Having problems with instructions.

[Stive]

Iam totally new to carving and Iam trying to teach myself. This becomes a real problem at times and I was wondering if any of you novice carvers like myself have the same prolem interpetating instructions on a store bought rough out? For example I am carving a whimsical house that I picked up at a carving seminar they had at our wexford county arena the last couple of days. (By the way it was awesome, to bad I wasn't signed up). Anyway getting back to the task at hand the very first thing the directions said was to round the corners and go ahead and make the block round if you would like. So I made it round and the very next direction said to start forming the front and back of the roof using flat strokes do not round! Well I took this for cutting the front and back with flat cutting strokes until the roof was shaped. The finished piece was totally round from the example that I looked at and in the pictures. So after the roof was shaped I rounded it off again. It looked like the picture and I was very happy. The next step was draw in the windows and doors. I did this and then it said to form the door by keeping the center of the door high and taking flat slices to the stop cut! (Before this they said to make a stop cut around the door). Now by the center do they mean find the center and start cutting left and then right or just left or cut from center to top and then bottom? I just don't understand what they are trying to tell me. They say use a scandinavian flat style of carving! Don't know what that is. It just seems to me that I felt I could do this piece and it is obvious that it was ment for someone who had a better understanding of woodcarving than me. I still feel that I could have done this to perfection if the instructions were a little more thorough. I still am trying to complete this project. I guess what Iam trying to say is I love woodcarving and I want to get better at it. I have all kinds of books that I read and am learning everyday. It just gets so frustrating when your carving is going along good and then all of a sudden you have problems and you just don't have the expierence to figure out how to solve the problem. Does anyone have some suggestions on what they do in situations like this? I've got to learn to walk away and relax for awhile and then come back to the project. Am I making sense to anyone or am I just a dumb bell. Does anyone know of a book that has all the known woodcarving problems and solutions in it? LOL I will not give up though. Thanks for listening. Stive

[Nancy Goff]

I can't "see" that house so I'm lost. Is the house on-line anywhere so we can see it? It sure would be easier to understand if we could see a photo of it.
But that's just me talking..... I bet somebody else can be a better help in a little while.

Wait just a bit Stive, OK?

[Scooter]

Kudos for sticking with it this far, and on your own, as well! I feel your pain and frustration. Over time, you _will_ make mistakes. These can be corrected with wood putty, or adapting (What? You just lopped off the dog's ear? Guess you're carving a seal now). You learn, and you keep moving forward.

While those step-by-step books are helpful, it is my opinion that personal instruction is best. In the s-b-s pictures, you'll find that they don't always explain every step fully, and, if you look closely, you'll find that some features of the carving have been carved in, without any explanation. I've even seen more than one carving depicted as a single project. Or, they show a picture of the chisel used next to the cut, but it's not clear how deep or how far or in which direction they made that particular cut.

Find an instructor. Find a class. Find a friend (even a novice can be helpful) who has completed carvings under his/her belt.

Stick with it. I'm sure that everyone here would cringe at the sight of their first carving, and your first piece won't be perfect, either. Learn, and move forward.


Scooter

[Stive]

Thanks for the comments. I will plan on sticking with it. I love carving alot and hope to get as good as some of the other people who have done it for awhile. I know I really enjoy taking a square piece of wood and carving it into something nice. Thanks again, Jim

[michael febbie]

Stive, Iv'e never done a roughout but have had similar problems trying to follew books. I went crazy but after a while managed to finish a few projects. This builds confidence. I wood say on that door thing, think of it as like a cartoon and someone is banging on the inside of the door with a log. The door wood swell out in the center.carve out to the two sides and the top from the center. If it don't work, well that's why they call them whimsical. GOOD LUCK, Mike

[hi ho sliver]

Bring what you have and come on over and we will cut one out!

[Tom H]

Stive, Trying to learn to carve with just written instructions is like tryin to learn to play the banjo with just written instructions.......Find some good carvers a sit with them. Tom H

[Rick-in-Seattle]

You may get more information from just looking at the picture.

[SLATHER]

Stive , The biggest problem I think we have as new carvers is worrying about what the carving will look like when we are done. we all have to develop our own style and this takes a while and a bunch of carvings to accomplish.once we get over (it dosnt look like the picture attitude). I know it s hard to stop worrying about it but stop anyway. if all the carvings that all of us do looked the same we would be selling them for the same price as they get for the Mexican ironwood carvings or the Chiness mass produced ones.
As my Dad used to say ( get er done ) I think you will be happy with the results.
That was a very nice offer that Hi HO made to you!!
Al

[daddio]

as a rule if i'm following instructions i read through them several times before starting project,even if it's a book i'll look through it several times before starting,and as rick said check them pictures real good,you'll be amazed at how much you can do just looking at them,good luck

[Tom H]

All responses have been good and very informative. But if I may add another related question. What makes some printed instructions better than others. If you look at the written instructions in carving magazines and books, you notice the varied levels of detail. Some have 20 to 30 step-by-step photos, some not so many. Some have each step with a tool involved with the specific cut, some photos are taken of the finished cut. Some have sketches to support written text as well as photos.

What instructions are the clearest to follow? For the beginner as well as experienceds carver? Your opinions!

Thanks Tom H

[Nancy Goff]

Well ------- I've said it before and I'll say it again.
Everything I learned I learned in Ron Ransom's books. The only reason on earth I ever started carving was seeing his first book. I never looked back.

Sure, I stumbled and made some funny, very funny, mistakes but I kept moving along and I'll never be able to say enough Thanks to Ron. God bless him.

So ------ I highly reccomend a good book.

[cwhillock]

Stiv,

One good option for you would be to hook up with a club. There are web sites out there (I am sure someone on this forum can point you in the right direction) that have clubs for every state in the US, Canada etc ... if not send me an e-mail telling me your state and I'll send you some club contacts ...

As far as instruction ... I work much better (as others have said before) from the finished picture. It is easier for me to look at the photo ... and look at my roughout/blank and see where I need to cut. If I had to follow step A to cut to B and center line 3 to right angle 4 ... I'd be lost.

Another recommondation is practice ... I am working with a woman that is carving a golfer's face ... I am having her do several, several practice pieces before she attempts to put the face on the finished golfer. She has been carving eyes, nose and lips for three weeks now.

From working with the articles in the magazine I have to include articles with lots of photos and some with just a few ... I guess people like both styles.

I hope some of this has helped ... and if you'd liek a list of clubs or carving teachers in your area just drop me an e-mail and I'll send you a list of contacts.

Happy Carving!

Chris Whillock
Carving Magazine
editors@carvingmagazine.com