Old time Whittler's tricks: cube in cage, with a wooden chain

Whittlin' really comes down to patience, experience, and skill, in that order. More than just about anything else, moving parts take special attention. It takes lots of tiny cuts in order to carefully remove certain areas, while preserving the parts you'd like to keep.

Whittling free-moving parts is very satisfying when it goes well, and a little heartbreaking when it does not. Break a link in your chain, and you might just discover a few brand-new curse words.

A Mahogany display for some Hand-Carved Mustaches

This mahogany block really took to boiled linseed oil. I love the way the oil darkens the wood, while giving it depth and sheen. To display both rows of mustaches I drilled the front row deeper than the back. This lets the back row sit up a little higher.

I carved a large handlebar mustache in low relief, then painted it black for contrast with the mahogany. I also added a circle of blackboard paint with a light blue border, on which I can chalk the price. The words "Hand-Carved" are applied to one side with a woodburner.

Carved Mustaches on Sticks!

How many varieties of lip whiskers is it possible to carve? I think I just might find out. These 'staches are whittled from basswood, soaked in linseed oil, attached to sticks, and given a final coat of shellac. They're fun, they're dashing, they're mustaches-on-sticks!