Wood
carvings by Maura
Wood
carvings by Maura
So, You really want to be a woodcarver?
The State of Woodcarving in America Today
Chapter 13
Things that I’ve learned (and wish to pass on)
ü Woodcarving can be taught, creativity can’t.
ü A good tool is worth the price you pay for it.
ü Safety can never be underestimated.
ü Boil a cypress knee and the warm bark will peel off
ü There are more woodcarvers than you think there are.
ü Most people are held back by their own fears.
ü Crazy glue can be used to glue cuts closed.
ü
ü Wood does talk to you
ü You can put wood into a microwave to dry it or to kill bugs in it
ü Smaller pieces of wood can be glued together to make larger pieces of wood.
ü Crumpled up brown paper bags can be used for fine sanding
ü Patterns are easy to make
ü
ü If you want to know something, just ask.
ü Strop often, sharpen less
ü Different woods carve differently.
ü Bad tools don’t get used
ü Don’t carve after sanding, the grit will dull your tool
ü A good tool becomes an extension of your arm.
ü Inspiration comes from unexpected places.
ü
ü There are no mistakes in woodcarving, only new opportunities.
ü Sawdust in the air can, combined with a flame or spark, can cause an explosion.
ü Anybody will buy anything if you make them think they need it
ü Always bring wood into your shop at least two weeks before you plan to use it.
ü Find cheap tools at estate sales
ü Keep your tools well and they will keep you well
ü Gouges can be used upside down
ü It is much easier to carve using two hands and hold down devices.
ü Use a sharp straight edge of broken glass to clean up a carving.
ü Don’t be afraid to learn
ü You can sharpen your tools with sandpaper
ü Original carvings sell better than carbon copies
ü
ü A V-tool actual has 3 separate blades
ü Always plan to demonstrate at any show you attend. Those who demonstrate usually draw a crowd.
ü Cover your workbench with inexpensive rubber mats.
ü Wood carves easier when “wet” but most likely will crack while drying.
ü Couples together will spend more than they would separately
ü It is not terribly difficult to make a website
ü A chisel is not a pry bar
ü The width of one eye is always equal to the space between the eyes.
ü No matter how much wood you have, you won’t have the right size for your next project
ü
ü Carving tools usually sell for what they’re worth on internet auction sites
ü Remove pencil marks with rubbing alcohol
ü There is always lots of free wood on trash day.
ü If you price a carving too low it won’t sell
ü The most valuable lessons are learned from your worst mistakes.
ü Wood dust can explode if there is an open flame nearby
ü Use spar varnish on wood which will be displayed outside
ü Do not use a mallet on palm tools
ü Agree on the price for a carving before you start it
ü Use a scraper to remove excess glue
ü Standard drying time for fresh-cut wood is 1 year to 1” of thickness.
ü Any wood can be carved
ü The corners of the mouth line up with the centers of the eyes.
ü A high swivel chair with a back and footrest is the perfect carving chair.
ü People will buy unique items.
ü There are cheap tools to be found at yard sales and estate sales
ü Always complete a commission carving when promised
ü After cutting away the skin of a golf ball, use the excess skin for a paint cup.
ü
ü Turn a problem area upside down and then try to carve it.
ü There is never enough time or money
ü Wood dust can cause cancer and other diseases.
ü Most carvers have a variety of different woods stored away in their workshops and will pass a piece or two on to a new carver.
ü Young children can carve soap but the chips are slippery.
ü If you have wet paint on a palette, put it in the freezer between painting sessions
ü You can make excellent woodcarvings with a single knife.
ü You can never use too many pictures
ü A power saw can cut faster through flesh than wood.
ü Never stand in a direct line with a table saw blade.
ü Rubber bands can be used as clamps
ü
ü Use a v-tool for outlining, not using stop cuts will save lots of time and you will not crush the wood fibers.
ü Thin cardboard can be used as a strop.
ü Shave the hair on your arm to test the sharpness of a tool.
ü Books are worth their weight in gold but a good carving video is better
ü When picking something thing up, you will knock over another, maybe even 2 or three.
ü The more costly a tool, the more likely it is to jump off your workbench.
ü A mixture of 50% rubbing alcohol and 50% water sprayed on wood will make it easier to carve.
ü Tools should be purchased as needed
ü Looking and acting like a professional will make you one
ü Tools can sense when you’re afraid of them
ü
ü Someone will buy it
ü Bartering is alive and well
ü The best way to learn is to do
ü Wood contracts and expands
ü Sell the right things at the right shows
ü Grinling Gibbons glued layers onto his carvings.
ü Let the customer be involved, update them on their carvings progress. Email them pictures in various states of completion.
ü Big things start from small things
ü
ü You can soak a thin board in water, cover it with a wet towel and use a household iron to remove any warping or cupping
ü Word of mouth is the best selling tool
ü There could be only one master carver in any one municipality.
ü You can burnish wood by using a rounded piece of hardwood to press into your carving.
ü Wood is dry when it has a 10% or less moisture level
ü
ü Woodcarvers are the most helpful group of people that I have ever met.
ü Cuts usually happen reaching for tools
ü Always get a deposit which will cover the costs of a commission carving
ü Clean sandpaper using hard rubber
ü It is not expensive to own your own website
ü There is always more than one way to do something
ü Share your knowledge
ü Slowing down wood drying time will lessen checking.
©2005 Carvin' in NYC
No Parts of this page or other pages on this website can be reproduced or copied, in any manner or any medium, by anyone, for any reason without the expressed written consent of the owner of this website, Maura Macaluso. It is further stated to be the intellectual property of the owner of this website and any attempt to use this material for any other purpose than which is was intended will be prosecuted under the full extent of the law.
Maura Macaluso Staten Island, NY 917-494-0008
made in the USA