cite positive experiences with carving classes they taught at Imagination Celebration in Colorado Springs, Colo. for the CACTUS (Creating Art Can Tell Untold Stories) program. A few years ago, their carving group, the Pikes Peak Whittlers, met Robin Dahman, a nurse with a background in physical and cognitive rehabilitation work. Robin was part of the medical team at Fort Carson that facilitates the Intrepid Spirit Center, which helps soldiers with traumatic brain injury and PTSD prepare for civilian life.

A participant makes progress during a carving class at Imagination Celebration at Colorado Springs, Colo. Photo by Robin Dahman

One very active group that knows about turning wood into something interesting is the Maine Veteran Woodturners, which strives to provide veterans with a sense of purpose, redirection, and camaraderie. Led by veterans, the group creates custom pens and other turned items that are sold on their website and at craft fairs. According to treasurer Glen Glazier, the group meets once a week with the primary focus of fun, community, and support. He explains that an unfortunate number of veterans can end up with too much time on their hands that might lead to destructive thoughts and habits. The Maine Veteran Woodturners group allows them to put their hands and thoughts toward productive pursuits instead.

Gene Kelso, Ed Rice, Raymond Wortman, and  Thomas Cole Sr. of the Maine Veteran Woodturners collaborate on a project.

Anthony now works full-time as a chainsaw carver and has also founded Logs4Heros, which honors service members who lost their lives in the line of duty. Through Logs4Heros, Anthony accepts donated logs that he turns into memorials like Soldier’s Crosses for Gold Star Families.

Anthony attributes carving to changing his life for the better by helping him cope with PTSD. “When I carve, I have to control my thoughts and channel them to using a chainsaw or power tools,” he explains. “At the same time, as I work, I have to focus on where I’m cutting a log. So, with each carving I’m controlling my thoughts, including memories from war.”

Anthony Martin fashions wooden tributes to fellow soldiers with a chainsaw.

Family heirlooms aren’t Richard’s only source for materials; often, the perfect pieces turn up in unlikely places. “I find things everywhere, from beaches and antique shops to my own firewood pile,” he said.

In 1992, Richard volunteered to help carve architectural embellishments for a new community center in his hometown of Shawnigan Lake, a village on Vancouver Island, B.C. Even though he had no previous carving experience, Richard was all too eager to be taken under the wing of the late George Norris, who specialized in traditional European chip carving. “George organized the project for the center, and I was so lucky to learn woodcarving from a master carver like him,” he said.

Richard soon became hooked on woodcarving and started making designs of his own. One day, a finished bird sculpture developed a deep split after being left out in the sun. Instead of discarding it, Richard covered the crack with metal feathers. “It was a happy accident in hindsight,” he said.

Richard adds intricate chip carving designs to his projects.

Once his metal-and-wood hybrid bird materialized, Richard’s imagination took flight. He began modifying other elements by experimenting with chip carving, stains, and inks. Richard also tried to challenge himself by creating designs based on the forests and animals that surround his island home, sometimes adding exaggerated features like teeth, colorful eyes, and mythical armor.

Richard uses whatever he can get his hands on to turn the ideas in his head into reality. “With each bit of scrap metal and wood, I get to craft new artifacts from old ones and pay tribute to the creatures that inspired them,” he said.

To see more of Richard’s work, visit @bastard_file on Instagram.

Salmon made out of yellow cedar and repurposed metal bits.

For the past 25 years, the Amoray Dive Resort has held an annual underwater pumpkin carving contest to create a fun Halloween challenge for scuba divers and carvers alike. Each year, the Amoray Dive Shop removes the pumpkins’ insides to make them easier to carve. Once the gourds are handed out, the divers sketch their pre-planned designs onto the pumpkins. The designs must be related to the contest’s theme, which changes every year. Past themes have included pirates and fish, but whatever the topic, divers are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild.

Tools for Underwater Carving

Contestants use a variety of tools to carve their pumpkins on the ocean floor, including X-ACTO® knives, potato peelers, deburring tools, and tweezers. Some divers attach features to their carvings with crafting wire and toothpicks. Mesh bags can be used to hold your tools, but make sure to weight the bag down so it doesn’t float away!

Photo by Frazer Nivens, Florida Keys News Bureau

In 2021, former attorney Dan Eidsmoe carved a traditional jack-o’-lantern, adding a toy shark and waterproof strobe light to the inside of the pumpkin. He then angled the shark so it was peeking out of the gourd’s side. Dan designed the winning pumpkin to highlight the experience of carving with sea creatures all around him. “The schooling fish and other scavengers eat up the remnants of the discarded pieces as you carve,” Dan said.

