Happy New Year.....!

This blank block of wood symbolizes the beginning of a new year filled with unknown possibilities.  Every carving project begins in a new block of wood that awaits the carver’s tools of inspiration, creative ideas and ability to try. ...HAPPY NEW YEAR! to all...  Ed

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanakkah!

Celebration's in Arizona!

How to Carve a Turkey!

...Click Here

MAKING YOUR PUNCH & JUDY SET

Interested? Click on LINK

Potato Wood ...?!

Potato Wood Review by Steve Tomashek 

(Website)

I like wood, some of my favorite trees are made of it; so when I was approached to try a new carving material made from potato starch my first thought was: what’s wrong with wood?  Now I’m pretty sure there are some fundamentalist “whoodlers” out there who will never try the stuff but I’m attracted to shiny new things as much as the next bird.

Rooster and Chicks

The smartest feature of this stuff is that water acts like glue for it.  When wet, the surface becomes first slippery, then sticky, and in a matter of 15 minutes there forms a glossy bond that is slightly harder than the material itself.  Carving it is a breeze; the light and uniform layers form a grain that is surprisingly strong in all directions.

Carving Puppet's...

• Carve only that parts which will be visible.
• First drill all holes with table drill so they will have right angles.
• Make sure all movable parts can move before starting to carve them.
• Be focused on carving. Do not eat, or dring on the same place as you carve.
• It's good to start with the hands and the head of your puppet.
• You should work on each...

How to Carve a Pumpkin Into a Flaming Jack-O'-Lantern

CLICK HERE

Food Network Magazine and Halloween Wars champion Shawn Feeney show you how to carve a cool pumpkin, step-by-step.

THE STUDLEY TOOL CHEST

Big Thank You to Ivan S. for finding this...

Photograph by GREG SUTTER 

Master craftsman Henry O. Studley (1838-1925) was an organ and piano maker, carpenter, and mason. He is best known for building this incredible tool chest during his tenure at the Poole Piano Company in Massachusetts, working on it over the course of 30 years. Using ebony, mother-of-pearl, ivory, rosewood, and mahogany – all materials used in the manufacture of pianos – he refined the chest to the point that, even now in the 21st century, it is still in a class by itself.
The Studley Tool Chest holds 300 tools, yet measures only 9 in. deep, 39 in. high, and 18 in. wide, when closed (22.86 x 99.06 x 45.72 cm). Every tool has a custom-made holder to keep it in place, many with beautiful inlay, and tiny clasps that rotate for easy access. As the chest folds closed, tools from the left side nestle precisely between tools on the right side. Below you can see a video review of this beautiful design.
 
To see a video with Norm Abrams explainng it...click here
More info: CLICK HERE

Environmentally friendly TABLE SAW

 Peddle Table Saw

 If you are interested in this saw call Hale Storm 516-867-5851

 Peddle Table Saw for sale $1200.00

What Is It?

