We had another successful show this year. In spite of the un-seasonal snow and almost $4 per gallon price of gas, the attendance was good both in visitors and carvers with their entries.
This album shows entries of mine, family and friends.

18 files, last one added on May 07, 2008

3 files, last one added on Sep 30, 2006

This album contains special and unique tools that I use or have used during the time I have been carving. I will add to it as possible

2 files, last one added on Nov 16, 2007

I started with a dead rhododendron being weeded from a flower bed. Then I framed in the deck with 'planks' resawn from 5-gallon paint stir sticks from Home Depot. I decided this would be the material for all the framing and sheeting. It has 2 very good qualities; It has a very even grain and the price is very attractive, FREE.
This house is supposed to be made by kids; therefor it was necessary to have very few straight walls. The roof wound up the same.
The request from Kevin that it resemble my bark houses, also, controlled the shape of the windows.
Other controlling factors are the necessity for making the house match stories they (the Stout Family) have written and are going to write about "My Wonderful Tree House". The house is not yet complete.

I quit working on it last Fall, when it became too cold outside (That's my workshop).
Fortunately Spring will soon be here and I can start on it again.
As a matter of fact, it may have to be altered anyway, later, to match other stories. These stories are not published as yet, but we can always hope to see them in print.

29 files, last one added on Oct 03, 2006

It's Cottonwood bark. The decks are Red Cedar.
I use spray satin finish Deft (several coats).
I use hand tools to do the exterior.
A Dremel and Typhoon bits to rough out the inside after drilling the windows 1/4" deep or less. Then, finish the inside with whatever gouge works; some bent some straight.

Windows:
Layout the windows with pencil.
Relieve outside the frame.
Relieve the inside a little deeper.
Layout the muntins (inner framing).
Drill small holes in each pane (as large as is practical).
I then use diamond needle files from Harbor Freight. They sell 5 and 10 file sets. The 10 file set has the most variety of shapes and is the set I use.
The corners of the windows will be slightly rounded. I then use a very thin,
narrow,sharp knife to clean the corners and thin the muntins even more.

I've noticed, if I try to remove too much bark in a single cut, IT BREAKS.
If it breaks, you are trying to take too large a cut. Cottonwood bark is very brittle, so you have to sneak up on the final cut. And if your blade is not SHARP, THIN and NARROW, things will break. I repeat SHARP and even then do not try to wedge the bark. All cuts should be slicing and use minimal pressure. This is especially so in the window area.

The add-on decking and stairways are fine grained Red Cedar. re-sawn cross grain about 1/16"thick. I then slice individual planks after sanding re-saw marks, off.

17 files, last one added on Mar 30, 2007

This album has a random selection of the whittling classes I have taught. I usually manage to hold the student's attention for a couple of hours. The first half hour is a lesson on safe usage of a pocket knife. Starting with how to open and close it without cutting themselves. They walk away from the class with a finished project and no blood on it.

16 files, last one added on Nov 01, 2006

6 files, last one added on Jun 08, 2007

8 files, last one added on Nov 01, 2006

16 files, last one added on Nov 01, 2006

15 files, last one added on Feb 09, 2008

I am trying to set up an album for registered members to up load their pictures.
So far, it does not work. I will keep trying. Wade
IN THE MEANTIME, if you wish to have a picture posted, please send it to me as an attachment to e-mail.
Max size 1024X768.
send to: wade@wadeswood.com
add a description in the e-mail.
Thanx

1 files, last one added on Feb 23, 2007

This album is for Dale to post pictures

9 files, last one added on May 07, 2008

8 files, last one added on Nov 01, 2006

10 files, last one added on Nov 01, 2006