Carved Flower

[Mike Henderson]

I teach carving at the local Woodcraft store, and generally teach how to carve a simple flower as a beginning course. I keep trying to find/design a more advanced flower that I can show the new carvers as an example of what they can do by stretching the capabilities they learn in the beginning class - so I don't want it to be too complex, just a bit more complex.

So here's my most recent example. I took some yellow wood that I found at the wood store and glued to to some maple and turned the whole thing round. Then thinned the yellow wood and turned it round. Drilled a hole in the center an put a piece of ebony in it. Then carved the petals of the flower. It's a box and the top comes off.

I'm going to try a few other flowers in the next few days.

Mike

[Dan Barr]

its simple and classic. i like the ebony piece. now if you carve the ebony to look like the center of a flower. (with all those little grids and bumps) i think that'll dull up your tools real quick though.

very nice.

dan

[Sam Yerardi]

Very nice work! The yellow wood looks perhaps like Satinwood (or Yellowheart)?

[Mike Henderson]

Here's a couple more "flowers" based on the simple basic flower. The really hard part is coming up with ideas.

The wood on that first one I posted is yellowheart.

Mike

[Brian Kent]

Mike, I looked up your next carving class. Still interested but no-can-do this time. I'd be in some deep trouble if I took off for Mother's Day.

[Mike Henderson]

Mike, I looked up your next carving class. Still interested but no-can-do this time. I'd be in some deep trouble if I took off for Mother's Day.

Yeah, I hadn't checked that when we scheduled it. I may have to re-schedule just because people won't sign up. Mother's Day is pretty big competition.

Thanks for your interest.

Mike

[Mike Henderson]

I rescheduled the next class to Saturday, June 7th. Doing it on Mother's Day was not a good idea. If you're interested and in the area, I hope you'll stop by -> Stanton Woodcraft Store.

Mike

[Bill Bolen]

Wow Mike! Those are all some fine additions to your carving/turning hobbies.The quilter who provided the background is pretty good too!..Bill..

[Mike Henderson]

This is a VERY simple flower but I thought the overall box looked good.

I gave a talk to the Orange County Turners group this past Thursday on "Carving for Turning" and got inspired to do this box. I'm going to attend their next meeting (in a month) so maybe I'll bring this one to show them.

Turners actually have a lot of advantages for carving - they can rough out the design prior to the final carving, they can turn their own mallets, and they can make a sharpening device that is turned by their lathe to sharpen their carving tools.

Mike

[Jim Koepke]

Is this something you could take pictures from the start to show us who do not have any idea how to start?

I would enjoy learning to carve, but so far have not figured out the technique or something. Maybe I just need to do a lot more trial and error.

jim

[Mike Henderson]

Is this something you could take pictures from the start to show us who do not have any idea how to start?

I would enjoy learning to carve, but so far have not figured out the technique or something. Maybe I just need to do a lot more trial and error.

jim

Sure - I assume you want to know how to carve a turning, as I show here, rather than starting with a flat piece of wood. I'll try to take some pictures over the next day or so and post them here.

I won't do a fluted box - just a simple box - and a simple flower.

Mike

[David Newson]

That's some fancy clever carving,. Mike - I just wish I could do the same it makes my own straight line carving on my own turnings look pathetic.

David
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Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained

[Jim Koepke]

Sure - I assume you want to know how to carve a turning, as I show here, rather than starting with a flat piece of wood. I'll try to take some pictures over the next day or so and post them here.

I won't do a fluted box - just a simple box - and a simple flower.

Mike

I do not have a lathe yet, but most likely it can be translated from a turning to a flat piece.

If nothing else, some of the techniques will be the same.

Other than trying to shape wood, I have no experience at carving.

Thanks,

jim