Woodcarving Illustrated Issue 57 Holiday 2011 E-Book

Editors of Woodcarving Illustrated

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Woodcarving Illustrated Magazine
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Seitenzahl: 139

Beschreibung

FEATURESA Monumental MiniatureBy Kathleen RyanAnimated carving depicts folk life in SlovakiaA Bird in the HandBy Kathleen RyanWoodcarving offers comfort to those in needAward-winning Carvings:Woodcarving Illustrated's Best Carving Design ContestBy Bob DuncanContestants show a broad range of creativity and superior craftsmanshipPROJECTSMaking a Comfort BirdBy Frank FoustSmooth lines and a polished finish make these little birds a joy to holdCreating a Chip Carved Christmas TreeBy Bruce NicholasHighlight this festive plaque with color and delicate stab cutsCarving a Spiral Beard Santa OrnamentBy Dave FrancisUnique ornament will be a family favoriteWhittling Snowman EarringsBy Claude FreanerFun gift is easy to carveCarving St NicholasBy Harold EnlowMaster the techniques to carve this classic Christmas iconSculpting Stylized Evergreen TreesBy Dennis CarlsonGraceful spiral is easy to carve and makes a striking displayBuild a Dancing SantaBy Shawn CipaTurn the handle to make the carved Santa move and grooveRelief Carving an AngelBy Maureen HockleyBeautiful wall hanging displays delicate features and graceful fabric foldsCarving a Low-Relief SantaBy Bob BiermannCreating the illusion of depth with careful carving and painted shadowsMaking a Nostalgic Christmas Pull ToyBy Tina ToneyAs the toy moves, wooden ball rotates to display the relief-carved sceneTECHNIQUESUsing Compasses, Calipers, and DividersBy Bob DuncanTransfer measurement and maintain proportions with these simple toolsCustomized Greeting PlaqueBy Deborah PompanoAdd a border or message to personalize your design

Leseprobe

FEATURES

54

Carve these

stylized trees

with just a knife

22

A Monumental Miniature

By Kathleen Ryan

Animated carving depicts

folk life in Slovakia

25

A Bird in the Hand

By Kathleen Ryan

Woodcarver offers comfort

to those in need

32

Award-Winning Carvings:

Woodcarving Illustrated’s

Best Carving Design Contest

By Bob Duncan

Contestants show a broad range of

creativity and superior craftsmanship

➚

Exclusive Online Videos

Build a Dancing Santa, pg. 58,

Making a Nostalgic Christmas Pull Toy, pg. 77

See these festive projects in motion

➚

Design Contest Entries

Award-Winning Carvings, pg. 32

See all of the entries in the 2011

Woodcarving

Illustrated

Best Carving Design Contest

Subscriber

Only BONUS!

Instructions and pattern for this colorful

snowman ornament are included in the

catalog supplement

Additional

online features:

• community forum

• carver galleries • article index • free patterns

• tips • product reviews • subscriber services

www.

woodcarvingillustrated

.com

LOG ON TODAY!



HOLIDAY 2011

■

ISSUE 57

in this

issue

ON THE COVER:

Painted versions

of Harold Enlow’s

carved Santa

provided by

Virginia Kodadek

(left) and Susan

Thornton (right).

