Ozark Walking Sticks

Wood Carving as a Healing Method

admin — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:30:04 +0000

While doing some wood carving research the other day, I found a great article that talks about the healing attributes that wood carving can have for a person. The article details how art and decoration can affect your mood and therefore alter your stress levels. It also relays those same attributes to wood carving projects.

When you as a wood carver enjoy the projects that you are working on, you will tend to feel better about them and yourself. You will also do a better job on the wood carving project. I have to say that I agree, that when I am doing a wood carving project that I enjoy working on, it allows me to relax and time can get away from me. I have always been a firm believer that people should find a hobby that they enjoy and stick with it. You will become more relaxed and get your mind off of the stresses of everyday life.

To read the article for yourself, check it out at White Eagle Studios.

Optimize Images to Reduce Load Time on Websites

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:10:39 +0000

As I have made my way learning different aspects of running a blog, I have found that there are many tips and tricks that although may seem small, can really make a difference. One such trick is to always use an image optimizing program to optimize or reduce the size of your image files. By reducing the size of the file itself, each time that someone loads a page with that image, it takes less time to load the image because of the small file size.

As I have gone along, I have found that a great little program called Free Image Optimizer is my best option. It is easy to use, works every time and best of all, it’s completely free. You have the option of downloading the program so that it is available when not connected to the internet, or to use the online optimization tool.

Here is a link to the download page for the Free Image Optimizer: Free Image Optimizer

I have no agreements or deals with this company, therefore, I can give a very honest and non-biased review of their program. If you have a blog or website, it would be beneficial to check them or any other image optimizer out.

Ozark Walking Sticks Product Review – Colwood Wood Burning System

admin — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 14:00:38 +0000

When I got started with wood carving, I noticed that one technique of finishing wood carvings, is to use a wood burner to burn designs and textures into the piece. Not wanting to spend much money just to try out wood burning, I went to the local Wal-mart and bought a cheap wood burning iron. The iron worked good for burning my initials into my carving, but it lacked a lot as far as versatility and useability.

Last year, as my 10 year wedding anniversary got close, my wife and I exchanged ideas for gifts for each other, so that we didn’t spend money on stuff that we may not use. One of the gift ideas that I presented, was for a Colwood Wood Burning Kit. It included a Colwood Detailer wood burning system, a wood burning book and 3 wood burning tips. To my delight, my wife bought the kit for me.

I have to say that if you are going to do anything with pyrography (woodburning) other than just burn an occasional initial, you need to get a real wood burning system. With the 3 tips that came in the kit, there have been so many things that I have been able to do. One very helpful technique that I can now do, is use the fine burning tip to outline and detail my wood carvings. This past Christmas season, I used the wood burner to outline the santa ornaments that I carved before painting them. It make the ornament features stand out so much more than just painting them.

I fully recommend the Colwood Wood Burning Kit for all wood carvers. Below is a link to the same kit that I have and really enjoy using. Another great feature, is the ability to buy different tips for more specific project needs.

Make Cuts to Stop Paint from Bleeding

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:35:36 +0000

When finishing a wood carving project, I have found that adding some paint will really finish out a piece. There have been several projects that I have carved and after finishing, I think about how it just didn’t satisfy my mental image of what the project should be. After adding some color, it really changes the carving in a good way and adds depth and distinction.

Sometimes, when painting small carvings or delicate areas of larger carvings, the paint will try to bleed over to an area that it is not intended to be. A simple way to limit the paints ability to bleed and run, is to make a simple stop cut between the areas that will have either no paint or different colors of paint.

The cut will cause the fibers of the wood to separate slightly and create a barrier that the paint will be less likely to pass over. This technique will also add some definition and division between features. As with any new technique, try it out a few times on a scrap piece or a piece that will not break your heart if you mess up.

Ozark Walking Sticks Review of Heinecke Wood Products

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:00:47 +0000

Any time that you set out to do something that you enjoy, you should strive to have the best material and equipment that you possibly can. If you like to go fishing, you want the best fishing gear that will help you accomplish a successful fishing trip. If you are a hunter, you want the best supplies and weapons to help ensure that you have the advantage on every outing. Wood carving isn’t any different.

When you set out to work on a wood carving project, whether you are a seasoned wood carver, or a brand new beginner, you need to have the best tools and wood to make the wood carving process safer, more fun, and more successful.

There are a ton of choices when it comes to choosing quality wood carving tools, but I’ve not found any better option for great quality basswood than Heinecke Wood Products. Tim and Dale Heinecke have been in the wood business for over 30 years and supplying fine carving wood since 1995. Their practice blocks are all Northern Wisconsin Basswood.

Every order that I have received from Heinecke, shipped quickly and delivered wonderful white basswood that was precisely cut and planed on all sides. The practice sticks are ready to carve right out of the box and create really nice carvings. They even do custom sized at no additional cost.

Check them out today, you won’t be disappointed.

5 New Beginner Wood Carving Videos from Gene Messer

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:33:28 +0000

Ozark Walking Sticks has 5 new Gene Messer Beginner Wood Carving Videos on DVD ready to ship to your door. These DVDs are a great resource for all wood carvers who want to be able to sit down and carve an easy project without using an internet connection. You can rewind and fast forward these wonderful wood carving projects so that you don’t miss a single cut.

