My First Chip Carving

"Ron", my wife said as I walked in the door one day, "I need a wilkom sign in the Pennsylvania Dutch style."

"What's that now?" I responded.

"One of these!" She stated, showing me the following picture:

 

 "Okay..." I said in dubious tone. "I'll have to learn how to do chip carving first."

"Oh look!" She responded, "I brought this instruction book home from the library today! We even have that round cutting board you can make it out of!"

Having no further excuse, I bought a fine chip carving knife and set to.

The first step was to lay out the design in pencil. Using my trusty Swanson combination square and my compass I found the center of the cutting board and transferred the design onto it with some carbon paper. This was more complicated than it sounds, because the original pattern was meant for a plaque 13 inches across, and my cutting board is only 9 inches across. To top it off, I screwed up on the reduction and ended up wasting space along the border. Not wanting to erase everything and start over, I decided to soldier on and start my chip carving off with the tiniest, most detailed tulips imaginable.

I love the reflection left behind on the transfer paper.

Carving the first flower. As you can see, the tulip bulb isn't the prettiest of pretty things, but not all that bad for my first time.

Center of the design completed. At this point I was really starting to get the hang of chip carving, but there remained a lot of tear-out in the lines. I believe this is caused mostly by my selection of wood. Next time I'll get something softer than an old cutting board.

Halfway through the border. I'm rather proud of the fine tulip stems on the right, those things are incredibly annoying to carve.

The finished plaque along with the primary tool used in it's construction - my carving knife.

The finished project in my shop. I rather like my shop.

Here the plaque stands on our door, where it will stay until I modify the pattern to fit the entire cutting board and carve up the reverse side. After that I'll get some nice basswood and carve the complete wilkom sign.

Care Package Reruns

For the Thanksgiving/Christmas season, I am recycling these care package ideas from when Ron was in Afghanistan. 'Tis the season where troops overseas could use care packages from home. It is lonely, being without your family during the holidays, and I am awfully glad he is with me this Christmas.

*Send a pie!



Hostess pies work pretty good too.


*Send lovely wooly socks that are good for hiking
Ron - L.L. Bean Boot Socks are the absolute best hiking socks in the world.
Many thanks to my father-in-law for sending some out to me.

*Send interesting books



*Send a Christmas tree, along with tacks and fancy gift tags signed by each family member and/or friend you can get ahold of.




*Do that sweet Hickory Farms deal


*Send Fruit Chillers if they've got access to a freezer, Rolo Cookies, or Chocolate Cherry Rice Krispie Treats


And remember:
The post office will give you a deal if you are sending care packages to soldiers. Just ask for the APO/FPO Flat Rate Box. You can either:
1. Find one of their fancy USA troop care package boxes with the stars and stripes on it
2. Send a normal flat rate box (they'll tell you the size you need) and get money automatically deducted for sending to an APO address.

This means that your package will cost $10.95 to send all the way to Afghanistan! Bargain!

Here is some things not to send.
- Securities, currency or precious metals in their raw unmanufactured state.
- Obscene articles, prints, paintings, cards, film, horror comics.
- Material depicting nude or seminude persons, pornographic material.
- Mail containing religious materials contrary to the Islamic faith.
- Pork or pork by-products.
- Alcoholic beverages or materials used to produce alcoholic beverages (i.e., distilling material, hops, malts, yeast, etc.).
- Fruits, animals and living plants.
- Firearms of any type.