Mary May – WoodcarverOctober, 2011
How to prevent those little leaf tips from breaking off
A question has come to me: “What is the key to not breaking off sensitive parts to a carving? I am carving an acanthus leaf and have had some trouble w/ the small tips of the foliage. It seems to me that if you set in 1/16″ – 1/8″ from the design completely down to the [...]
Chisel Storage
I have had several questions as to how to safely store chisels so they don’t rust. Here along the coast of SC, there is a real issue with humidity. I have had students who bought really nice shiny new tools, bought a beautiful tool roll, and packed them away in storage after the class. 6 [...]
Finishing up the Coat of Arms
I am almost finished with the family crest (coat of arms). All the surrounding details are finished, but the center shield still needs to have the final shaping. I should be ready to make the rubber mold early next week. It’s been a really fun process working on making the leaves flipping in so [...]
On-Line articles/interviews and TV shows available on-line
THE WOODRIGHT’S SHOP: http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/video/2900/2905.html WOODWORKERS JOURNAL: http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/Ezine/Articles/Mary_May_Embellishing_a_Career_with_Carving_8688.aspx WOODWHOP NEWS: http://www.woodshopnews.com/news/features/497772-carving-a-labor-of-love WOODWORKING NEWS: http://www.woodworking-news.com/woodworking-projects/woodcarving-turned-bedpost.shtml POST AND COURIER NEWSPAPER: http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/oct/05/slate56741/ SLIPPERY ROCK GAZETTE (April, 2005) http://www.slipperyrockgazette.net/site/archive_Year.php
Continuing to Work on Coat of Arms
Today I continued to work on the Coat of Arms. I hope to finish the carving tomorrow. Then I need to put a simple border around it and then seal the whole thing with shellac. I need to have a sealed surface so I can put release agent on it so the silicone rubber for the mold won’t stick [...]
Chain Saw Eagle
My Uncle Loren who lives in Hannibal, MO (Mark Twain’s home town) surprised me with a wonderful early Christmas gift yesterday. A large box arrived, and when I read the return address, it didn’t have his name on it. When I saw Hannibal, MO on it, I wondered…could it be from Uncle Loren? Who else lives [...]
Teaching Wood Carving to 7th & 8th Graders
Today I spent the morning teaching 7th & 8th graders how to carve a relief scene into a board. Stefani Timmerman, the art teacher from Thomas C. Cario Middle School in Mt. Pleasant, invited me out to get her students started on a carving project. Fortunately one of the parents thought to bring leather gloves because if they [...]
Sharpening a V-chisel or Parting Tool
I think the most difficult chisel to sharpen is the v-chisel. There are so many ways it can go wrong, since it really is like sharpening 3 chisels – 2 flat ones, and a small gouge at the corner. They all need to work together to create a smooth, clean edge. I generally leave the [...]
Sharpening Curved Gouges
I put together this 2 page explanation of how to sharpen a curved gouge in the traditional way. You should be able to print each page. Before you start to carve anything, it is so important to make sure your gouges are razor sharp. It can be very frustrating to try to carve when [...]
Greenville Class
I had a great time at the Woodcraft Store in Greenville, SC. I taught for 4 hours on Friday, and then the class finished up with 5 hours of class on Saturday. Everyone did great. It was a challenging project and we covered a lot of issues that come up when carving such as: – how to [...]
SCHOOL is OPEN – Watch a sample of how to carve the ball and claw foot below.
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