Besides being surrounded by hungry marine life, divers also must keep in mind the ocean’s current and the pumpkins’ buoyancy. For divers working in teams of two, there is an additional challenge of not being able to talk to one another while carving. “Without being able to speak to each other, we passed the pumpkin back and forth and closely watched what the other was carving,” Josephine Walker, who won in 2018 with her daughter Stephanie McClary, said.

Photo by Tiffany Drong/Keys Weekly

TIP: Shine a Light

To highlight the features of the carving details underwater, divers often add a waterproof light to the finished piece.

From the moment the contestants dive in to when the winner is announced, the dive resort films and photographs the entire competition above and below water to share the unique contest around the world. “It was broadcast all over and I saw myself everywhere from the local news to news outlets in Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia,” Dan said.

No matter the outcome of the competition, each diver walks away with one-of-a-kind memories. “It’s an experience that I’ll never forget; I would do it every year if I could,” Josephine said.

For more information on the Amoray Dive Resort’s annual underwater pumpkin carving contest, call 305-451-3595, or email divecenter@amoraywatersports.com.

The carving competition included categories ranging from intermediate and novice to youth class. Competition highlights included Christa Roser’s fish pyrography winning best of show, Bob Hershey’s Christmas raccoon caricature winning second place, and Kathy Overcash’s golfer marionette taking third. Also of note: Liam Johnson, Kevin Johnson’s 11-year-old son, won first place in the youth class for a s’mores carving modeled after his dad’s project in issue #100.

Christa Roser’s pyrography piece wins best in show.

Bob Hershey’s 2nd best in show.

The event included various demonstrations ranging from caricature carving and ornaments to whimsies and whittling roosters from twigs. Non-carving classes, such as painting and pine needle coiling were also offered.

The LCWC has announced Jim Feather as next year’s featured carver. “With a wide variety of artists, woodcarvers, bird carvers, woodturners, pyrographers, and wildlife artists, there was something for everyone to enjoy,” said Bob.

Kevin Applegate carving.

The 49th annual Woodcarving and Wildlife Art Show, Sale, and Competition is scheduled for March 9 and 10, 2024. The event will take place 10am to 5pm on Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday at Millersville University in Millersville, Pa.

Original show report submitted by Bob Hershey. For more information about the Woodcarving and Wildlife Art Show, Sale and Competition or upcoming LCWC events, visit lancarvers.com, or email Bob Hershey at bzcarvn@ptd.net.

Controls are on the power hub, not the tool handle.

The Power Hub

The MakerX hub transfers the energy of a 20-volt lithium ion battery to any attached tool through a super flexible cord. The hub has an onboard power switch and variable speed control, negating the need for them to be incorporated into the individual tools. The kit we tested includes a rotary tool and an airbrush—but the hub can power additional MakerX tools, such as an angle grinder, heat gun, and burnisher. The WorX Power Share battery can provide up to three hours of power on a single charge, depending on the tool and how it’s being used.

Changing bits is easy with the integral spindle lock and the wrench supplied in the kit.

The rotary tool has excellent power, with speeds up to 35,000RPM.

The Rotary Tool

The handpiece has a comfortable ergonomic design with a soft-textured rubber grip. There’s plenty of power in the brushless motor, which allows for speeds from 5,000 to 35,000 RPM. We used several carving bits on pine and walnut blanks, and the tool performed well. The universal 1/8″ (3mm) collet holds any brand of rotary accessories.

The tool is not loud, but has a high-pitched whine, especially at faster speeds. It’s worth noting that the tool will shut off when pushed too hard. This is a design feature that surprised us at first—but it occurs so that the bit or blade will not kick back or become difficult to control. If this occurs, reset the system by turning the startup button on the hub off, and then turn on again. Once familiar with the tool, we were able to carve with minimal interruptions.

The compressor pump provides a stable base for the airbrush to stand upright.

The Airbrush

No noisy, bulky compressor or hose needed with the MakerX airbrush! The airbrush pen mounts directly onto a lightweight canister-type compressor that provdes 14-18 psi of air pressure. It also doubles as a comfortable handle for the brush, and solidly supports the unit upright when not in use. The pen itself is a high-quality tool that rivals those from well-known airbrush manufacturers.

Adjust paint flow with the knob on the end of the pen.

Conclusion

When you place all the elements of the system into the well-designed carry bag, you’ll truly appreciate the compact portability of the MakerX. The tote is lined with pockets to hold the tools safely and separately, with ample space left over for carving blanks, a water bottle, several bottles of paint, and an extra battery or two to keep you crafting on the go. The price is modest for the array of quality tools in the kit—not to mention the capability to power carve nearly anywhere you want.

