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Quite a few members have asked about carving a baseball cap, similar to the one you've probably seen slowly taking shape on our Home Page ('Why Join Us?'). And here is a version for you to have a go at.
There are many different types of baseball cap. Please don't try to get one just like mine. What I want to show you is the process, the journey if you like, taken step by step, and I hope you can then adapt to your own cap.
For those of you who like the written word: My book, ‘Woodcarving Course & Reference Manual’ (Fox Chapel Publishing 2016 ASIN: B01M6BQFYU) has a similar baseball cap and I strongly recommend it as an alternative look at the project. The badge at the front is a different shape and the cap has a buckle at the back and, most importantly, it was glued up from 2 pieces of wood.
Gluing up wood: How to orientate your boards to make up a starting block here.
Woodcarvers' screw: here.
| 28 October 2017 11:12
Byron - Well done! I've never carved avocado wood - I didn't even know you could get it! I hope you add your cap to the Members Galley when you've finished so we can see what it looks like.
| 27 October 2017 15:03
I watched the entire series on this cap because I started a carving of a cap about a year ago and I got stuck when I reached the strap detail. I learned some great ideas from this series that I could have applied on my carving. I really appreciate how Chris approaches a carving and how he observes the movement and the various planes that his model has. My understanding of how to visualize the shape within a block of wood has improved by pausing and studying the different areas of my model. I also like how Chris reduces the subject carving to simple ideas, like the strap on the cap was illustrated by a piece of twisted paper. I caught myself saying, "Wow", as I realized how to tackle that hurdle in my own carving.
My carving is with avocado; a quite hard wood, reddish brown. We live in an area of California where avocado is the primary agricultural crop and I have quite a supply of 18-24" dia. by 24"+/- tree cuttings.
