Woodcarving

The Sauder Village Woodcarving Show is now history and was delightful as usual. The many talented carvers, turners, and woodworkers that participated made the weekend great fun and an opportunity for learning and fellowship. Don Mertz's carving class centered around learning about human face proportion and his carving technique using only a knife. It was both challenging and and a great learning experience!

Woodcarving

This Thursday and Friday I am taking a caricature carving class from Don Mertz at Sauder Village. Don carves tiny folks using only a knife. He is a member of the Caricature Carvers of America and is a great instructor. His website is www.woodbeecarver.com. I promise to post pictures of my classroom efforts. :o) 

Saturday and Sunday I have a table at the Sauder Village Woodcarver's Show and Sale. I have been working on a Gnome Village. The show runs from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday and 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday. It is also the last day of the 2011 regular season and all sorts of fall and harvest activities will be happening. Check out www.SauderVillage.org to see what is going on. By the way, this guy is a Sarasota Gnome as that is where I was when I carved him. :o)

Tin

So, I have discovered  that making things out of tin is extreme fun. This summer I have had the opportunity to work with Mike Runyon in the Tin Shop at Sauder Village in Archbold Ohio. Thanks to Mike's extreme patience and teaching skill, I have been able to make some items using historical techniques and tools. I have made a couple of tin cups, a tray, and best of all, cookie cutters. My fave has to be free form cutters that are soldered to a back plate. I have uploaded a pic of the shop and also a pic of a manatee, lady gnome, a shark, and a pug face cookie cutter.

The cutters are soldered by using an alcohol lamp and a blow pipe. The operator blows through a brass tube through the alcohol flame to create a point of flame that can be directed to the joint that you want to solder. The solder is lead free and safe to use for kitchen items. After bending a strip of tin to the shape you want, it is soldered to the plate. Done! And extreme fun!

Woodcarving

It is nearly time for the Sauder Village Woodcarver's Show and Sale. As usual, I will have a display of carvings that I have worked on during the year. This year I am having fun making a gnome village. Come on over and check out all the great carvers at the show.