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This page is made up of
hand carved toys, jewellery, ornaments, household items, furniture and
toys, all made from various sustainable woods from around the world.
Carving
I only recently took up the art of wood carving and find it very rewarding. My
main hobbies are watercolour painting and woodturning. I began carving by
sketching out an outline on the piece of wood I had chosen to use "Get a good
quality wood block or a thick piece of wood. Use an appropriate size which is
easy for you to carve." and simply roughing them out on the band saw. I would
then sit for days in the garage carving away.
I got my initial ideas from watching video's and reading various books but
have now begun to gather my own ideas which I sketch in a pad for future
reference. I try to ensure I cut with the grain of the wood. I use slow
movements initially, as sometimes deeper grains can take the chisel a little too
deep than anticipated. I only cut against the grain when I am using using
high powered electronic carving tool being my "Dremal".
When starting to carve I use small incisions with the chisel to bring out the shape
I desire. For fine details, I carve by applying pressure on the handle with the palm of
my hand. A good idea is to blow on the carved area at regular intervals to remove wood chips
which gives a clear view of what I am doing.
I do hope you enjoy looking at my
online galleries and showrooms and if I have inspired you to have a go at
carving please follow this very simple but important advice.
1. Always use extreme caution when working with a chisel.
2. Always keep my hands away from the route of a chisel.
3. When finished with each chisel place a cover on the chisel mouth.
4. Always wear safety goggles when working with the chisel.
Wooden Toys - The Most
Durable Toys In The World
Wooden toys are regaining popularity again. And the
main reason for this? It's durability. But first, how
did wooden toys come about? Wooden toys exist because
that's the most readily available material, and toys can
be produced simply with a carving knife.
The price of a wooden toy depends very much on its
age and general condition. The older it is, and the
better the overall condition, the more valuable it will be.
In terms of price, wooden toys cannot match plastic
toys upfront, as it's cheaper to produce plastic toys.
However, wooden toys often last much longer, resulting
in substantial savings in the long run.
Wooden toys traditionally started out to be cheaper
than all other toys. But as technology evolves, plastic
eventually starts to replace wood when it comes to
making toys. Hence, many toy makers switched to plastic.
So if the decision to buy a toy is based on price alone,
then perhaps plastic toys will win this battle. But
often, toys mean more than just money alone.
Today, the price of a piece of wooden toy rises in
proportion to the time and skill required to make the
toy. In other words, the more time and skill needed, the
higher the price. Still, people continue to buy wooden
toys because they are suitable for everyone.
Whether you are an adult or a young child, you will
fall in love with tiny wooden toys, as they are just too
adorable to resist. Wooden toys are also suitable for
both boys and girls. There are toys like toy cars and
toy furniture that are suitable for both genders.
Children love wooden toys because they can play with
them both indoors and outdoors.
To preserve a wooden toy, clean the surface with a
wet cloth before putting it away. Regular cleaning will
make the wooden toy last longer. Some children like to
use wooden toys for pretend play. Pretend play
stimulates a child's imagination. Simple wooden toys
engages children and motivates them to think. The secret
to improving thinking and motor skills is to use simple
wooden toys to play simple games. For example, use
wooden blocks for counting games, or use puzzles to help
encourage thinking.
But for most toy collectors, they like to collect
wooden toys because wooden toys can last for a very long
time, they are often kept for sentimental reasons. For
an avid toy collector, there are many different types of
wooden toys to choose from. But what makes a wooden toys
so desirable to collect?
For one, as wooden toys last so long, they are often
still around even when their owners have grown up. And
despite having grown up, the owners often refuse to give
away their wooden toys as these toys bring back many
happy memories. Also, one does not have to worry about
harming the environment with wooden toys. In terms of
durability, wooden toys can outlast any plastic toys
with ease. They are also popular because of their
versatility.
So whether simple or complex, wood can be made into
all sorts of different toys. That means, surely, there
must be some wooden toy out there suitable for everyone.
Note: You can view a
bigger version of the wood turned items by placing your mouse curser on the
image and click. A new window will open with the larger image. When finished
viewing, just close the window and come back here to view the others.
Colour and markings may differ in
appearance slightly in your finished turning from the one's shown in the photo's
depending on wood used at the time they are turned. Each item is handcrafted
individually, so slight variances should be expected especially if ordering more
than one item. The sizes listed are approximate. They may be a couple of
millimetres taller, longer, wider or little shorter, etc.
Commissioned works - Why not have that special one off piece crafted by a professional craftsman.
I am available to make commissioned pieces for any special occasion, to your requirements . To discuss your requirements contact
me
Here
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