The Watch Seller: hand-carved wood automaton by Tim Donald

Here's a new hand-carved wood automaton by artist Tim Donald. The piece depicts a somewhat suspicious street seller. When the handle is turned, the seller figure looks around to see if the coast is clear, then opens his suitcase to give you a glimpse of the "top brand" watches he's selling for a mysteriously low price. That the seller has his fingers crossed behind his back may indicate that these are not the high quality time pieces they are made out to be.

I love the details on the figure and the suitcase. The choice to put the figure in an enclosure suggests he might be tucked into some urban alleyway.

I wonder if I can get a good deal on a Vacheron Constantin Skeleton Minute Repeater (normally about $623,000 USD) or better yet a watch by Jaquet Droz himself?

See more automata by Tim Donald on his web site.

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Carving Faces Workbook: Learn to Carve Facial Expressions and Characteristics with the Legendary Harold Enlow

Here's a recently published book that provides detailed instruction on carving faces in wood. Written by the renowned caricature carver, Harold Enlow, the book is directed at the caricature carver, but is a solid foundation for realistic carving as well. The author provides photos and step-by-step instruction on how to carve some of those tricky areas of the face such as the eyes, mouth, and ears. In addition to covering these specific parts, a few complete example faces are also included. This book is a valuable reference that comes highly rated!

Here is where you can get Carving Faces Workbook: Learn to Carve Facial Expressions and Characteristics.

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Flying, exercising, and dancing Santa automata

Christmas: The Pre-Reindeer Era

Over the years, I have made two automata featuring Santa Claus. Why? Well, he's a great royalty-free character and one that seems tolerant to being modified. The first one I made (shown above) is titled Christmas: The Pre-reindeer Era. It depicts Santa in those early years before he could make the down-payment on that expensive sleigh with all those reindeer.

The second one I made was for a holiday issue of a woodworking magazine. Yup, you can get plans to build this Exercising Santa. The automaton depicts Santa building his upper body strength in preparation for the big night. This one is called Training for Christmas:

Training for Christmas

Here's a new addition to the genre, but I didn't design this one. The Dancing Santa was created by Shawn Cipa -- an award-winning Santa Carver. He made this neat Santa automaton for this year's holiday edition of Woodcarving Illustrated magazine.

Here is a link to Woodcarving Illustrated's Santa Automaton page.

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Some of the best tools for small scale wood carving

For the majoring of carving tasks, I use the Butz carving knife and detail knife. There are times, however, when a specially shaped carving tool is just what you need. For a long time, I tried to use standard set of palm carving tools. Depending on the size of your carving, these can be perfect. Sometimes, though, they are just too big..

That's where these unassuming little carving tools by Dockyard come in. They they are hand forged, tempered, and tested for a correct edge profile. Not only that: they come sharpened and ready to use. They are small enough to work comfortably on small-scale carvings. You can hold the narrow handle like a pencil for certain cuts. This is very helpful for fine control.

Dockyard makes micro carving sets like the one shown here in different sizes -- 1.5mm, 2mm, and 3mm. I bought the 2mm set and that seems right for the scale of work that I do. The micro carving tool set I bought has single and double bevel chisels, a skew chisel, a 90 degree V-shaped tool, and U-shaped gouge. All have cherry wood handles. I plan to get more of these.

Here's the full line of Dockyard micro carving tools.

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Make a carved kicking mule action toy

Here's a short article on how to carve and assemble this kicking mule toy that we discovered back in 2008. I thought it was time to bring it to your attention once again. The project is made by noted woodcarver David Sabol. David Sabol is author of the the book Wood Carving Basics as well as a very comprehensive DVD on Wood Carving Basics.

From the article:

The mule consists of four components: head, ears, front legs joined to the main body, and hindquarters. Pieces of brass rod hold the various parts together, and lengths of string keep them articulated.

Here is the link to the article on how to make a kicking mule toy.

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Sampling of various automata from Cecilia Schiller

Here's a nice assemblage of automata and woodcarving by Cecilia Schiller. There are some clever designs in there!

See more mechanical sculpture by Cecilia Schiller on her web site.

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Art & technique of Scandinavian style woodcarving

Here's a book by the talented woodcarver, Harley Refsal. He is a master of that lovely Scandinavian style of figure carving that uses a single carving knife and leaves distinctive large flat facets on the carvings. I have DVD in which he is featured and can attest to his skill as a carver.

