Woodcarving Illustrated – June 2023
English | 126 pages | pdf | 65.18 MB
Welcome at Woodcarving Illustrated Magazine June 2023 Issue
No matter which carving shows we attend, there always seems to be a friendly feud going on between the hand carvers and the power carvers: Yeah, sure, that realistic blue jay is impressive, but I bet you couldn’t carve a Santa! While these jabs are all in good fun, we hope to settle the score in this issue. Whether you’re a dedicated mallet-and-gouge user or a rotary tool diehard, you’ll find friendly faces here. Fans of classic caricature can rejoice in a grinning Santa, carved into an old rolling pin with a reciprocating carver that mimics the look of edged tools (page 111). Then jump to a simple ribbon whimsey you can make with just a Dremel and a knife (page 64). Complete the trifecta with a rustic measuring cup sculpted by a chisel and a handful of rotary burrs (page 107). While hand tools are a valuable resource, you’ll see that power tools can help to speed the roughing process and add fine details with little manual effort.
Want to use power from start to finish? Turn a ponderosa pine log into a pensive garden gnome (page 52); with minimal features and an approachable painting technique, it’s a great first project. Next, check out our easy-to-follow guides for creating a vibrant tropical fish (page 95), a sassy Carolina wren (page 45), and a watchful owl carved with a chainsaw (page 113). Finally, face a foe more imposing than the bear bust on page 79—most carvers find it challenging to carve the female face, but Chris Howard breaks the method down so that anyone can master it (page 85). You’ll even get a bonus lesson on human proportions besides.
No matter what kind of woodworker you are, it’s good to have a few basic power carving tricks in your back pocket. That’s why we included a whole beginner section on everything from
choosing and maintaining burrs (pages 18 and 33) to protecting your lungs from sawdust (page 29). If you want to test your knowledge, Kristin Levier’s micromotor master class is a perfect starting point (page 39); she even walks you through making a practice board, so you can get comfortable using the tool in different ways before jumping into the projects.
So whether your jam is Santas or blue jays, fish or jewelry, pirate ships or garden gnomes, we can agree (at very least) that turning wood into chips and dust is a noble and worthwhile pursuit.
Kaylee Schofield, Editor
[email protected]
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