You can't carve without removing wood. And removing wood can be as delicate a process as lightly slipping the gouge through the wood or propelling it forcefully. Apply too much force in the wrong situation, and you have lovely kindling.
Whack!
New and Old
We can easily get lost in the weeds talking about tradition in crafts.
New York Pilot Boat 5
This chest was not in stock long enough for me to do a proper set of photos. It sold at it's first appearance at the Maine Boatbuilder's Show to a pair of Boston Harbor pilots who were going to give it as a retirement gift to a colleague.
Wood
As consumers, there is much that you don't know about your favorite woods.
Favorites
It sails on my wall with a cherry ocean and sky heading east from Japan or China towards Los Angelos. I think my father is pleased that his ship is restored to an essential place in our lives, through the unexpected kindness of a fellow seaman.
R.M.S. Servia – 1881
I've been interested in steam/sail transition vessels for years. Ships with steam Auxillary and later sail auxiliary revolutionized travel at sea. Oceanic travel was no longer at the mercy of the winds.
Eagle Eyes
While teaching, I always like to decorate the workshop with carving examples for students to use as a reference. Week-long excursions to teach away from home mean emptying the house of many of my carvings. But samples in three dimensions often are better than pictures or demonstration, and the extra work was worth it.
The Shop
A twelve-step program for compulsive tool buyers might help. But I have a thing about being away from my tools for meetings. Just taking the time to write this keeps me away from browsing the Lee Valley site, not to mention Rockler, Woodcraft, and Highland Woodworking.
Just Right
A shop with all the tools neatly racked, and no chips are like a clean desk—a sign of a sick mind.
Free
The old saying goes that free advice is worth what you pay for it.
Twentyone
The problem with imagination is that it's boundless. On the wall is a poster telling you that you can do it if you can imagine it. Don't take it too literally.
Wishes
Listen, candy is sweet, but you can't make a steady diet of it.
Fearsome
"Glory is fleeting. But obscurity is forever."
Pond Life – June 2020
I needed a break from writing, So here is a short summer time video. I hope it helps put you in a relaxed mood
Tiger, Tiger!
Some people never learn.
True Places
"Queequeg was a native of Kokovoko, an island far away to the West and South. It is not down in any map; true places never are." Herman Melville
Welcome Mat
the Teahead of the August Moon- thought a poet and psychic would be an exciting addition to our menagerie of odd bits and pieces.
Tip of the Iceberg
I like to believe that unlike the later hippie phenomena, Folkies were diverse as a group.
Boxes and Spills
An old saying says, "Keep your eye on the donut, not on the hole." Well, this time, I was deep into hole territory. A simple build turned major construction.
Be Thankful For Friends
Be thankful for your friends.
On The Road In The 1960’s – a travelers guide
There was no doubt. It was a piggish indulgence. We sat, each of us holding a pint of ice cream and a jelly jar of maple syrup. Said Bill, " …and as Saint Augustine said…it was wicked, but I loved it." I just nodded my palate and brain, too frozen to speak in return.
Playtime
If your play is your business, you have to take care that the fun remains in the mix - or you might find yourself doing something you hate.
Firewood
At the beginning of winter, I take a long look at the wood ranks waiting to heat the house. The oil-burning furnace gets used about one hour every day, and then only until the wood fire is brought back up in the morning.
The Doctor Is In
I was feeling down the other day. Perhaps it was the weight of all the awful things going on in the world and the oncoming holiday rush.
Research
Although I was an anthropologist, few of the people I met knew what I did once I left the university. If I mentioned that I studied culture, I'd get a knowing wink and this reply, "Yes. But with a big C or a little c?"
Holiday Travel
Holiday travel, by thumb, can be a joyful or stressful thing. Often by turns in the same day. At no other time of the year are you likely to find as much generosity or so much danger waiting for you as you stand on the roadside.
Brew
For coffee, the search for perfection is the enemy of the good.
Hockey
The Grey Menace loved playing cat hockey in the kitchen. So the idea was that I'd kick one of the dozens of little hi-bounce balls towards the refrigerator. He'd then move in defending the goal - the grill under the fridge. Then, with a twitch of the paw, he'd agilely deflect the ball towards me.
Nugget
I was about to be dumped. The dumper was an adorable woman who seemed to be searching for a free pass to move on. Over the past month, she had gradually made it clear that I had not made the grade and was history.
Clutter!?
Much of the attention paid to clutter focuses on the actual physical nature of clutter and less on why we collect. For me, it's a simple case of " I am; therefore, I collect."
Marriage
a few bears into him, and the Teahead's childhood friend Buddy could unwind and appear somewhat normal. Unlike the rest of the folkies Buddy, got up early every morning, put on a suit, and went to law school.
The Road To Nowhere
I'd be lying if I insisted that I had no interest in things lying beyond the map edge. My interest goes back to childhood when I dreamed of escaping New York City.
Louis N. Carreras, Woodcarver 
You must be logged in to post a comment.