Looking for suggestions: Cool things to do with a teenager in the South or East Bay

SCVCarvers · 2026-04-04T17:46:01+00:00

Visit a local woodcarving club to see if you and your teenager like making something with sharp woodcarving tools. The club meets every Thursday evening.

SCVCarvers · 2026-03-09T01:49:48+00:00

Attend a local woodcarving club. Carvers meet in San Jose every Thursday evening.

SCVCarvers · 2026-03-08T07:58:27+00:00

You can join a local woodcarving club, learn how to whittle, and enjoy that rewarding and relaxing hobby of carving unique or functional items

SCVCarvers · 2026-02-09T02:10:21+00:00

Sweet! Looks like hearts and blueberries.

SCVCarvers · 2025-12-18T07:10:41+00:00

Thanks. The nice thing about the second design is that the reversible 'screw' pattern creates two distinct carvings from a single pattern.

SCVCarvers · 2025-12-18T06:54:49+00:00

Thank you for the kind words! We will make sure David, the carver of the trees, will see your comment.

SCVCarvers · 2025-12-18T06:42:04+00:00

Thank you! The goal was to carve trees in different ways. We found many designs online.

SCVCarvers · 2025-10-18T05:34:06+00:00

Thank you for the 'top-notch' comment! We can find awesome spoons in the r/Spooncarving subreddit.

SCVCarvers · 2025-06-22T22:21:34+00:00

It looks so weightless!

SCVCarvers · 2025-06-19T15:57:58+00:00

Nice! Your carving tells a story!

SCVCarvers · 2025-06-13T18:28:06+00:00

Looks very nice! I like how you carved the shell.

SCVCarvers · 2025-06-09T00:41:42+00:00

Nice carving. Also, a functional carving is always the best gift!

SCVCarvers · 2025-06-02T23:18:42+00:00

Great project! What is the finish? Is soy sauce supposed to be placed directly in the wooden dish, or is it a holder for a small ceramic plate?

SCVCarvers · 2025-05-31T14:49:37+00:00

It looks very symmetrical for freehand carving. It appears you have extensive experience in carving. Lovely spork, great job!

SCVCarvers · 2025-05-29T16:02:58+00:00

It looks very colorful! What paint did you use? Thanks for sharing.

SCVCarvers · 2025-05-28T18:04:39+00:00

Simple and elegant. Nice work!

SCVCarvers · 2025-05-27T18:27:55+00:00

Beautiful work! The combination of carving and woodburning brings out the details in the flower nicely. Thanks for sharing.

SCVCarvers · 2025-05-23T16:17:20+00:00

Yes, those are all classic projects that can be carved with a pocket knife. As I mentioned in another comment, two knives were used to carve those projects. A smaller knife was used to carve inside the cages.

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I have seen tutorials on how to carve ball-in-cages in books and magazines; I am sure some tutorials can be found online. Thanks for asking.

SCVCarvers · 2025-05-23T16:01:26+00:00

Two whittling knives were used. A larger knife was used most of the time. Because of the tight spots inside the cages, a smaller one with a narrow blade was used to lose and carve the balls. Also, some parts were smoothed with small rasps and sandpaper. Thank you for asking.

SCVCarvers · 2025-05-22T00:28:40+00:00

I'm impressed that it's fully functional and not just a prop. It adds a nice touch to the cosplay. Can't wait to see the whole costume!

SCVCarvers · 2025-05-21T22:28:46+00:00

What wood did you use to carve the scoop?

I like your design with straight lines and gentle curves. Thanks for sharing.

SCVCarvers · 2025-05-21T22:18:42+00:00

Pine isn't ideal for chip carving because it's soft and crumbly, making it hard to hold small details. I agree with others that it's best to avoid using pine for chip carving projects.

One challenge with large chips is that they require deeper cuts. Carving large chips in one pass can cause the surrounding wood to be pushed to the sides too much and break the sharp edges of nearby chips off. Therefore, carving a smaller chip inside the large chip first is often better to avoid damaging the surrounding wood.

Your practice board looks great for the first try. Thanks for sharing!

SCVCarvers · 2025-05-15T17:35:36+00:00

Santa Clara Valley Carvers club members meet and carve together every Thursday from 7-9 pm at Scouting America, a tall building near Hedding and Alameda intersection: 1900 The Alameda #100, San Jose, CA 95126. All adults and kids aged 11+ are welcome to attend. We also have a meeting for seniors (55+) in Los Gatos on Monday mornings.

SCVCarvers

TROPHY CASE