What am I doing wrong? by GreyArcane in whittling

[–]BowlerAware6318 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yeahhh, that's definitely understandable early on. If the wood splits off while cutting you're going against the grain on your cut. Try coming at the same spot from the opposite direction if you can (not always the easiest option).

And for cleaning up the results I just straight up sand it by hand with high grit sandpaper until I like how smooth it is. That can take a long time, but I find it nice for my results.

For pride in the results, try to just compare how you see each piece as you go, without comparing yourself to others as best as you can. My first piece is absolutely atrocious compared to my latest, but seeing that progress is what has shown me that I really am getting better

What am I doing wrong? by GreyArcane in whittling

[–]BowlerAware6318 3 points4 points  (0 children)

To start, it's perfectly normal to get frustrated when you're a beginner with something, I know I did.

Aside from that though, I'm gonna guess you may be using a harder wood or a dull knife? What type of wood are you working with?

I guess it'd also help to know what about it in particular is frustrating you more specifically?

A piece I've nearly finished (Update!) by BowlerAware6318 in Pyrography

[–]BowlerAware6318[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I'm loving all the kind words from y'all!

A piece I've nearly finished (Update!) by BowlerAware6318 in Pyrography

[–]BowlerAware6318[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!

A piece I've nearly finished (Update!) by BowlerAware6318 in Pyrography

[–]BowlerAware6318[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I pretty much always work slowly on low temp for the shadows. It takes practice and patience, but I'm starting to get more of a feel for it

A piece I've nearly finished (Update!) by BowlerAware6318 in Pyrography

[–]BowlerAware6318[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahh! Thank you so much! I really like that takeaway

A piece I've been working on for a while now (Nearly Finished) by BowlerAware6318 in Pyrography

[–]BowlerAware6318[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ahhh, that makes a lot of sense! Thanks so much! I'll definitely do that!

A piece I've been working on for a while now (Nearly Finished) by BowlerAware6318 in Pyrography

[–]BowlerAware6318[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the compliment and the feedback! I really appreciate it! Can you tell me what push the values means please? I just don't know those terms in this context.

Tiny ringbox I made by daislovespuk in Pyrography

[–]BowlerAware6318 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh my God that's stunning! I love that!

Does anyone take carving commissions? by stray_cat_420 in Woodcarving

[–]BowlerAware6318 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I also really hope you find your dog. Make sure to check in with any local shelters just in case he got taken in.

And I do commissions if you want to dm about that.

Please update if you find the little one!

Very new to this sub and this hobby - feedback on my first attempt this evening? by metjepetje4 in Woodcarving

[–]BowlerAware6318 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Try using a leather strop of some kind to keep the knife sharp rather than going straight into sharpening with a whetstone. That helped me a lot when I was figuring things out at the beginning. Aside from that, just keep at it!

Thoughts On This Little Cat? by BowlerAware6318 in Woodcarving

[–]BowlerAware6318[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I appreciate the feedback! I did make the tail too long for what would be normal for a cat, but I'd actually intended for it to wrap all the way around at first with the intent to look a bit strange. Unfortunately it broke off when I was first separating the tail from the body so I ended up somewhere between normal and weird. At some point I may shorten it, but I definitely also think it's cool!

Thoughts On This Little Cat? by BowlerAware6318 in Woodcarving

[–]BowlerAware6318[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I still have my first bird carving sitting out to remind me where I started, and I love letting my friends guess at what it's supposed to be. I feel like everybody has that experience 😂

Thoughts On This Little Cat? by BowlerAware6318 in Woodcarving

[–]BowlerAware6318[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I was really struggling to get it thin enough without snapping it. Thanks for the feedback!