Kit Contents

MakerX rotary tool

MakerX airbrush

Airbrush compressor

MakerX hub

20V battery

Battery charger

Accessory case

Storage bag

Steel brush (1)

Bristle brush (1)

Drum mandrel (1)

Cutting accessories (8)

Sanding accessories (12)

Polishing accessories (4)

Grinding accessories (5)

Engraving accessories (4)

Screw-on mandrel (1)

Threaded mandrel (1)

Drill bit: 1 1/8″ (29mm) (1)

Spanner wrench (1)

Dropper (1)

Cleaning brush (1)

Flexible Shaft vs. Micromotor

Flexible shaft tools are powerful. They can rip through wood at an astonishing rate. But most of them max out at 15,000 to 20,000 rpm, and the bits you generally use to add details, such as diamond and ruby, work better at higher speeds. That’s why most carvers switch to micromotors, which can reach speeds of 50,000 rpm, for intricate work.

And while flexible shaft tools are fine for larger projects clamped securely to a bench, I find them too powerful for smaller pieces that need to be handheld.

Using one, I find myself bracing against the bench and tightening my wrist muscles to withstand the power of the tool. I’m constantly adjusting my position to keep from bending the shaft too sharply, which makes the handpiece jerk around.

Micromotors, conversely, are less powerful but offer better speed and comfort. The handpiece connects to the power supply with a soft, flexible cord, and is easy to hold at all speeds. (I grip it in a fist when roughing out with carbide-point bits, and hold it like a pencil to carve fine detail.)

They are powered in one of two ways, by brushed or brushless motors. Because of how they are constructed, the brushless ones are noticeably more powerful (they tend to last longer, too). The rub is that they cost significantly more: brushed units start at $200, while brushless versions start at around $700. That’s where Foredom’s new brushless micromotor comes in—it lists for less than $600. And while you might expect that that price comes at the expense of other desirable attributes, the opposite is true: the K.1060 revs to 50,000 rpm and is one of the most user-friendly micromotors I’ve ever worked with.

Chuck in an aggressive carbide-point bit to remove waste wood in a hurry.

More Power = Faster Wood Removal

To test the Foredom, I first put an aggressive carbide-point bit in a brushed micromotor and dug into a piece of oak. I couldn’t press very hard before the bit bogged down and the motor stalled. With the K.1060, I had to apply a great deal more pressure to get the tool to stall, and it tore through the hard oak much faster. Not as fast as a flexible shaft tool, perhaps, but plenty fast for my purposes.

With a finer bit, like this fluted cylinder, you can carve fur flow and texture.

Digital Readout = Safer, Easier Use

Where most other micromotors have rough speed marks on the control dial, the Foredom has a precise digital readout, making it safer because you can make sure you’re not exceeding the bit manufacturer’s maximum allowed speed. Moreover, once you dial in a comfortable speed for different bits, you can easily return to that speed after changing them.

Handpiece

The K.1060’s quick-change handpiece accommodates bits with 3/32″ (2.4mm) and 1/8″ (3mm)-diameter shafts. Bit changes take seconds, and the collets grip well. As noted, the handpiece is comfortable to hold and the power cord is flexible and easy to maneuver.

Even finer bits, like this inverted cone (right), add more intricate detail. Below: a sample of bits the K.1060 can handle.

Workability

Power carver Lori Andrews creates most of her projects—including the bear on our cover—using flexible shaft tools. I duplicated her project using just the Foredom. While I had to substitute a smaller carbide-point bit—Lori uses a large cylinder-shaped one with a 1/4″ (6mm)-diameter shaft—I was able to carve the bear in a similar amount of time, quickly and easily. In fact, I prefer the high-speed tool for adding the fur details because it allowed me to take light, quick cuts.

Overall Opinion

If you already have and regularly use a flexible shaft tool, you may not need a micromotor this powerful. But if you’re looking to start power carving, especially if you’re having trouble using edged tools, I highly recommend this bad boy. For most of my power carving, it’s now the only tool I use.

Unfortunately, spoons carved for a decorative purpose tend to be lumped together under the all-encompassing label of “lovespoons.” Their uses were often much broader. Some were used prior to actual courtship, merely to gauge mutual interest. These spoons were often modestly carved with minimal decoration. A more ornate spoon requiring significant skill and effort might be carved as a gift once a courtship was underway. A spoon of this nature would serve as something of a resumé, showing off the suitor’s skill, tenacity, and devotion. Falling between the frivolity of the tester type spoon and the seriousness of a courting spoon, the lovespoon was generally a passionately and finely carved offering, given where a positive response was likely but a betrothal wasn’t necessarily expected. They are often more eccentric in design and ornamentation than courting spoons.

Since the earliest days of romantic spoon carving, the suitor’s toolkit has consisted of three basic tools.

In the Breton region of France, young men of courting age would often proudly display and use a unique style of spoon known as a ‘festival spoon’ when attending village gatherings or celebrations. These ornately carved and inlaid spoons frequently folded for transport and would be opened ostentatiously to display the young man’s skill as a carver, or (if he had purchased it from a professional) his wealth and prospects. 