Woodworking Newsletter     Volume 9, Issue 1 - September 2014
	Newsletter Home | Print Article What Is It? It Sure Is a "Big Un"     When this device appeared in the collection, there was much dialogue as to its use. It is clear that it's a cutting device of some kind, but the 4'1" diameter was out of proportion to the size of the cutting blades (3"). Was it an agricultural tool? Was it a woodworking tool? Just where and how it was used remains a mystery. When putting forth an item for discussion, I usually have at least one or two options to present to the reader. In this instance, I join the ranks of those giving an opinion. Frankly, I just do not know what this was used for, no matter the application. It is entirely possible that I have missed its purpose and tried to fit it into the woodworking world solely because of the cutting blades and limited cut in the shearing mode. This unit resembles a safety planer on steroids, a device that was sold for many years to fit on either a drill press or a radial arm saw. It is now out of production, although there seem to be at least two newer versions available. That tool used inserts set into a solid disc to provide a planing action for smoothing or sizing wood. It had some popularity with luthiers, who work with smaller sections. It was touted as being extremely safe. Well, not so with this animal, which exhibits correct design for a flywheel with spokes. These spokes radiate out but not in a straight line from the hub. This minimizes the stress on the outer rim and allows for a more concentric wheel casting. The hub style dictates that this tool was used with the shaft horizontal (plane of wheel was vertical), with the 1-5/8" shaft locked with the cat head arrangement. It was then possibly mounted in pillow blocks and driven with a pulley. Alignment might have been a bit tricky, not only with each of the eight blades but also the entire wheel assembly. Using a 52" circular saw blade turning at 500 rpm (a common speed), one gets a rim speed of around 6,800 fpm, a reasonable cutting speed for wood. Turning this device at 200 rpm (I would go no higher, given the construction of this wheel), would net a rim speed of about 2,600 fpm. This postulation is only a guess, at best.     Safety in the workplace is of the greatest concern. The hobbyist in a personal workshop should be just as diligent, yet it is clear that rules can be and are often overlooked by individuals when performing tasks in their own workspaces. One can only imagine the sound, let alone the air displaced, when this tool was turning at speed, whatever the workpiece. There must have been a conveyer system of sorts, as hand feeding would have been out of the question. The risk to the operator would have been severe. I doubt if this tool could be used in today's safety conscious environment. And now I welcome your suggestions as to its use. But please don't tell me it was used for cutting cornstalks or straw!

CARVING PATTERNS

 

Central Texas Woodcarvers Association

TAKE A LOOK ...CLICK HERE

PATTERNS...

Free Woodcarving Patterns for your use.

Take a look...CLICK HERE

10 Astonishing Wood Sculptures by Dan Webb

Born in East Lansing, Michigan and now living in Seattle, Washington, artist Dan Webb creates amazing sculptures out of wood. The textures and intricate detail in his work are truly astounding. Webb received his BFA from the Cornish College of the Arts and he has had a number of solo and group exhibits. His work is also held in various museum collections in Washington and New York.

See the rest of the article ...CLICK HERE

National Carousel Association Convention

Pony Up in New York
At the 2014 NCA Convention
You are invited to attend the 42nd annual National Carousel Association Convention
September 17 through September 21, 2014! All details:  http://mobi.carousels.org/2014Convention/
 Thank you Ivan S. for the"heads up"

 

Do You Know What This Is?

Find out what this is and how to make it...click here.

 

What is it?

When you want to know more...click here!

Cool New Portable Rechargeable Micro Motor from Foredom!

Foredom hit it right-on with their new K1030 Portable Micro Motor!
The control unit has a built-in rechargeable Lithium battery and features a
digital RPM display with adjustable speed from 0 – 30,000 RPM

Read all about the New K1030 by clicking here!

Understanding Chisel, Gouges and V-Tools

Understanding Chisels, Gouges and V-tools!
Do you know the difference between a Palm Size tool and a Mid Size tool?
How about the difference between a Chisel and a Gouge?
How about the difference between a "#3 Gouge" and
a "#7 Gouge" ...or a Viener or V-tool?
What is a "Long Bent" or "Spoon Bent"  or  "Fish Tail"?

Take 10 minutes read this article and you will sound like a
professional when describing or ordering your tools!
Just click here!

Inventor of Kevlar...

As one of the few pioneering female chemists in the 1960s, Stephanie Kwolek invented the flexible, tougher than steel fibers that were used to create life-saving body armor for law enforcement and soldiers.
Good Morning America - Kevlar Inventor Stephanie Kwolek Dead at 90 (ABC News)

Kwolek died this week at the age of 90, her co-workers at DuPont, the chemical company where Kwolek worked, confirmed to ABC News.

"She leaves a wonderful legacy of thousands of lives saved and countless injuries prevented by products made possible by her discovery," DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman said in a statement.

New Photo Feature On Site!

 
I have just added a photo feature to our web site. It is listed under the Pages section as Photo's, but for now CLICK HERE

The Power of Words...

Reported by Fios reporter Greg Blank:




Gerry Holzman's "Power of Words" presentation at the Islip Public Library:

http://www.fios1news.com/longisland/node/55945

What Is It?

What Is It?

This item would serve no purpose for today's electricians, but it served a very specific one for these tradespeople in the past....Click Here

Thought you might find this interesting...