From the book description:

Directions, front and sideview patterns, and step-by-step photographs reveal how to make a few simple cuts and leave large flat planes intact. The lively personalities of such typical Scandinavian figures as Oskar and a traditional Swedish folk art horse are charmingly rendered in the samples and projects included.

Here is where you can order the book Art & Technique of Scandinavian Style Woodcarving: Step-By-Step Instructions & Patterns for 40 Flat-Plane Carving Projects.

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Article on how to make lifelike marionette bodies

The Modern Mechanix blog has this old article on making marionette bodies. Originally published in Popular Science Monthly in 1936, the article is by Florence Fetherston Drake. The article has a lot of great information -- especially if you are actually making your own marionette. Of particular interest to the automaton-maker are the sections on materials, tools, and various types of joints.

Here is a link to the full article on The Art of Making Lifelike Marionette Bodies.

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Video profile of marionette maker Geahk Burchill

Here's a lovely video profile of marionette maker Geahk Burchill of The CastIron Carousel Marionette Troupe in Portland, Oregon. The video gives many fascinating glimpses into the process of making lifelike moving figures.

From the The CastIron Carousel web site:

The CastIron Carousel is a small, Portland local marionette troupe which does shows for grown-up audiences. Our themes include: Victorian era Science Fiction, 1920’s horror, prison, gangsters, Fairy tales and monster stories. We are inspired by Tom Waits, William Dwiggins, H.P. Lovecraft, H.G. Wells, Jack tales and Jules Verne. We work with Marionettes, Shadow puppets, Rod puppets and a smattering of other things. We do small beautifully strange plays with gorgeous sets and splendid puppets.

Learn more about The CastIron Carousel on their web site.

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Flying horse automaton by Tony Campton

Check out this wooden horse automaton by Tony Campton -- his first effort at making them. Wonderful carving! Well done.

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Whirligigs for Woodcarvers: bring carvings to life

Here's a new...um...spin...on whirligig books. Often the figures on whirligigs are somewhat flat and tend to rely on paint for detail. This book looks like a remedy for that situation; it is specifically written for woodcarvers. It also looks like a very comprehensive treatment of the subject in general!

From the book description:

Full size patterns for making a knight, dragon, eagle, boxer and soldier whirligig; Numerous photos and illustrations for visualizing whirligig features and function; Woodcarving tips and techniques for beginner and intermediate carvers; Lists of all the tools and supplies necessary for woodcarving and whirligig construction. Plus this useful guidance for whirligig artists and craftsmen: The secrets for designing your own original whirligigs that will work right the first time; Sources of supplies for all necessary tools and materials; Troubleshooting tips for uncooperative whirligigs; Creative ideas for design, construction, carving and mounting whirligigs.

Well, I'm sold. Adding it to my wishlist now!

Here's where you can get Whirligigs for Woodcarvers

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The CNC Shark Pro Routing System

CNC Shark Pro Routing System is the big brother to the original CNC Shark. This model offers twice the workable area (X: 24", Y: 24", Z: 4.25") as the base model CNC Shark Routing System. The pro model's increased strength, making it better suited to wider variety of machining, routing, and engraving projects in wood, metal, or plastic. Along with improved power, speed, accuracy, and ease of use, it features a 1" thick removable laminated particleboard work surface, and 12 precision linear bearing guides for maximum rigidity. A 24V supply provides power to the strong 1.8 degree stepper motors. The package includes a free download USB control software. And, for those who own different CNC programs, the Shark Pro can interface with a number of programs in the industry. For a complete CNC system, you simply won’t find a better value than the CNC Shark Pro. The unit require a Bosch Colt Variable-Speed Palm Router Kit for operation. Here's where to get more info on the CNC Shark Pro Routing System

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Step-by-step carving of a dinosaur marionette

Wez Champion is documenting his efforts as he makes a very cool dinosaur marionette. Champion says he is a fan of the Prague style of marionette making.

Says the artist:

One of the things I like most about ALL Prague puppets is the way they don't try to hide the fact that they are made from wood... the master craftsmen seem to use the straight edges of chisel cuts to form unique facial expressions and unbelievable style to each character...this is what I someday hope to master for myself!

His blog posts document his project from drawings to roughing out the figure, to carving details. Stay tuned as he goes on to paint and assemble the puppet.

