Carving Logistics Question

Joe Spoo

Joe Spoo

Member
Since about the time I found this site, going on 10 years ago, I've wanted to start carving. I have books, videos, kits and projects in various states of start. After essentially a two-year hiatus from waterfowling, related to some dog health issues I've got the bug bad again and want to get started on these carving projects.

My problem, I don't have a shop, or heated garage. My basement is finished except for the utility room, which is currently poorly lit and stuffed with hunting gear. I'm looking for suggestions on carving setups that would work for a guy with little to no "extra" space. My major concern is dust, both for me and the house. I'm hoping this will be one of my many winter projects.

Thanks,
Joe
 
Joe, In-Lap dust collection system is one way to go. Smaller in size than a big Delta(or any other name) whole shop dust collection system. It can hang under a small bench. Hang a fluorescent light or two and your off. I paint NEAR my carving station, but not at it. TOO much dust in your paint is not good. Hang your fordoem from the ceiling, next to your bench, on your strong hand side. Adjust height as you go. A board in front of you as you sit and carve, to hang(or pin) reference pictures on, is a big help to me. Hope this helps.

dggcarver@roadrunner.com

www.odcca.net
 
my wife encourages me to pursue my art related interest................however, ( in her own words ), NO MORE SANDING IN THE HOUSE !

Do it one time "without" a dust collector and you will see how valuable one is . really , get one.
I try to blame it on the dogs , but I think she's on to me...........
 
Are you thinking about carving with power? If just with knives and chisels and rasps, get a good shop vac and lay a big piece of cardboard on the floor with a chair sitting on top...then sweep up after making a mess. A bandsaw out in the garage would work as you don't spend enough time on it to freeze your nether regions.
 
let me see if I can get some pics of my poormans carving set up. I have no garage or basement, but I am also single so I used plastic sheeting and sectioned off a spare bedroom with no one to answer to. I use a portable dust collector with a lap mount and the band saw is in a outside shed. When its nice I take the foredom outside and do my carving there but otherwise it works fine.
 
Joe, dont discount what Lee said. Traditional tools make much less mess and are much more relaxing to use, IMO than power tools- to me, this is largely due to the lack of dust made. Just make sure that you have a vice/ holding system that is secure and works reliably.

About the only power tool I use on gunners anymore is an orbital sander.
 
Thanks guys. Would love to see some pictures of a poor man's setup. Ira and Lee, would would be your basic recommended tool list for power free carving. I was seriously considering springing for the foredom but if I didn't it would certainly make my setup easier.

Thanks again,
Joe
 
Bandsaw, couple of knives that feel good to you, hand strop or power strop for a drill to keep edges razor sharp, drawknife, good vise, couple rasps, half round and flat, drill bits for eyes(never could carve a round hole), box of big bandaides and tube of Mycetracin. Some flexcut carving chisels are nice too with a few dowel rods of different diameters to wrap sandpaper around.
 
Joe, i know full time decoy makers who live in apartment buildings, and it doesn't slow there production down at all. Some wood working stores or community colleges have nights where, you can use tools and do the finish work at home.

I don;t know from where you hail, but I have seen decoy makers in the south with open air shops; nothing more then a small roof with posts off of an existing structure.

There are not many places where you can't find a local "Rutgers", that will offer you some help.
 
You need a Man Lair! Over the years I used to do all my cutting on someone else's bandsaw and then work on the decoys with rasps and knives where ever. I set up in my camper with a propane heater one winter, a garden shed with a wood stove one year, the unheated porch on our trailer for a while, and I even carved in a corner of our kitchen one winter when we lived in a basement. I don't reccommend that last one. A sunflower style heater on a propane bottle makes a pretty portable heat source.

You could go sit in your truck and carve with the heater on AND you'd have tunes.

I still do my hollowing and some sanding outside because it makes such a mess, but my cut off is -25C. After that its less like fun and more like work. Good luck Joe.