www.woodcarvingillustrated.com

3

26

Making a Comfort Bird

By Frank Foust

Smooth lines and a polished finish

make these little birds a joy to hold

29

Creating a Chip Carved

Christmas Tree

By Bruce Nicholas

Highlight this festive plaque

with color and delicate stab cuts

42

Carving a Spiral Beard

Santa Ornament

By Dave Francis

Unique ornament will be

a family favorite

46

Whittling Snowman Earrings

By Claude Freaner

Fun gift is easy to carve

48

Carving St. Nicholas

By Harold Enlow

Master the techniques to carve

this classic Christmas icon

54

Sculpting Stylized

Evergreen Trees

By Dennis Carlson

Graceful spiral is easy to carve

and makes a striking display

58

Build a Dancing Santa

By Shawn Cipa

Turn the handle to make the

carved Santa move and groove

PROJECTS

65

Relief Carving an Angel

By Maureen Hockley

Beautiful wall hanging displays delicate

features and graceful fabric folds

70

Carving a Low-Relief Santa

By Bob Biermann

Creating the illusion of depth with

careful carving and painted shadows

77

Making a Nostalgic

Christmas Pull Toy

By Tina Toney

As the toy moves, wooden ball rotates

to display the relief-carved scene

TECHNIQUES

4

Editor’s Letter

6

From Our Mailbag

8

News and Notes

10

Tips and Techniques

12

Reader Gallery

14

Product Review

16

Relief Column

88

Calendar of Events

94

Coming Features

95

Ad Directory &

Classified Ads

96

Woodchips

DEPARTMENTS

Check out

Woodcarving Illustrated

on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter,

twitter.com/woodcarving

18

Using Compasses, Calipers,

and Dividers

By Bob Duncan

Transfer measurements and maintain

proportions with these simple tools

85

Customized Greeting Plaque

By Deborah Pompano

Add a border or message

to personalize your design

Woodcarving Illustrated

|

HOLIDAY 2011

4

Identification Statement: Woodcarving Illustrated vol. 15, no. 4

(Holiday 2011) (ISSN#1096-2816) is published four times a year in the months

of February, May, August, and November by Fox Chapel Publishing Co. Inc.,

1970 Broad Street, East Petersburg, PA 17520.

Periodical Postage paid at

East Petersburg, PA, and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Woodcarving Illustrated,

1970 Broad Street, East Petersburg, PA 17520.

Woodcarving and the use of associated equipment can potentially result in health hazards and

injuries.

While we cannot impose safety standards in every article, we do ask that you make safety

your number one priority.

Protect your respiratory system, hearing, vision, and the rest of your body

with the proper safety equipment and prudent precautions.

Read manuals supplied with your tools.

Be aware most accidents occur when you are tired or distracted.

And when in doubt, seek advice from

professionals, on how to keep your tools sharp and maintained.

Volume 15, Number 4 (Issue No. 57)

How-To Magazine for Carvers™

Internet: www.WoodcarvingIllustrated.com

Woodcarving Illustrated Magazine

1970 Broad Street, East Petersburg, PA 17520

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Our Mission:

To promote woodcarving as an

artform and an enjoyable pastime.

Publisher

Alan Giagnocavo

Editorial Director

John Kelsey

Editorial Manager

Shannon Flowers

Technical Editor

Bob Duncan

Associate Editorial Manager

Mindy Kinsey

Creative Director

Troy Thorne

Art Director

Jon Deck

Founding Editor

Roger Schroeder

Studio Photographer

Scott Kriner

Vice President of Sales

Paul McGahren

Advertising Account Manager

Cindy Fahs

Technical Illustrators

Irene Bertils

John Allard

Carolyn Mosher

Newsstand Distribution: Curtis Circulation Company

Circulation Consultant: National Publisher Services

©2011 by Fox Chapel Publishing Co. Inc.

All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA

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International

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$55.90

Customer Service for Subscribers

Please call toll-free 888-506-6630,

or visit our Website:

www.WoodcarvingIlllustrated.com

Display Advertising/Classifieds

Please call or e-mail Cindy Fahs, (ext. 26)

for rates and/or

a media kit.

[email protected].

Wholesale/Distribution

Woodcarving Illustrated is available to retailers for

resale on advantageous terms.

Contact Paul McGahren (ext. 42) for details.

Holiday 2011

Note to Professional Copy Services — The publisher grants you

permission to make up to ten copies for any purchaser of this

magazine who states the copies are for personal use.

Customer Service for Subscribers

Visit www.WoodcarvingIllustrated.com, call 888-506-6630,

or write: Woodcarving Illustrated, 1970 Broad Street,

East Petersburg, PA 17520

Printed in USA

editor’s

letter

The Evolution of a Carving Contest

Why does a magazine sponsor a carving contest? It’s

not for free editorial content, I can tell you that. The

staff time involved in logging the entries, converting the

photos, and organizing the online voting makes it one

of the most expensive articles in this issue! We sponsor

the carving contest because it’s a great way to build our

community and foster reader involvement. It’s also an

ideal way to find talented new contributors.

The contest originated in 2001. At that time

Woodcraft was the main sponsor, and contestants entered their

carvings at local Woodcraft stores. More than 1,000 Santas were

entered, and finalists were shipped to the

Woodcarving Illustrated

offices for judging. Shawn Cipa won the grand prize, and that single

entry spurred Shawn’s top-selling woodcarving books and articles.

Woodcraft continued to sponsor the contest through 2005.

After a year with no Santa Claus,

Woodcarving Illustrated

decided

to revive the annual event. Contestants no longer needed to enter

at local stores or have their carvings shipped halfway across the

country, but could enter by submitting photos. With only 200 entries

in 2007 and half that many the following year, it was clear that the

contest needed an intervention.

We spent the next year brainstorming how to breathe new life

into the contest. We opened it to other categories and solicited

fantastic prize packages. But again, participation was not at the

level we had anticipated. Readers suggested that the valuable prizes

may have actually deterred folks from entering because they felt the

contest was geared toward professionals and the competition would

be too stiff.

