One-Off Challenge 24: Whittle A Thing
Want to play a game? Guess how many times I'll have cut myself by the end of this week's challenge!
Obviously, mine is going to be made of wood.
I would suggest that none of these authors have ever whittled anything...
Anyway, to the whittling. Firstly, I spent a good twenty minutes looking for a decent knife to whittle with. For a while, I thought I was going to have to try and do it with a really, really shitty craft knife. Fortunately, eventually I found a decent Stanley knife type thing in the back of a random cupboard. Then I grabbed a stick from our log pile that looked like it was sort of the right shape. I also grabbed a saw, for cheating purposes.
I trimmed the top off the stick, so I just had a tube then settled down to whittling. About two minutes later, I decided I was definitely going to have to saw off the sides to get the stick into a block shape.
Cut count: 0.
Two minutes after that I realised it was quite hard to saw a stick into a block shape and I was going to have to bring out the big guns.
The axe worked well and with a couple of quick strokes, I had a rectangular block of wood. Then I sat down to whittling properly.
Whittling, it turns out, is boring, messy and surprisingly sore on the hands. After about 30 minutes I had something that, if you squinted, you might charitably describe as resembling a two-year old's drawing of a spoon. I also had a lot of wood shavings and a blister on my hand.
Cut count: Still 0.
Another half hour and I had something that actually resembled a teaspoon, in outline at least. It turns out that, while one can form the outside of a shape relatively easily while whittling, an inwards curve (like the bowl of a spoon) is much harder.
Cut count: 0, so far...
After having to come inside because it was now dark, I spent another half hour or so trying to hollow out the bowl of the spoon. This came to an abrupt end when the point of my knife broke off in the wood of the spoon, necessitating getting one of our chisels out to finish off the bowl and chip the shattered metal out. But...
Challenge complete!
Long-term updates
Favourite drawing: I haven't draw at all this week. Bad challenge completion this week.
This challenge is courtesy of...
Jennifer Wallace, who wants to see me bleed. What did I ever do to you, Jen?The challenge
Whittle a thing. Nothing more specific, so I'm aiming for the easiest thing I could think of: a spoon. |
| "Because it would hurt more, you fool!" |
Obviously, mine is going to be made of wood.
Whittle while you work
Whittling is the sort of thing that crops up in every other fantasy novel. Inevitably, the hunk-of-beefsteak-and-death-strong-but-silent-type will whittle kids toys that he donates to street urchins to prove he's deep and meaningful. It's always described as a peaceful, absent-minded activity.I would suggest that none of these authors have ever whittled anything...
Anyway, to the whittling. Firstly, I spent a good twenty minutes looking for a decent knife to whittle with. For a while, I thought I was going to have to try and do it with a really, really shitty craft knife. Fortunately, eventually I found a decent Stanley knife type thing in the back of a random cupboard. Then I grabbed a stick from our log pile that looked like it was sort of the right shape. I also grabbed a saw, for cheating purposes.
 |
| Technically, whittling is shaving off small bits of wood, but I decided that sawing the stick into a cuboid would be allowed. |
I trimmed the top off the stick, so I just had a tube then settled down to whittling. About two minutes later, I decided I was definitely going to have to saw off the sides to get the stick into a block shape.
Cut count: 0.
Two minutes after that I realised it was quite hard to saw a stick into a block shape and I was going to have to bring out the big guns.
 |
| I'm going to give you a whittling you'll never forget! |
The axe worked well and with a couple of quick strokes, I had a rectangular block of wood. Then I sat down to whittling properly.
Whittling, it turns out, is boring, messy and surprisingly sore on the hands. After about 30 minutes I had something that, if you squinted, you might charitably describe as resembling a two-year old's drawing of a spoon. I also had a lot of wood shavings and a blister on my hand.
Cut count: Still 0.
Another half hour and I had something that actually resembled a teaspoon, in outline at least. It turns out that, while one can form the outside of a shape relatively easily while whittling, an inwards curve (like the bowl of a spoon) is much harder.
Cut count: 0, so far...
After having to come inside because it was now dark, I spent another half hour or so trying to hollow out the bowl of the spoon. This came to an abrupt end when the point of my knife broke off in the wood of the spoon, necessitating getting one of our chisels out to finish off the bowl and chip the shattered metal out. But...
 |
| Recognisably a spoon! |
 |
Will I be doing it again?
Probably not. It was hard work and sore. I'm glad I live in an age where this is not a required skill for life.Final cut count: 0!
Frankly, I'm as surprised as you are.
Long-term updates
French words "learned" (according to the memrise app):512.
Daily photos taken? Yes.
Swordfighting learnt: None this week.
I am currently reading: I'm now on the third book of the Earthsea Quartet, by Ursula Le Guin.
"Cheat" days on food since last week: None.
"Cheat" days on exercise: Well, I've not been active every day, but I did haul the toddlers round the Fringe ad lug all of Renae's pottery to and from her stall at the weekend.
Comments
Post a Comment