Tom’s Holiday Gifts 2011

Viewer Project - By Tom Pritchard from Madison, Indiana
Added on November 19, 2012

These were my holiday gifts for 2011. I believe they made the hit parade with everyone! The unpainted objects you see are for future gifts, that is if my wife will let me give them away. The large cat carving in the background of one of the pictures is not mine. The height of these range from 2″ tall up to 6″.

I also included a couple other previous carvings. I enjoy carving as well as other types of woodworking. My shop size is a small, a 16’x 16′ converted shed. No electric service except running a couple heavy duty extension cords from the house. One for my lights, TV and radio and one cord to run my power tools. I have to make sure that I don’t turn two things on at the same time. I have to turn off my heater when I run a tool. But that does not discourage me, I know someday I will connect service to my panel. The main tool I have is a “Shopsmith” Mark V. It seems to be more of a hobby type tool, but it has served me well. I have used it for building my kitchen cabinets and many other furniture projects around the house.

Discussion

Brandon West November 19, 2012 11:17 am

Very nice. I’m in the same boat with the power situation, but you put out great work!!

Reply
Joel November 19, 2012 11:27 am

nice work and i also can’t run the heater and tool at the same time in my shop

Reply
duckkisser November 19, 2012 2:45 pm

nice i just had to move to a similar size shop. just ordered my first carving tools plus i have a flex shaft carving tool (mastercarver brand). cant wait to get into wood carving in a more dedicated way rather then just the odd knife carving on the front porch or on vacation away from the shop. im in the process of building a carving work bench, geting some bench top tools like grinders, buffers, drill press, sander, air paint gun for finishes. i would be inturested in seeing more of your space especial your solutions to organizing and space saving. since you have such a small area you might be inturested in wood turning since it needs only a small footprint as well. i would like to know what kind of tools you use for carving and how you sharpen them. feel free to message me eather here, on the forum or at duckkisser@gmail.com

Reply
- Tom Pritchard November 20, 2012 5:52 am
  
  I don’t have a fancy area to do my carving and finishing but I do have a dedicated area in by shop where keep all my carving tools together. I have a bench that stores material, carving tools and a hanger to hang my Dremal motor and flex shaft from. Actually most of my carving is done in my easy chair with a 2′ x 3′ pad lying on my lap to catch the chips. The finishing I do is just hand painting on a small folding table that I set in front of my chair.
  The tools I use are basic tools. I mostly use the small “Flexcut Carvin Jack” It provides all the basic cutters I need. I did receive a hand full of carving tools from my cousin when my uncle passed away, but I mostly use the jack knife.
  Sharpening has been my biggest challenge of all. I normally use a hand held “Accusharp Knife Sharpner” to start out with and then use the “Flexcut Slipstrop” for the on demand needs as I carve. I’m very interested in looking at using the “water stone” option as Marc has shown in his videos, but still trying to look at the best options. So far as sharpening goes, I’m still trying to learn myself.
  
  Reply
  - duckkisser November 20, 2012 11:20 am
    
    i saw a set up that i think is both econimical and easy to do for when i have to do alot of sharpening. the guy had a normal stone for grinding and shaping, a white stone high grit for sharpening, a lether/paper wheel for a strop and mild sharpening with compund and a buffing wheel to get rid of any burr. so he needed two bench grinders that he used. the strop and buffing wheel grinder he wired to run in reverse so they would not get cought up on his tools and round over his edge.
    
    the bench im looking at is a traditional cabinet work bench with a vise. but instead of just a row of dog holes desighned for strait boards. i plan on placeing holes across the entire top so i can clamp up unusualy shapes like small logs. or curves like furniture arches. i am also changing the size i am only making it 2″ by 3″. this will be for large pieces like a mask, totems, statues ect…. as for just doing small work i plan on making a lap board with a flange on it that i can hook onto my dust collector and suck up chips and dust as they fall off. i also plan on making a large hood that i can set on my work bench that i will hook my dust collector to and suck up dust from mastercarver so i dont fill my basement with dust. in the past i have been a wood turner but because my shop is now in the basement that is not a posibility. so im trying to get into wood carving as a dedicated hobby and later incorporate it into my wood turned bowls.
    
    i just got a set of swiss gouges mostly in #11 gouges of different sizes, a medium to large v tool since i can push harder to make the cut large or lighter to make it shallower, and a #2 30mm for hoging out large areas. my flex detail knives, and my mastercarver and dremel i think ill have all i need for most projects then for the rare time i need a different tool i can buy as i need it. ill probably need more tips for my master carver then i will need knives and gouges.
    
    Reply
Jim Abbruzzese November 20, 2012 10:28 am

Tom,

I have the same power issue in my garage – I run extension cords to two different circuits to have my shop vac and a tool running at the same time. It doesn’t seem like it slows you down though. I love your Shaun the Sheep.

Jim

Reply

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Tom’s Holiday Gifts 2011

Advertisers