This year, we offered modest but meaningful prize packages, and

while we were pleased with the quality of the entrees, we’d still like

to see more reader participation. As we look toward the future, we

need to hear from you. Do you enjoy coverage of the contest? What

motivates you to enter a carving

contest? If only a small percentage

of readers are participating or

enjoying the contest, it’s not

meeting the intended goal. Is it

time to leave woodcarving contests

up to local shows?

Shannon Flowers

[email protected]

Shawn Cipa’s award-winning Santa

launched his career as an author of

how-to carving books and articles.

Woodcarving Illustrated

|

HOLIDAY 2011

6

from our

mailbag

I’m often asked, “What tools do you need

to carve something out of wood?” The

answer to that question requires both

thought and experience. What follows is a

rather unconventional list of the “tools” you

need to get started carving as a hobby or as

a part-time business.

Tool #1: An ability to carefully see or observe

all of the details of the subject you intend to make

into a woodcarving.

Tool #2: The willingness to do the necessary research

to learn as many details as possible, such as habitat, about the

subject you want to carve.

Tool #3: The patience to follow through and work on the

carving project until it is done to your satisfaction.

Tool #4: Actual physical tools you will use should include

some or all of the following: a how-to book or two, a set of

woodcarving knives and chisels, a rotary-power carver with a

variety of carving bits, a small electric band saw, a drill, a set of

acrylic paints and paintbrushes, and a shop vacuum (to remove

carving dust).

As you create more carvings, your work will improve because

each new project presents a new set of learning challenges.

Terry L. Weber

Via e-mail

Roly-poly Dragon

I just wanted you to know how much I enjoy your magazine.

Desiree Hajny’s roly animals from

Woodcarving Illustrated

Holiday 2006 (Issue 37) have been a huge hit, especially

the buffalo. The buffalo is the perfect gift for Kansas State

University graduates.

I also wanted you to see what I came up with when I ran with

the roly animal idea and developed a little roly dragon. Thanks

for the inspiration.

Carolea Hower

Arkansas City, Kans.

FOX HUNT

Chris McDermid of Iroguois, Ont., Canada, and Frank

Wildeman of Mt. Vernon, Ind., are the winners drawn

from the correct entries received for

WCI

Fall 2011 (Issue

56). The fox was hidden on page 91, beside the leg of the

poseable science-fiction robot.

Find the fox in this issue, and contact us with the page

number and location. Two readers randomly selected from

all correct replies will receive a $25 Fox Chapel Publishing

gift certificate. Entries must be received by January 10,

2012, to be eligible.

NOTE: With his feet on the “ground,”

the contest fox faces left (other foxes in

WCI

don’t count).

Send your entry to

Woodcarving Illustrated

,

Attn: Find the Fox, 1970 Broad St., East Petersburg, Pa.,

17520, or enter online under the contests link at

www.woodcarvingillustrated.com.

This original dragon design was inspired

by Desiree Hajny’s roly-poly animals.

What Tools Do You Need?

Woodcarving Illustrated

|

HOLIDAY 2011

8

news and

notes

Woodcarving

Makes You

Smarter

In today’s digital world, we run the risk of losing

critical learning and thinking skills because we are

missing the connections between the hands, the eyes,

and the brain. Researchers have found activities like

carving, which improve your hand-eye coordination

and critical thinking, bridge the gap between the mind

and body, and increase brain development.

We recently learned that Erno Rubik, the

theoretical genius and the inventor of the Rubik’s

Cube, made the prototype of the popular puzzle

cube from wood. Bjarne Jesperson, the author of the

upcoming book

Woodcarving Magic

, met Erno Rubik

at a math convention. Bjarne later sent Erno a review

copy of his new book, which focuses on interlocking

loops and whirls carved from a single block of wood.

Erno fell in love with Bjarne’s work and offered high

praise for the book.

“This beautiful book accomplishes something

extraordinary: teach, inspire, and awe,” Erno said.

Woodcarver Bjarne Jesperson (left) impressed Erno Rubik,

inventor of the Rubik’s Cube, with his complex carvings.

“Reconciling the impossible

and possible has always been

my aspiration, and I also

realized the need to establish

a harmony of thought,

emotion, and human touch.

The organic material of wood

yields itself naturally to this

challenge, and I used wood to

create the first prototype of

the Cube. To succeed at such

tasks, ordinary or extravagant, brings pure joy—as I

am convinced that readers of this book will testify.”

Bjarne’s book will be available from Fox Chapel

Publishing in December, 2011. Bjarne demonstrates

his technique with an interlocking hearts project in

the next issue of

Woodcarving Illustrated

, Spring

2012 (Issue 58).