Courting spoons would show off a suitor’s abilities.

Actual wedding spoons were specifically designed for use at the matrimonial celebration and were not part of the courtship preamble. Most often, they feature either two bowls joined by a single handle, or two separate spoons united by a length of wooden chain. The newlyweds would use the spoon to eat a first meal together, symbolically uniting two as one. Occasionally, double-bowled joke spoons would be made that featured bowls at unusable or impossible angles to eat from. To the great delight of the wedding guests, the couple would struggle, usually unsuccessfully, to master the spoons and prove to all they were united.

Wedding spoons symbolically united a couple by sharing
their first meal together.

Husbands, fathers, and grandfathers may have also carved decorated spoons for female members of their family. Common working tools such as crème spoons, ladles, and even eating spoons were likely gifted in this way and can be difficult to differentiate from spoons with a more romantic purpose.

Generally, to tell historic romantic spoons from their utilitarian cousins, look for symbols such as hearts, inlays, initials, keys or keyholes, comma shapes, and elaborate patterning along the edges of the handle.  

Even though the tradition of giving carved wooden gifts as love tokens has largely become extinct, the romantic spoon has endured—mainly because it’s a recognizable object that we still use today. Spoons are also small, portable, and straightforward to work, requiring only an axe, a straight knife, and a bent knife or gouge to create.

Romantic carving may no longer be a ‘thing,’ but it’s as valid and relevant as ever, as making a gift for someone you love never goes out of fashion.

Want More Spoons?

Great Book of Spoon Carving Patterns

By Dave Western

Item 0151. Available for $19.99 + S&H (parcel post) from Fox Chapel Publishing, 800-457-9112,
FoxChapelPublishing.com, or your local retailer.

Dave Western is a professional lovespoon carver and the author of two books on carved lovespoons, both available from foxchapelpublishing.com. Dave carves on commission and also teaches classes. For more of his work, visit davidwesternlovespoons.com.

The Carousel of Happiness, a restored piece of history, is one of Nederland’s main attractions. The wooden wonder has served the community and visitors from around the world since 2010, providing over one million rides and inspiring even more smiles. The carousel spins 56 handcarved animals to the cheery tunes of a 1913 Wurlitzer organ. Passage to ride with the whimsical menagerie costs just $3—but no one is turned away if they can’t pay. 

The carousel’s story begins in Vietnam. While serving overseas, marine Scott Harrison received a care package from his sister containing socks, food, and a music box that played the melody of Chopin’s “Tristesse.” Holding the small box to his ear, Scott was carried out of the rice paddies to a faraway place. He thought of a beautiful carousel spinning in a mountain meadow. After returning home to Colorado, he began a 26-year-long journey of realizing that vision. When Scott heard of an abandoned carousel frame in Utah, he quickly bought it and brought it to his hometown.

An Asian black bear after a coat of primer. 

During the golden age of carousels in America, thousands of merry-go-rounds peppered the landscape, many featuring handcarved wooden animals. Big names from that era included Charles Looff in Coney Island, Marcus Illions in New York, and Gustav Dentzel in Philadelphia. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, most of the vintage carousels that remained were dismantled and sold separately to collectors, mainly because the parts were more valuable than their sum. Today, carousel art has undergone a small revival, with many of the old frames being restored and populated with newly carved animals. 

Since horses have long been the star of most traditional merry-go-rounds, Scott made a deliberate effort to carve other animals for his. Among the varied creatures featured on the Carousel of Happiness, you’ll find a dolphin, giraffe, peacock, and even an alpaca wearing pink ballet shoes. Each animal has a story, found on the carousel’s website. Scott carved smaller characters to hang from the rafters and decorate the inside of the building that houses the ride. 

When he began, Scott had little woodworking experience. He taught himself how to use knives, chisels, gouges, mallets, and power tools.

A new floor for the attraction was built using the remnants of a yellow pine, which had been cut down in 1890 and used as cribbing for whiskey barrels at a Seagram’s® plant. All the carousel’s original bearings, gears, and metalwork have been restored, as well as the electric motor and controller, to conform to modern standards. Visitors can watch the century-old gears turn from a room above the ride. 

People from all walks of life—children and adults, able-bodied and differently abled (the space next to the carousel’s gorilla is the perfect size for a wheelchair)—are welcome to enjoy Scott’s handcarved creations. Posted just outside the ride’s entrance is a sign that reads “Don’t Delay Joy.” After learning firsthand how precious life is, that’s all Scott asks of his visitors.

For more information, visit carouselofhappiness.org. 

Scott shares a moment with one of his animal carvings.

Further Reading

Sharpening Carving Tools for Beginners

by Lora S. Irish

Item 03122. Available for $9.99 + S&H (parcel post) from Fox Chapel Publishing, 800-457-9112, FoxChapelPublishing.com, or your local retailer.