Post #262285 by Tiki-Kate on Sun, Oct 22, 2006 6:21 PM

I didn't end up with enough time to make any serious progress on my tiki today. Since I'm a complete beginner, I focused on how not to hurt myself. (I know you other beginners are thinking, "I don't want to be the first one to draw blood.")

I feel much safer with the chisels and mallet than I do with the hook knife. Because of the curve of the blade, my instinct is to hold my thumb against the curved side. Well, that's how you lose a finger. I worked with it on some wood scraps just to get the feel for it. And yes, my fingers are all still in tact.

I'm really looking forward to learning a lot next weekend. And I'm very glad that we're going over how to sharpen chisels. It's true that a sharp chisel will go through palm wood like it's butter.

It's very intimidating being in the same class as so many seasoned carvers. I have the feeling that the beginners will need some simple instructions and then a whole lot of practice.