Capital City Carvers

CARVING OPPORTUNITIES

February 18-21, North Port, FL, Florida Woodcarvers Roundup, FloridaWoodcarversRoundup.com or visit WhittlingShack.com.

February 20-22, Wetumpka AL, Southeastern Woodcarving School, Judy Brooks, 334-414-0952

February 25-27, Gainesville FL, Florida Woodcarvers Roundup, FloridaWoodcarversRoundup.com or visit WhittlingShack.com.

March 17-21, Lebanon TN, Renegade Woodcarvers Roundup, sbrownwoodcarving.com

Other opportunities are listed on the Chip Chats website. www.ChipChats.org

I have had the good fortune to subscribe to the Woodworkers Institute, based in Britain, and wanted to share a few articles they have published.

The Wooden Warbird October 11, 2024

Imagine being a cabinetmaker in 1940s wartime Britain. Resources are scarce. Every sacrificial scrap of metal has been melted down for instruments of war, even iron railings. An alternative material is desperately needed to keep the machine turning.

Suddenly, out of the blue, you are required to up tools from your workshop to the factory floor. Armed with your planes and chisels, you are thrust into the relentless industry of warplane production.

Such was the vocation of many woodworkers during this period of history. The de Havilland Mosquito warplane was the aeronautical industry's solution to Britain's resource scarcity. Famously nicknamed The Wooden Wonder, it was primarily made of ply and balsa wood. Skilled woodworkers, including carpenters and cabinetmakers, were pooled from across the country to craft components and bring it all together. These craftsmen were adept at using hand planes and other traditional tools to create fine, smooth surfaces and tight joints. The precise nature of the hand-planed surfaces ensured that the Mosquito's structure was strong, light and aerodynamically efficient. It was a remarkably successful aircraft and was unsurpassed in performance by enemy counterparts.

Knife Sharpening November 28, 2024

The ancient craft of knife sharpening is as old as humanity's reliance on tools. In the Stone Age, early humans sharpened flint to create cutting edges - a practice refined over thousands of years. The advent and use of metal blades during the Bronze and Iron Ages required regular sharpening, and so natural stones like sandstone and whetstone were chosen for their abrasive properties, becoming fundamental materials for the continual use of metal blades.

In ancient Japan, sharpening reached near-spiritual levels, especially with the rise of the samurai. Master craftsmen used water stones (toishi) to hone blades like the katana to razor-sharp perfection. This meticulous tradition extended to Japanese kitchen knives, establishing a legacy of sharpening expertise that is revered around the world to this day.
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