securing a workpiece This is one area where there are many solutions to the same problem. Depending on the size and shape of your workpiece several options are available to hold it steady while you work: using clamps to secure… Read More... "Beginner Essential Guide (BEG) for woodcarving : Chapter 2 : holding your tools and workpiece"
Let us first explore the vast amount of tools that are available. If you want to dive in head first, many companies offer a so called starter set of tool that will allow you to hit the ground running. However… Read More... "Beginner Essential Guide (BEG) for woodcarving : Chapter 1 : basic & essential tools"
Introduction Welcome to my Beginner Essential Guide for wood carving for beginners. This guide will focus on manual carving with (full size) gouges and a mallet. I might include a chapter on power carving with burrs, whittling or chip carving… Read More... "Beginner Essential Guide (BEG) for woodcarving : introduction"
In 2020 we’ve bought a vacant plot to build a new house. It borders on the back end of my parents yard so we’ll neighbours one the new house is built. We’re still working with an architect for the house,… Read More... "New workshop – part 1 – foundation and building"
I’ve always wanted to turn a chess set, but the idea of making so many identical pieces just doesn’t seem that appealing to me. This got the little gears in my head thinking of other games with matching pieces, that… Read More... "Bar Skittles"
embellishments Now that you know how to make a basic pen, it’s time to discuss how we can add a little extra bling. Personally I like the elegance of a simple design in a pen, but there are many options… Read More... "A beginner’s guide to pen making – part 3"
My latest youtube video shows how I turn my segmented birds. This certainly wasn’t my idea, I found pictures of this online while researching project ideas. I immediately fell in love with these little creations and found they’re a great… Read More... "Turning segmented birds"
Pen turning tools Like I mentioned in the overview, there are many tools for pen turners. Some are optional, but useful, others are needed. let’s start with the basic tools first. Obviously I’ll assume you are using a lathe as… Read More... "A beginner’s guide to pen making – part 2"
Overview on making a basic pen In the first part of this series I’ll show you all the steps involved into making a basic slimline pen. I’m using this as the kits are the easiest to find and make. The… Read More... "A beginner’s guide to pen making – part 1"
Preparation Find and prepare a template you like. Print and cut out a template of each doll so it has a quarter of the final shape. The easiest way is to cut out the individual dolls from the full template… Read More... "Turning nesting dolls (Matryoshka dolls)"