Whittlers?

H

Hoodoo

Joined
Aug 18, 1999
Messages
2,355
Any duffer whittlers out there like me? I'm sure no artist but I like to remove certain parts of wood from boards.
http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/balls1.htm

By the way, it took me 8 hours to chop through this board with my tactical Schrade 340T and Kabar 1071. Eat your heart out Mad Dog.



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Hoodoo

Doubt grows with knowledge.
--Goethe
 
A pile of wood shavings has been known to collect around me from time to time, especially during a long rehearsal babysitting a dry ice fog machine. I have a long ways to go before I attain the rank of duffer.

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA


 
I cut saplings, de-bark them, sand, stain, size, and Polyurethane them as walking and combat sticks. On some of them I put cowhide grips. It's just a hobby of mine.

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"If you fake the Funk, your nose will grow."
- W. Bootsy Collins

 
Hoodoo
The last time I saw a carving like that, was one my step dad whittled years ago.
Thanks for the memories, maybe I will try it myself this winter. What kind of knife did you use??
Jim
 
Best whittler I ever had (and still have) is a Boker stockman, carbon steel. Wish I could find another, even though it's still great albeit a bit shorter than when new from sharpening.
 
Boker, German Eye, Schrade, Case, Hen & Rooster, Camillus, etc., all offer carbon steel stockmans and other pocket knives. Top of Texas is a good place to look for some of the brands as they identify most of their knives as SS or CS. You're in good company using a Schrade 34OT as it's evidently the most popular pocket knife in the US, and having such nice steel, construction, and function for often less than $20 it's a bargain. Also, there's a kind of civilizing influence when facing the world with nothing but a medium stockman in hand.
 
GONESAILING,

The knives I used are in the original post, a medium stockman by Schrade and a small stockman by Kabar. I also have a medium Buck stockman I like to use but I have to confess, I also like to use an xacto knife as well.


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Hoodoo

Doubt grows with knowledge.
--Goethe
 
Hoodoo
Yeah, I was wondering about using a #11 scalpel blade on certain parts. Its got a nice wedge type point. Probably not as good as an xacto blade. What kind of wood? Did you really do the entire thing in 8 hours?
Jim
 
I was just kidding about the 8 hours. But actually, I would guess I have about 10 or less hours in it. I can do a simple ball in a cage 1"x1" in a couple of hours. The wood is northern white pine or basswood, I can't remember. Carves easily. My favorite is walnut but it's harder to carve.

An absolutely kick-butt book on whittling is by E.J. Tangerman called Whittling and Woodcarving. It was first published in 1936 and my edition is 1962 but it is a Dover edition and my guess is that it's still around. A good book store should be able to order it. The isbn is 486-20965-2.


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Hoodoo

Doubt grows with knowledge.
--Goethe
 
It seems as though it's a more natural pastime in the warmer months when you can whittle outside. I, however, find myself doing more indoor carving in the winter months. My weapon of choice is an Uncle Henry Stockman. I can do a 0.75"x3.5" ball in cage with end cap ornamentation in ~8 hours, but I still can't do a chain. Every time I try one I crack links early in the process.

Best Regards, ToddO
 
ToddO,
Yup. I hate it when I crack links. But I would rather do it at the beginning than at the end.
smile.gif


More fun:
http://www4.gvsu.edu/triert/ballswchain1.htm

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Hoodoo

Doubt grows with knowledge.
--Goethe
 
Hoodoo,

That's a great piece shown in the link. I like the links twists and the cap ball-in-ball cage. Thanks for the view.

Best Regards, ToddO
 
Those images look great! I don't know if I have the artistic ability to pull it off, but I'd like to give it a try.

Called the local library and they are getting the Tangerman book for me.

Looks like carbon steel stockmen are the knife of choice. Just happen to have one nearby.

Thanks for sharing, guys.

Blues

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Live Free or Die


 
Very impressive. I'll have to give one a try. I guess that means I need to buy a Stockman. I've been thinking of buying the Buck Stockman anyway, so here's a good excuse!

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Chris

"We Don't Rent Pigs" --Augustus McCrae

"I won't abide rude behavior in a man." -- Woodrow Call


 
Truth is it doesn't take much artistic ability for the kind of stuff I whittle. It takes more patience than anything. If you follow the Tangerman book, I think pretty much anybody can whittle balls and chains or nested spheres. He lays it out pretty clearly.



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Hoodoo

Doubt grows with knowledge.
--Goethe
 
I also cut young trees and some limbs to make hiking staffs and canes. Being a cane user myself, I enjoy this hobby. I remove the bark after allowing the stick to dry, shape the ends, sand, sometimes stain, and polyurethane. I use a Case stockman, a Buck Creek whittler, a Case fixed blade, and a 1/4" craftsman chisel. I carry various sheath knives when I go "hunt" these sticks. I cut a twisted dogwood today with the saw on my LM Wave. I sometimes drill and add a leather thong. I have made several strictly as a hobby. One tip: I glue red rubber gasket material on some for a tip. It holds, easy to trim, doesn't show, and protects the end.

I have used a number of different knives over the years doing this, I only listed a few.
 
MTF3,

What kinds of wood do you like best for hiking sticks?

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Hoodoo

Doubt grows with knowledge.
--Goethe
 
For Hiking sticks I use mostly oak because that is what's around this area. I had what looked like an overgrown weed, (Maybe sassafrass) It was very lightweight and probably made the best one. I wrote some Japanese characters on it and gave it to my girlfriend. The only problem with the oak ones is they are kind of heavy and they often split while drying. I bevel the ends with a belt sander and sometimes put rubber circles (cut from a sheet of black rubber) on them.

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David Gardner
Vineland NJ

<i>"If you fake the Funk, your nose will grow."</i>
- W. Bootsy Collins

 
I also like to use oak and I will hang the stick allowing it to dry with the bark on to prevent splitting. I also use cedar, dogwood, some elm, and sweetgum. Being that most folks use the sticks for decoration, I look for shape and size more. I sharpen my knives with my Lansky and attempt to peel the bark off gently leaving the natural texture that lies underneath. Sanding is still required to finish out the entire stick. I cut them long and check them with a knife for the right dryness. The ones that I allow to dry for months on a rack in my shop will be harder to remove the bark. I get a neat two tone look from the wood and first layer of bark. Lately I have been scraping a couple with the edge of a knife rather than coarse sanding. This can dull one quickly. I keep a set of crock sticks in my shop for quick touch ups to the edge. This year I have been focusing on ones growing with a 90 degree angle for canes. I carry a Bob Dozier whittler (D2) in the woods on my stick hunts. It has a study point and cuts well. The kydex sheath makes it easy to carry and use. It also makes a handy little fishing companion.
 
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