Here is a link to Wez's World -- the blog that documents the making of a marionette.

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Smith's PP1 "Pocket Pal" Multi-Function Sharpener

I haven't done a mini tool review in a while. Well, I've found something that truly deserves mention. I was lucky enough to receive the Smith's PP1 "Pocket Pal" Multi-Function Sharpener as a holiday gift. I have sharpened my share of knives, carving tools, and chisels. I've also purchased a lot of tools to do that sharpening. So, I admit, I was a little skeptical about this pocket-sized sharpening tool. My trusty Swiss Army Knife doesn't get the same attention that my woodworking tools get, so I decided to try the Smith tool on it. I ran the dull blade through the carbide slot a few times, then the ceramic slot a few times. The difference was incredible! I have yet to use the tapered diamond part of the tool, but I don't sharpen too many serrated blades. It can, of course, be used on non-serrated blades too, as well as on small gouges, scorps, and even fishing hooks. This tool is well worth the price in my book.

Here is a link to Smith's PP1 Pocket Pal Sharpener on Amazon.

[ Thanks Kev! ]

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Animated sculptures by Nedko Zhechev

Check out this excellent mechanized wooden hand by artist Nedko Zhechev.

See more animated sculptures by Nedko Zhechev on this web site.

[ Thanks Philsing! ]

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8" slow-speed grinder on sale to end of August

Woodcraft is offering this 8-inch slow speed grinder on sale from now until the end of August, 2009. Regularly priced at $110, it is now on sale for $95. The grinder comes equipped with 120 grit and 60 grit white aluminum oxide grinding wheels.

From the grinder description:

This quiet, smooth 1/2 HP, 1725 RPM slow-speed grinder is great for sharpening tools without generating the tool destroying heat that you get so quickly from 3450 RPM grinders.

Here's the link for more info 8 inch slow speed grinder.

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23 Piece Hobby & Craft Tool Set for under $15

I'm a little smitten with this hobby knife and tool set offered by Woodcraft.com. It contains all the things you would expect from one of these sets such as assorted knife blades, handles (3 actually), and a saw blade. But it goes beyond the norm with a inclusion of a tiny spoke shave, block plane, balsa strip tool, sanding block, and tweezers. It comes in a plastic case designed to fit each item. For $15 USD, this looks like a nice starter set for model making or working with any type of wood miniatures (model railroad, planes, boats, carving, etc).

Here's a link to this 23 Piece Hobby and Craft Tool Set.

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Proxxon 38481 IB/E Professional Rotary Tool

While most of us are familiar with the versatile rotary tool, we tend to equate it with the Dremel brand name. I have owned many, many Dremel tools and do not have any serious complaints.

Still, this Proxxon profession model appears to offer some noticeable improvements. The manufacturer claims that this model can be use for extended periods when polishing, grinding, cleaning and engraving -- without becoming overheated. That is one problem I have had in the past, but I think I pushed the poor Dremel too far.

Like the better models of Dremel rotary tools, this Proxxon can be run at a range of speeds from 5,000 to 20,000 RPMs. Variable speed is a an important feature in any make of rotary tool.

Finally, the Proxxon features a die cast aluminum head which serves as a study housing for the steel spindle, running within a ball bearing assembly. This strikes me as more robust than most Dremel tools.

The unit comes with six collets (sized 1/32", 1/16", 5/64", 3/32", 7/64" and 1/8") and is compatible with a number of Proxxon accessories such as a foot switch, flexible shaft, and drill stand.

Here is a link to the Proxxon 38481 IB/E Professional Rotary Tool

Note: Those of you who know you will be using a rotary tool a lot, should consider something like the Foredom rotary tools that jewelers and serious woodcarvers use.

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Video of CarveWright Wood Carver in Action

UPDATE: It appears the Woodcraft is no longer selling the CarveWright system. As an alternative, you should consider the CNC Shark Routing System or the really capable CNC Shark Pro Routing System.

Here is a video of CarveWright computerized woodcarving system in action. It's a woodworking robot.

CNC routers are nothing new. But, as I mentioned in a previous post, this system's price doesn't make it totally out-of-the-question for the personal wood shop.

In this video you get to see how the machine is set up and used, how bits are changed, and the basic CAD-like software it comes with. It sounds a bit noisy, but hey...it is a power router after all!

Here is more detailed info on the CarveWright at Woodcraft.com.

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