Hello from a whittler in inner Sydney

[TheWhittler]

Hey everyone,
I've been whittling as a hobby for a couple of years now and since my friends kept bugging me to buy them I decided to set up a little business in the past month or so called 'The Whittler'. This has just been out of my little studio apartment (!) and the band saw at my work. Four days I am an architectural model-maker so it is all just in the other three days and my evenings.

I'm just using a hobby craft knife at the moment but I am tossing up whether to get some Pfiel whittling knives or maybe a Carving Jack. I'm interested in sourcing some other softer woods if anyone in Sydney has a nice supply. My timber wish-list looks like this (based on my reading from this site and others):Camphor Laurel, Huon Pine, Australian Cedar, White Cheesewood, King William Pine, Hoop Pine, White Beech, Western Red Cedar, English Lime, Pepperwood, Red Cedar. The only one I have actually tried is Red Cedar and I've used Oregon but found it is too hard a wood for my skill level. My average birds are from 25x50x100mm (1" x 2" x 4") block so if anyone in Sydney has some small off cuts to offload for me to sample that would be amazing.

[munruben]

Hi Whittler, welcome aboard. You should show some of your pics here for us to see. :2tsup:

[Christos]

Welcome to the forum.

[TheWhittler]

Some Photos here:
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs314.snc4/41036_152746248072682_152713894742584_512581_1605990_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs395.snc4/45871_152725011408139_152713894742584_512482_1891624_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs037.snc4/34235_1507051521461_1389493248_1415632_7776945_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs154.ash2/41019_152745161406124_152713894742584_512577_801501_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs416.snc3/25093_1412728323440_1389493248_1174213_8289636_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs456.ash1/25093_1412731803527_1389493248_1174236_4589676_n.jpg

[whitewood]

Hi Matt,
You should have included Paulownia in the list of timbers. Soft so it is easy to carve and light weight so less postage for your customers. The light colour would make it easier if you were painting the birds.

John

[artme]

G'day Whittler and welcome to the cubby!!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

Some good looking work there!:)

[artme]

G;day Shivam and welcometo the shed>:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

Nice part of the world to live.:):)

[Ayden]

Hi Whittler,
Hey Whittler, I am Ayden. Can you give me some tips on how to start off whittling and where to get supplies. I am new to whittling and I would prefer cheaper supplies if possible. I live in the inner Sydney area and can also get to the Central Coast as well. Do you still have your business going? I would be interested in checking out what you have. Ayden

[munruben]

Thanks for sharing those pics with us whittler. Nice work.
If I were you I would post some of your whittling/carving pieces here (http://www.woodworkforums.com/f10/) and I am sure you will get much more response than in this welcome forum. This link is to the woodcarving and sculptor forum and I am sure there are many who would like to see your work.:2tsup:

[munruben]

Hi Whittler,
Hey Whittler, I am Ayden. Can you give me some tips on how to start off whittling and where to get supplies. I am new to whittling and I would prefer cheaper supplies if possible. I live in the inner Sydney area and can also get to the Central Coast as well. Do you still have your business going? I would be interested in checking out what you have. AydenHi Ayden, I think you would probably benefit from the link I posted above in my reply to whittlers post..:2tsup:

[woodslab]

G'day whittler welcome to the forum .I might be able to help with the wood situation:2tsup:

[SHEETMETAL]

Whittler welcome fellow Newtown neighbour,
Mate you need to get out more!

You live in Newtown. the land of the terrace house! Terrrace houses get renovated, When the yuppies renovate first thing they do is tear out all the skirting board & throw it in the skip bin. That skirting board is AUSTRALIAN RED CEDAR, et out there & scrounge!

You need to go out roaming the streets and scrounge in skip bins;

Welcome to da forum, PM me and we will organise a time for you to come round to my place & enjoy a coool drink so I can gloat over my collection of Australian red cedar.

Looking forward to your pm.
Gerard

[STAR]

Welcome Whittler.

I have just become interested in Carving and the caricature style I am interested in takes in a lot of knife work with some gouges,

The beauty of it is you can get started with a minimum of equipment, but the guys here will see that you do not fall in to that trap.

Pete

[STAR]

Hi Matt,
You should have included Paulownia in the list of timbers. Soft so it is easy to carve and light weight so less postage for your customers. The light colour would make it easier if you were painting the birds.

John

---------------------------------
I never thought of Paulowina for carving. At the moment I am using off cuts off a big plank of Jelutong I purchase to make a life style Christmas Toy Nutcracker Soldier.

I will keep it in mind,and if we ever have another BBQ and you are on the Coast I can have a play.

Pete

[whitewood]

Pete,

I'm only an hours drive from Nerang. If you go down the Numinbah Valley it's a beautiful drive. There is a very nice Country Cafe in Tyalgum and the pub has been done up again recently. You can take another scenic route back to Currumbin Valley on the way home.

If you let me know you can pick out some off cuts that may be suitable for carving, depending on what you carve. I can be available any day of the week as I'm supposed to be retired

John