Tom Hindes - 20-Minute Whittling Projects

20-Minute

Whittling

Projects

There are folks put on this earth who never shy away from offering help to others. This book is dedicated to one such personwoodcarver Thomas G. Perrin. I met Thomas Perrin on the Woodcarving Illustrated magazine forum (www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/forum) in 2007. He answered my woodcarving question and offered assistance, as he did for so many others. I never met Thomas in person, but talked to him on the telephone several times a week until his death on February 4, 2011.

Acquisition Editor: Mindy Kinsey

Cover Designer: Jason Deller

Layout Designer: Justin Speers

Technical Editor: Bob Duncan

Producing Editor: Carly Glasmyre

Photography: Scott Kriner and Lindsay Garner

Step-by-Step Photography: Keith Radick

Fun Things to Carve From Wood

TOM HINDES

A Woodcarving Illustrated
Book www.WoodCarvingIllustrated.com

I titled this book 20-Minute Whittling Projects because the projects in this book are designed to be completed quickly and easily. In my experience, a lot of early whittling publications seemed to focus on traditional whimsies like the chain, ball-in-cage, chain-in-cage, etc. However, these seemingly simple projects actually took a lot of time to complete and often discouraged beginners. I wanted to make whittling accessible to anyone interested in woodcarving, so I designed projects that help beginners start whittling without having to spend a lot of time or money.

It is my hope that the 18 projects in this book will get you started and develop your skills as a whittler. Each project can be adapted to your skill level, as you can incorporate more or less detail depending on how comfortable you feel. I divided the projects into four categories: Basic, People, Animals, and Baby Animals. With everything from farmers to pumpkins to elephants, youre sure to find the perfect project for you.

Even if youre not a complete beginner, I advise you to check out the Getting Started section as well as the Appendix in the back. These two sections will teach you everything from picking the right knife to whittling safety. Then, try the Sampler project in the Basic category. This project will give you practice with the basic cuts used in whittling (see page 86 in the Appendix for more information on basic cuts) and set the foundation for the other projects in the book.

Whittling can be defined as carving wood with only a knife; whittlers dont use chisels, gouges, or power tools. When people think of whittling, they think of specific projects: pointed sticks, wood chains, and a ball-in-the-box. But when I think of whittling, I think of any carving that involves only a knife.

That being said, whittling obviously doesnt require a large investment in tools or wood. All you need is a good knife, a good piece of wood, and a decent strop to keep your knife edge sharp. I give suggestions on knives and wood to use in the Getting Started section (page 8). If you arent sure how to sharpen a knife, check out the Basics of Sharpening section (page 88) in the Appendix.

Whittling is a great hobby you can take anywhere you go. While some pull out their cell phones when theyre in a waiting room, I work on my latest project! This is why most of the projects in this book are smallI like to choose pieces that can fit in my pocket. I also enjoy doing projects that can be completed quickly. This is what makes whittling fun for beginnersthey get immediate gratification.

My whittling often attracts attention from the people around me, especially children. Children are the best audience for whittling because they like small things and they dont require too much detail to figure out what the whittled piece is. However, even if everything you make is for children, your piece will need some distinguishing characteristics. For example, elephants always have large ears and a long trunk, which are easy for both children and adults to identify quickly. The projects in this book will show you what features to leave in and what to leave out when depicting a person, animal, or object, and hopefully will inspire you to design your own whittling projects!

One of my favorite things about whittling is that you can do it anywhere. This means the knife you use should be easily transportable. I always use a folding pocket knife; nothing beats the convenience of safely slipping a folded knife into your pocket.

Many manufacturers create folding knives for whittling (or carving) with blades that resemble classic carving knives. These specialty knives can get expensive. They are worth the money if you do a lot of whittling, but you dont need to buy a specialty knife to whittle.

Many carvers use a second pocketknife for everyday use, such as opening cardboard boxes, to avoid dulling the sharp pocketknife they use for whittling.

When selecting a pocketknife for whittling, keep the following factors in mind.

Many pocketknife blades are made from stainless steel. Stainless steel holds an edge for a long time and doesnt corrode if you close the knife with a wet bladeboth great qualities for pocketknives. But because stainless steel dulls slowly, it sharpens slowly as well. Most carving tools are made from high-carbon steel. Knives with high-carbon steel blades are more expensive than knives with stainless-steel blades, but they are easier to sharpen.

Many manufacturers are creating high-carbon stainless-steel blades, which combine the durability of stainless steel with the added benefits of carbon steel.

Some pocketknives have 10 to 20 blades and attachments. These knives are generally less comfortable to use for long periods of time, and the blades you want to carve with are seldom in the center of the handle. If the knife blade is not in the center of the handle, you lose leverage, which reduces your carving power and control. Instead, look for a knife with two or, at most, three blades, which should ensure the blades are conveniently placed.