Whittling class at Port St Joe

Started six hours of class for beginners.  Three hours each for two consecutive days.


Day one:

1. What whittling is,
2. General safety and specific knife safety,
3. Let class select thumb guards and knifes,

4. Explanation and demonstration of stop cuts, paring cuts, and thumb assisted push cuts,
5. Wood grain,
6. Slicing cuts,
7. Techniques that help to avoid knife cuts to fingers, etc.,
8. Practice basic knife cuts on a "sampler" (Basswood 3/4" x 3" x 7")

9. Stropping the knife,
10. Continued Sampler practice (Individual cuts when combined is a roughed out face),

11.Christmas tree pin or ornament,

12.Whittling a round ball out of a square piece of a 3/4" piece of wood,

13.Snowman tree ornament.  Some started this project.

The above projects were selected because they featured the basic knife cuts that were practiced in previous exercises.  I also have a rule for myself, being that all members of the class will have completed pieces to take home with them each of the two days.  Everyone had a Christmas tree pin or ornament that was completely whittled, and some had started the snowman.
Day two, tomorrow. 5 Minute Wizard, or Santa pin/ornament.