Mike
 
Are you thinking about carving with power? If just with knives and chisels and rasps, get a good shop vac and lay a big piece of cardboard on the floor with a chair sitting on top...then sweep up after making a mess. A bandsaw out in the garage would work as you don't spend enough time on it to freeze your nether regions.
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I'll sometimes carve during lunch in my office with a cardboard box at my feet to collect the chips...heck, I make more of a mess eating chips and watching TV at home on the couch.

I knocked out this teal in 2 Thursday evenings at Paul's (no power):

decoys001-2.jpg


2 knives:

knife003.jpg


Riffler:

mallard025-1.jpg


What I call a "4 way rasp" (one side convex, one flat, each half rough and half fine):

mallard025-2.jpg


Plus a little rounded plam gouge, bandsaw (for the cut out) and hand drill for eyes and doweling the head(don't have a press). Hand sanded, then painted in the house with acrylics. Biggest mess is the bandsaw. I have a powercarver, but Paully gets mad when you sit in front of the stove and let the fan distribute dust evenly around the room to everyones lungs ;)

Chuck
 
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On a side note, I do all my carving with a foredom style grinder, I tried a knife and rasp but I didn't enjoy it, didn't like the results so I made the leap to dremel(didn't last long), then full size flexshaft grinder. I am much happier now and enjoy getting dusty.

Pardon the mess, I haven't been carving during hunting season so little projects get left behind and cleaning is in order.

With no garage and no basement I need a hunting/decoys/carving area. First the tile floor in the room was nice to have to start out. I took a long dowel rod and fit it to the room width.

View attachment decoyroom4.jpg

then attached plastic sheeting from the ceiling to the floor and cut section to enter.

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The room turned out to be about 5' x 10' outside of walking in and out(I wipe my feet before entering the main area of the house) I don't think I get much dust leaving the area.

I bought a portable dust collector from Penn state Industries and a piece of plastic for venting at home depot to make a lap mount dust collector. I ended up not liking it laying in my lap so I built a cheap bench that holds it and I carve over the top and use the rest as you see as place to set stuff.

View attachment decoyroom2.jpg


I also need more shelving and a sorta work area so I built a cheap bench out of wood. Its turned into more storage than a work area. My dad gave me the old drill press, but I only use it for drilling out keels for lead and anchor line, even then I could just use a hand drill.

View attachment decoyroom1.jpg

On the other side I bought a cheap metal shelving unit to store unfinshed projects, decoys in process and just more places to store things.

View attachment decoyroom3.jpg

Overall it works well, bit cramped but the decoys don't mind. Don't get me wrong I would LOVE to have a dedicated shop but thats just not possible here. I beleive if you had the correct flooring you could do this in an apartment as well. The only drawback I have is when I am using something the creates fumes, it will drift into the house. So I set up a fan in the window and turn it on. Hope this gives you some ideas.

View attachment decoyroom4.jpg
View attachment decoyroom.jpg
View attachment decoyroom2.jpg
View attachment decoyroom1.jpg
View attachment decoyroom3.jpg
 
holy cow, Bill! You certainly have a ton more tools than I.. You know, none of us hunt ALL day, EVERY day!! get busy---taking on a new padiwan--son of one of the guys who guns the digs--We kinda started him gunning when he was in middle school-he is now in college, and needs something to do to kill stress--oh well, here goes another guy into dekeaddiction!!!
Black duck basics beginning tomorrow!
 
I don't use but 4 bits, rest is evaluation.

What I am I doing, my buddy wants 6 redheads, I said yes against my better judgement, now I am making decoys for people.
 
I bit the bullet and built the "dog house" out in the back yard. It's a small shed that houses all my hunting and fishing gear. Complete with heat, a fridge and cd player. There was some effort and expense involved but well worth it. I can leave unfinished work for days without having to clean up.


DSC02026-1.jpg

 
Thanks to all, lots of good information. I dug out the tubs storing the old projects as well as the video set I've never watched. I'll see what I can do downstairs.

Thanks,
Joe
 
Nice work Tom, is that a Kunz spokeshave I see? How do you like it?
Click to expand...


Yes that is a Kunz- It's great for ripping through material fast and cleanly.
This is my first year carving so I really am just getting my feet wet, so to speak- but I am hooked, big time.

Tom
 
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