The wood carving projects are jam packed with information and show the entire process of carving the projects listed below. Mr. Messer goes step by step on video so that you can follow along and carve one for yourself.

Wood Carving - Indian Girl

You get two DVD’s jam packed with easy to follow instruction on the simple projects listed above. Each DVD is priced at a very low price of $~~24.00~~ $12.99 and comes with free shipping. Pick up your own copy and start making wood carvings.

Please allow 2 weeks for processing and delivery.

Wood Carved Cowboy

Please allow 2 weeks for processing and delivery.

Wood Carved Animal Shelf Sitters

Please allow 2 weeks for processing and delivery.

Wood Carved Broken Heart

You get a DVD jam packed with easy to follow instruction on the simple projects listed above. Each DVD is priced at a very low price of $~~12.99~~ $9.99 and comes with free shipping. Pick up your own copy and start making wood carvings.

Please allow 2 weeks for processing and delivery.

3 Piece Santa Wood Carving

Please allow 2 weeks for processing and delivery.

Use the View Cart button below to process your order after you have added all of the desired DVDs.

All videos are in MPEG-2 format and should play in most set-top DVD players.

20 Wood Carving Tips for 2012

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:58:48 +0000

If you talked to 20 different wood carvers, you would probably get a lot of different responses if you asked for some quick and easy tips for wood carving. Here are 20 tips to get your wood carving started out on the right foot for 2012.

Learn to Sharpen your tools
Wear a Wood Carving Glove and Thumb guard
Keep all wood carving patterns
Keep a small mirror in your wood carving box to examine your own facial expressions.
Buy some good wood carving books
Purchase tools individually, not as a set
Use good quality paint brushes
Use a business card as a carving ruler
Strop your wood carving tools often
Use blade protectors to keep wood carving tool blades safe and sharp
Keep band-aids in your carving box
Keep a notepad and pencil with your to record ideas when you have them
Find a wood carving club or carving friend to guidance and motivation
Maintain your wood carving tools
Keep a folder of pictures of your carving subjects to refer to
Take pictures of all of you wood carvings as a record to see your progress
Subscribe to Wood Carving Illustrated and/or Chip Chats
Buy quality wood carving tools
Mark your wood carving tools
Practice, Practice, Practice

Painting Trick for Wood Carving Paint Washes

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:22:05 +0000

Most wood carvers that I talk to, including myself, prefer for their completed and painted wood carvings still look like wood. That means that we want them to have some wood grain showing through that paint. I feel that this adds to the beauty of the wood carving. It also lets the person looking at the wood carving know immediately that it is a wood carving.

There have been times when painting my wood carvings, that I have coated the paint too heavily and it makes the finished piece look like it could possibly be made of plastic, ceramic, or some other non-wood material. The key to allowing the wood grain to show through is to use a paint wash.

Paint washes are accomplished by watering down your desired color of paint. It will take practice getting the right proportion of water to paint. I like to keep a piece of scrap wood of the same type that my project is carved in to test the paint wash. Another option that you have to test your paint wash, is to use some newspaper.

Save some old newspapers and when you are ready to test a paint wash for it transparency qualities, you can apply the paint wash directly to the newspaper. If you can see the newspaper enough to ready the print, you have a paint wash that will allow the wood grain to show up after the wood carving is completed.

Happy New Year from Ozark Walking Sticks!!!!

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:28:14 +0000

I know that I’m a little late getting this post up to say Happy New Year, but it’s only the 3rd of January. I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and are now turning the page on a New Year full of opportunity and wood carving experiences.

So far, I haven’t completed any projects for 2012, so I haven’t been able to sign any carvings with ’12 yet. Hopefully a couple carvings will finish up in the next couple weeks. I notice that I usually have a few projects going at the same time. Every project that I do, seems to bring to mind other ideas and then I start on those and more ideas manifest.

It’s a new year and I hope to touch on some more interesting wood carving topics through the year. Just remind everyone, if you have a carving project that you want to share, just email us some pictures and maybe some background about the piece. We always enjoy seeing and sharing pictures of other carvers projects on the blog.

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!

Painted Walking Stick

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:00:59 +0000

After hand carving several walking sticks with wood spirit faces, I had the idea to try painting the wood spirits face. I had a really vivid mental picture of what I wanted to accomplish, but was concerned that it may not turn out well. But, as with all wood carving projects in their beginning stages, you have have a clear mental picture and then work to accomplish the results that you expect.

I set out to hand carve the wood spirit face in the walking stick first, just like I have done on other sticks. I left the eyes without any carved detail because they would be painted during the painting and finishing stage.

walking stick carved

Then I applied acrylic paint to the wood spirit face.

walking stick painted eyes

walking stick painted unfinished

After I was satisfied with the painted wood spirit face on the walking stick, I applied a couple light coats of sprayed polyurethane to give it a shiny look and provide some sealing and protection. More coats of polyurethane may come later, but for now it is completed.

walking stick finished