Learn how to Sharpen using the Flexcut Knife Strop

	New Flexcut Knife Strop Video

One of the biggest challenges for most woodcarvers is learning how to sharpen their tools.  Flexcut has recently introduced the new Knife Strop that has been proven to be a "must-have" for most knife carvers.  The strop is 2" wide and 8" long and comes with the Flexcut Gold polishing compound.  It is a perfect size for most carving knives and can fit easily into a carving bag.

Click on the picture above to see a video demonstration on how to sharpen your carving tools.  This new strop set sells for only $12.95.  Best deal we have found so far!

Take A Trip To New York City's Working Sawmill

Furniture maker Roger Benton spent years buying wood harvested from distant forests, but he soon realized the urban jungle of New York City could provide his lumber needs.

In 2009, Roger Benton co-founded RE-CO BKLYN, New York City's only working sawmill, with Dan Richfield. The company salvages downed city-trees that are otherwise headed to the chipper and transforms them into furniture.
"This method reduces unnecessary logging and waste, deforestation and high lumber prices due to shipping expenses," explains the company's homepage. RE-CO works with local arborists, tree services, and city parks departments to identify and locate their lumber.
The company catalogs where it gets each tree, allowing customers to identify from what neighborhood, what storm, what construction site the lumber was salvaged.
"It started with a couple of pick up trucks and an axe," says Benton. "You can come to us with a tree, and you can walk away with high-quality furniture," he says as he puts the finishing touches on a conference table made from tree that toppled in Hurricane Sandy. (http://www.fastcoexist.com)
Website for lumber yard: /http://recobklyn.com/

What is it?

If you know what this is or want to know email me at
Liwca_club@yahoo.com

I'll let you know if you are correct or tell you what it is...Ed

Tips for Making Your Carvings Interesting

Tips for Making Your Carvings Interesting  
1)  Research your project thoroughly and obtain as much information and as
many images as you can before you begin.
2)  Action within a carving makes it much more interesting and
will hold the attention of the viewers longer.
3)  Lots of "Detail" adds to the story that the carving is telling.
4)  Use several aids in sculpting the project prior to carving it in wood.
Stick figures made of pipe cleaners, plasticine, clay, etc help to visualize
body parts in action along with the interaction to overall composition.
by Dennis Moor, www.ChippingAway.com

Useful Carving Tool...

I purchased this tool while in Phoenix,AZ at Hobby Lobby, and find it VERY useful:

Dritz Quilting Measuring Gauge 14 in 1. There are 14 different measurements in this double-sided aluminum tool. Anytime you need to check a small measurement while carving, this tiny gauge will be handy. Measurements range from 1/8 of an inch to 2 inches. It can be found in most sewing or quilting stores.

Soap Carving Idea's

SOAP CARVING'S

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbdKZwbMMrE

this is a link to YouTube video of soap carvings done by John Neal in Bartlett, TN

Tree Trimming...(Thank you Ivan S. for this article)

So I was just sitting here wondering, should I have another cup of coffee or start trimming that tree that needs work. ***** What A Man Did With This Tree Trunk Will Blow Your Mind ***** One tree ..... four years of work and an indescribable amount of talent: that’s what it took to create this incredible masterpiece. A famous Chinese wood carver chopped down a single tree and tirelessly worked on it for over four years to make this piece. Your jaw will hit the floor when you see what he created. It all started out with a simple tree trunk… Then Zheng Chunhui, a famous wood carver, spent over four years creating this masterpiece. The carving is based on the famous Chinese painting “Along the River During the Qingming Festival.” The original artwork was created over 1,000 years ago. The piece won the Guinness World Record for the longest wooden carving and measures over 40ft (specifically, it is 12.286 meters long, is 3.075 meters tall at it highest point, and is also 2.401 meters wide). The intricate carvings of daily life in ancient China are so detailed and perfect, they could drop your jaw. It’s no surprise that this incredible work of art is drawing so much attention. It’s amazing, but not just because it’s so big, but also because it’s so incredibly detailed. That was 8,760 hours well spent.