Quilts Benefit Disaster Relief

In March, after the devastating earthquake and tsunami

rocked Japan, members of the

Woodcarving Illustrated,

Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts,

and

Pyrography

Online

message boards banded together to help. Within

a few months, members from around the world had

contributed dozens of carved, scrolled, or woodburned

4" by 4" squares. The magazines’ staff assembled the

squares into three quilts and auctioned them on eBay.

The three quilts raised $600 to benefit the Red Cross’

disaster relief efforts in Japan. To see who contributed a

specific square, or for close-up photos of each quilt, visit

www.woodcarvingillustrated.com.

Members of three message boards contributed 154

carved, scrolled, and woodburned squares. The squares

were assembled into quilts, which raised $600 for charity.

Original Rubik’s Cube®

used by permission

of Seven Towns Ltd.

www.rubiks.com

www.woodcarvingillustrated.com

9

Woodcarving Illustrated

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HOLIDAY 2011

10

tips and

techniques

Simple Knife

Protection

From CV Wood III, Mobile, Ala.

Carving knives banging around with

unprotected blades in a toolbox can

damage the sharp edges and they are

dangerous to your fingers. There are

several tricks carvers use to protect

sharp tools, but the simplest method

I have found is a small piece of leather

held in place by a binder clip.

I apply honing oil to the leather to

keep the leather flexible and to prevent

the tool from rusting. The binder clip

holds the leather securely in place,

and the square edges of the clip keep

the tool from rolling around on the

table. You could also use larger pieces

of leather with larger binder clips for

other carving tools.

TOP TIP

in our Spring Issue wins a

an autographed copy of Woodcarving

Noah’s Ark, Shawn Cipa’s newest book.

Send your tip to

Woodcarving

Illustrated

, 1970 Broad Street, East

Petersburg, Pa., 17520, or e-mail

[email protected].

TOP

TIP

✔

Signing your work

From David Derner, Milton, Vt.

I used to sign my work with a fine-tip felt pen,

but in some wood species, the ink bled to the

point that my signature was illegible. Now, I use

a variable-speed engraver, such as the Dremel

290-01, to etch my signature into my carvings.

Use simple binder

clips and leather to

protect sharp knives.

Easy-to-tie apron

From Leonard J. Skinner, Wolfe Island, Ont., Canada

I have never been very good at tying an apron behind

my back. As I got older and my joints stiffened, it

became even more difficult. I decided to make an

elastic strap.

I cut the ties, leaving just enough to make a tab. I

folded the tie back on itself and glued it for strength,

but you could also sew it. I punched a hole in each tab

and threaded a split ring into one hole and the hook

of a small light bungee cord into the other. I crimped

the hook so it would not fall out. Now, I can secure the

apron in seconds and the elastic cord keeps it tight.

Adjust the cord to hold the apron tight against your

body so the apron does not become a safety hazard.

Replacing apron ties with

a mini bungee cord solves

an age-old nuisance for

many woodworkers.

www.woodcarvingillustrated.com

11

Woodcarving Illustrated

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HOLIDAY 2011

12

reader

gallery

Realistic Figure

Robert S. Whitman

of

Philadelphia, Pa., used

power tools and hand

tools to create this realistic

figure. He finished the

piece with four applications

of Watco Danish Oil.

▲

Asian Inspiration

Gisele L. Arsenault

of

Warren, Ont., Canada,

carved this pierced relief

of a koi fish and lotus

flower from oak. Gisele

finished the piece with

acrylic paint and stains.

▲

Mixed Media Pendant

M. E. Shropshire

of College Place,

Wash., carved this stylized pendant

from ziricote, olivewood, and

yellowheart. A piece of malachite

cabochan highlights the pendant.

▲

Due to an administrative error,

the following Best Carving Design

Contest entries were not included

in the online People’s Choice voting.

We regret the error and encourage

these carvers to enter their work in

next year’s contest.

Relief Carved Cane

Gerald M. Cox

of

Bismark, Ariz., created

this carved walking

stick from a piece of

hickory. Gerald finished

the carving with walnut

oil stain and satin

polyurethane.

▲

product

review

The Grip-All Jaws system sports a unique and original

clamping design for holding irregularly shaped projects

tightly. Using a combination of rubber-coated grip pins

and composite-based pivot arms inserted into bench vise

or bench dog holes, the system grips carvings almost like a

human hand with outstretched fingers.

RP Myers incorporates the Grip-All Jaws in three

clamping systems: the original Bench Vise, designed for

use with an existing bench vise; the self-contained Tilt-

Top Portable bench; and the smaller yet easy-to-position

Orbital Holding System. I tested the latter two in my shop.

Tilt-Top Portable bench

The self-contained Tilt-Top Portable bench collapses for