Yeh, My carving skills aint great. I dont wana give up on that idea yet.

I am going to keep working at them.

Take another run at the carved hammer head.
There is no question you can do this. Maybe need a little help though. 
First, what you got for wood?
And second what you got for tools?

If you are trying to use a home depot 2X4 life will be tough. Hemlock grown in 2 years, or whatever plantation dreck they are selling now will want to fall apart on you, whatever you do. 
You need something decent.
  Show us your wood stash??? Try to show the end grain as well as the face?

  And tools, get a picture of tools for us?

   If you don't have one, for a beginning carver you want a shoe rasp. 
Flat rasp and file on one side, and curved rasp and file on the other.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nicholson-10-Shoe-Rasp-18962n-/370567578833?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56478c84d1
   
Make sure its made in USA or it won't even work! I have seen several imports that had teeth so bad they wouldn't cut at all!  Nicholson is worth the money.  Big box places won't have it.
If you get a good one, always protect it. Never let it touch metal or especially another file!! It'll last for years this way.

Oh man I just wish I had you in my shop for 1/2 a day!!  We'd make him a fine stick together!!

Hey, any accomplished woodworkers nearby you can drop in on? Having a guy show you and help you take a couple stabs,  would make a world of difference for you right now.   
You can certainly learn it all on your own, but help would shortcut everything!   
   yours Scott
 

Scott

I was all amped up to take a few pictures and show some new tools I picked up but my camra is being stupid.

The carving set I just bought a few hours ago at a local hardware store is a shop fox 12 piece set. Not the best not the worst.

I also got a flexcut carving knife today to as well.

Along with all that I do have a few nicholson files and rasps already.

For wood I have some tighter grained maple, Walnut and then just regular stock. Just practicing with what I got.

My skills got a little better once I got the new tools that helped alot but I think its gonna take some practice.

Quote from: amertrac on December 29, 2011, 05:49:40 PM
If you need any ideas here are a few

Thats alot of canes. Did you make them all yourself. If you didnt you deffinilty have good choice in picking them out.

Just a update


I have gone through all of the scrap maple and walnut I had. I went out and bought some basswood to practice on. Its going better then before. Maybe a lot more practice and I will have this down.

I managed to cut myself a tad an its a small cut but boy is it the small ones that really sting.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/48735

I did a google seach and came up with that. I am not going to try to make one that elabrate but I am going to do the basic hammer shape an stick with rounded edges. I envy that cane. Maybe once my carving skills get better I can make something like that, or so I hope.

After several attempts on various woods this is the best I have came up with. I still have some rounding out to work on with this one.





There is deffintly improvments to be made.

Nice job so far...

Thanks

That looks really good!  Kudos.

Imagine the piece of stone Venus de Milo was carved from! You will get there, Neil!

Your grandfather is a lucky man...
Hips and knees can be replaced, but not family. 

Keep up the good work!


Brian L.

Thanks for all the support guys.

I am still working on perfecting my skills. It will be a while till I actually am able to make a finished product I think.

You are on it Neil! Stick with it!!
One thing you need are some belt sander belts.
Rip strips from the cloth and use them "shoeshine style" on your rounded parts. They sell narrow strips of the stuff and narrow belts too, but sometimes you can score regular belts for pennies at the swap meet, Salvation Army, Goodwill or Habitat etc.
  yours Scott

Quote from: Nolatoolguy on January 01, 2012, 03:36:10 PM
Just a update


I have gone through all of the scrap maple and walnut I had. I went out and bought some basswood to practice on. Its going better then before. Maybe a lot more practice and I will have this down.

I managed to cut myself a tad an its a small cut but boy is it the small ones that really sting.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/48735

I did a google seach and came up with that. I am not going to try to make one that elabrate but I am going to do the basic hammer shape an stick with rounded edges. I envy that cane. Maybe once my carving skills get better I can make something like that, or so I hope.

You may have already found this, but it is a PDF file with the diagrams for the cane shown in your link.
http://legacywoodworking.com/PDFs/Project2.PDF
I think you are off to a good start already. It looks great!

I am still at it, havent given up yet. Its gonna get done eventually.