Genius Hour 1.2
Week 2 of whittling has proved to be quite challenging. As I finished up on the details of my gnome, I made the decision to sidetrack for a bit and start a new project. I chose a small baseball bat as my next whittling creation. As simple as the design may be, I knew I would face difficulty with having correct proportions, smooth texture, and even knife strokes on such a small and delicate piece of wood. Beginning the bat was simple enough. I could take large pieces off with the knife and within no time at all, the basic bat shape was starting to form. However, I was soon to run into some issues.
As the bat got smaller, I had to be more precise with my cuts in order to not take too much off, which was a worry of mine. Things were going smoothly, but then I ran into a couple of spots on the wood where the wood grain was uneven, rough, and almost impossible to cut through without damaging the bat's surface. I tried to be gentle with my approach to cutting and smoothing it, but nonetheless, with a single small stroke, a large chunk of the uneven grained portion cut right out. My bat was then extremely uneven and looked atrocious. I was in a dilemma between wanting to smooth and even it out, but not wanting to continue to shave more off,making it too small. I tried to find a happy medium, resulting in a fairly smooth, but fairly lumpy bat. Little did I know, this was only the beginning to my bat's trials and tribulations.
I continued to work on the base of the bat, ignoring the barrel. I was shaving pieces off very precisely in order to avoid the previous mishap. Then, the unthinkable happened. A whittler's worst nightmare. The wood snapped and the base of my bat broke right off. I was distraught, but perseverance is something I talked about in week one, so I whittled on. With some super glue, a steady hand, and determination, I reapplied the base and shaved it down in order to hide the breakage. It worked, for the most part, and I was left with a cracked, uneven, disproportionate baseball bat, but it was done and it was my own. So, despite my struggles, I am still happy with my ability to move past them and finish what I started.
As the bat got smaller, I had to be more precise with my cuts in order to not take too much off, which was a worry of mine. Things were going smoothly, but then I ran into a couple of spots on the wood where the wood grain was uneven, rough, and almost impossible to cut through without damaging the bat's surface. I tried to be gentle with my approach to cutting and smoothing it, but nonetheless, with a single small stroke, a large chunk of the uneven grained portion cut right out. My bat was then extremely uneven and looked atrocious. I was in a dilemma between wanting to smooth and even it out, but not wanting to continue to shave more off,making it too small. I tried to find a happy medium, resulting in a fairly smooth, but fairly lumpy bat. Little did I know, this was only the beginning to my bat's trials and tribulations.
I continued to work on the base of the bat, ignoring the barrel. I was shaving pieces off very precisely in order to avoid the previous mishap. Then, the unthinkable happened. A whittler's worst nightmare. The wood snapped and the base of my bat broke right off. I was distraught, but perseverance is something I talked about in week one, so I whittled on. With some super glue, a steady hand, and determination, I reapplied the base and shaved it down in order to hide the breakage. It worked, for the most part, and I was left with a cracked, uneven, disproportionate baseball bat, but it was done and it was my own. So, despite my struggles, I am still happy with my ability to move past them and finish what I started.
I see that you're definitely understanding the process of whittling yet still facing troubles with the small things. That's totally OK! When things go wrong on a smaller project, such as your bat, it'll help you learn from the mistakes for when you whittle a much bigger and precise object as you get more advanced with your whittling. I hope you enjoy and really master this skill.
ReplyDeleteWhittling is a very cool and unique skill that I feel not many people know how to do. When you talked about how you had to keep shaving the bat down, I feel like that would be difficult to know when to stop so you don't keep going until there is no wood left. Is it harder to make something with little details such as the gnome,or something with specific proportions that you have to make smooth like the bat?
ReplyDeleteWow, it sounds like you had quite the week!! I really admire the fact that you didn't give up on the bat when it broke in two. I feel you have chosen a project that will come with many challenges and adversity. It will be very important for you to keep your head high, as you already are! If I were you, I would have no shame in starting with more simple creations, as this would help you become more comfortable with the process. I hope you continue to enjoy this process and I wish you the best of luck in the coming weeks!
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry to hear about your troubles:( Did you have it planned out or did you just go for it? Good luck on your next adventure!
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