A slideshow of past whittlins

Here's a slideshow of some of my carvings. There's all sorts of stuff in here, from the rustic little spike trolls to the painted and finished toy soldiers. I'm proud of the variety and feel like I've made progress toward a higher level of detail and control. Let me know what you think!

The Moonshiners (part 4) Completed!

"Swing to the left, swing to the right,
The excise men will dance all night,
Drinking up the tay till the broad day light,
In the hills of Connemara.

Stand your ground it is too late
The excise men are at the gate,
Glory be to Paddy but they're drinking it straight!
In the hills of Connemara."

So in the end, the excise men are won over by the magic that is homemade whiskey. Whether moonshiner or government agent, all are united in friendship and joy until the next day's inevitable splitting headache.





As far as design, the still is one solid piece with most of it's weight on the bottom. Each of the figures has some item or items (barrels, jugs, etc) at it's feet in order to make the base wider, and give it a low center of gravity. They stand very well.

Everything is non-toxic and play safe. Experience helped me to design short, blunt noses, hat brims, and other features that will resist breakage and wear. Sure there will be some dings and chips eventually, but this play set should last for years. Some day when Murphy is all grown up, he may even hand it down to his own kids.

The Moonshiners (part 3) -The Still

"I've been a moonshiner for many a year
I've spent all me money on whiskey and beer
I'll go to some hollow, I'll set up my still
And I'll make you a gallon for a ten shilling bill"





I designed this whiskey still to be rugged and play-safe, yet look fairly realistic. A one-piece carving, all the edges are blunted and sanded smooth before applying linseed oil, acrylic paint, and a few coats of shellac. All non-toxic and safe for tiny hands.

As the center piece of the Moonshiners Playset, the still is very important. I'm happy with how it turned out.

The Moonshiners (part 2) -The Excise Man

"Now keep your eyes well peeled today,
The big, tall men are on the way,
Searching for the mountain tay
In the hills of Connemara"

Here's the Excise Man, all carved and ready for sanding. I suppose he's the bad guy, at least until the fellas share their booze with him. At that point, he forgets all about arrests or fines, and focuses soley on sampling that sweet potcheen from Ireland green.

The Moonshiners (part 1)

"Gather up the pots and the old tin cans,
The mash, the corn, the barley and the bran,
Run like the devil from the excise man,
Keep the smoke from rising...Barney!"

So goes the traditional Irish song "The Hills of Connemara." It tells the timeless tale of illicit booze-making, running from the authorities, and bribery. Inspired by this and other songs of Poitín, especially "The Rare Old Mountain Dew," my current project is a set of moonshiners. This set will consist of four pieces: Two happy moonshiners, one whiskey still, and a stern-looking excise man (aka a revenuer to our own Southern Highlanders.)

To add weight to each figure's base, I've designed them with a barrel, jug, or sack of grain by the feet. At this point they're still pretty rough, but they should look fine after sanding and finishing. This set will be a 1st birthday present for my friend's son Murphy.

(Also, Happy New Year!)