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There is no doubt that the 'feet' - though with a squirrel the front ones might be better called 'hands' - are the trickiest part of the carving; the grain is short and the cuts small. What's really important is that you have the overall shape right, before separating out the toes.
Here's a trick: Imagine that you the feet are finished and have 'Clingfilm' ('Clingwrap') covering them - that's what the wood should look like before you start dividing the toes.
| 03 April 2020 19:03
Larry - I always used air-dried timber; it's significantly milder to carve. It seems kiln-drying make many woods brittler and harder.
I don't know much about white Oak but the little I have used always seemed softer than European Oak, which I'm using here. I would say that a lot of any timber's hardness depends on how fast the tree grew: the slower the growth, the denser and thus the harder the wood; so it may be you have much slower grown timber than mine?
Hope to see your squirrel in the Gallery!
| 28 January 2016 08:22
Penny - Several people have said that and I love it. You must be so engaged in what you are seeing. Do have a go at the squirrel and don't forget to let us see it in the gallery!
| 27 January 2016 17:48
I find myself "blowing" at the computer screen trying to get rid of the wood chips. I love this project, I can't wait to try it!
