Woodcarving Tutorials, Whimsical & Fantasy Carvings mostly...
WoodCarving Geek working every day to improve my craft. I like carving Fantasy, Whimsical, Video Game related stuff and Seasonal things! So whether it's Mushroom Folk, Santa's, Wizards, Warriors, or Jack O' Lantern's, you'll find me making tutorials on how I do it. I am no master at this craft, what I am is an enthusiastic amateur sharing his experience.
You can find me skulking around Instagram, lurking on facebook, loitering on TikTok, or Trolling on Threads. Links to my socials are all below, but the handle is always JohnnyTheLayton.
If you're interested in one of my carvings, head over to my ETSY.
This is good information yes this is my personal opinion I grew up with just a knife no rough outs a coping saw was my tool of tray cuz I had no bandsaw or my hatchet I don't use roughouts I never had to I can understand why people want to a lot of the work is done for you I just carve and how it turns out it turns out if I'm carving a gnome I've done cowboys horses what have you That's my ability these are great for people my personal opinion who maybe don't see it like I do I don't want to be disrespectful at all I love your carving I love your show but for my personal opinion I don't use anything like this even when I used to do decoy work I take a block of wood I did a lot of professional decoys I would use my draw knives my hatchet chisels and I would cut this body out I've been doing this for 54 years now I don't enjoy if you watch my RU-vid detail carving anymore it's too hard for people to understand so I went back the other way teaching people just simple carvings to get them started The main thing that I carve is my tribal art I've been drawing Tiki's and totem poles since I was 7 years old I see that that's my love I've done all this stuff like Santa Claus's hillbillies and I just got tired of doing it but like I said I am not knocking your channel at all I really enjoy your carving it takes everybody in this world to be a little different That's what makes it fun but like I said I just never grew up with nothing like this back then there was no computers no duplicators there was just old men sitting around with a block of wood cutting a person out I grew up around that I understood it and that's the way I am to this day thank you again you have a blessed one
Great video Johnny! To be honest not exactly for me, I intend to keep my carvings small, your dwarves as the biggest, but I love hearing you talking about woodcarving anyway. If I may suggest a video about carving styles, caricatures, flat plane, chip carving, etc. I think it would be great!
Thanks for the kind words! That's a good idea for a video. I definitely need to explore chip carving more before I tackle that, but I do want to explore chip carving more so that should be fun! 😀
Thank you for this Video. I’m having a great deal of problem picking up my knife and starting to carve again. I think part of my problem is I don’t see what the project should look like so I’m intimidated by it. I also feel that if it isn’t perfect right away I want throw it away or burn it. What might you tell me to help get past this block? I appreciate your talking about how to flatten out the learning curve on increasing your skills and helping to see the caricature. I enjoyed all the videos of yours I’ve seen so far. Keep up the good work.
First off, thank you for the kind words. 2nd... Robert i have hit this wall myself, and then hit it again, and again! 😀 My issue was thinking I hard to learn, all at once, how to do it all. But that's not the case. Break it up. Work on noses, do figures with hats pulled down over the eyes and big beards under the nose. Nice and easy, then practice just that one thing and make fun figures. If you don't do noses, pick something else. Just pick one thing to work on till you gain a measure of success with it. NOT till you master it. There is no mastering this craft, this is a journey we will keep working on till kingdom come. Just pick something to work on till you're satisfied with some progress, then move over to so thing else.
Glad to hear it. Get involved in a carving club if you haven't already! Being able to carve with like minded folks, and ask questions in person is absolutely a wonderful thing. I cannot overemphasize how much it helps.
@JohnnyTheLayton yeah I'm in canada and have been searching online there's a bunch of clubs in Ontario . In the New Year I'll have more time to join one 👍 can't wait :)
I like your video and you talked about a few good points. I am only about 1 1/2 years into wood carving. I do have a lot of maple wood so I learned to power carve and gain carving techniques that way. I can easily get Basswood so I can carve with the knives. I started carving spoons with the basswood using the knives. I have found that I can learn from some of my mistakes by watching the RU-vid videos and make corrections. Keep making your videos and they will get better too, just like the wood carving.
Do I know what these knives are? No. Will I ever use a band saw? Heck no. My anxiety could never. Did I watch this video, yes. 😂. Love your editing and love your tool adjustments! Already thinking about how I could enlist the husband for to customize my quilting tools!
Great video! I really like the fact you encouraged people to customize their tools to suit their needs. Next time you go to glue the tang sand it with course sand paper and then clean it with acetone. It will ensure the glue adheres. Personal I would use jb weld it's stronger than the epoxy you used. I use it to make my flintknapping tools they are subjected to way more force than a wood carving knife. They hold up great, so I really like that glue. When I didn't have a bandsaw I used a metal working chisel just a 10 dollar cold chisel to split the handle and a utility razor and 60 grit sand paper to prep the blade for gluing. Just an alternative for guys who don't have a bandsaw.
@marlawhite3682 thanks so much for the kind words. I already have a video on that, the "Questions & Answers" video. On painting paint brands i use whatever cheap acrylic I can find. No real preference.
Great video! Better explained than Doug Linker did! Could you please show us how to strop V-tools? I don't get it, have FlexCut strop and I have no idea where and how I should put a compound correctly. Thank you!
@@JohnnyTheLayton Yeah I heard that, which blows my mind. I aim to improve as quickly as you have. Glad I found your channel early. I predict a lot of people will like your work.
Great Ponts!!! I keeped my first 3 carvings to show how I inproved over time etc!!! I love the old time carving of Whimsees. 3 of my fav carvers on here are Doug Linker, Gene Messer and ddalo. Just now trying to get in to cariture carvings with faces. My fav animals etc Need to make some of those mushroom caritures.
@marlawhite3682 apparently I've stumbled into a past time that other folks have already been delving into because your not the first to say something so similar to me. 😀😆 🤣 😆
First off, is that a new tattoo on your left arm? Also, have you checked out the flex Cut Pro Series? I got one of those the one in 3/8 detail knife and handle seems similar to the one you've got there.
@kosgov The tattoo is a few weeks old now, got it at the beginning of October. I think the flexcut pro's look great, I just haven't had the opportunity to get some yet. At some point I'm certain I'll buy them and give them a whirl. I have a terrible habit of collecting tools.
Looks fantastic. Did you consider carving those finger groves you like? Or the markings along the spine to keep the knife oriented? I’m with you…love a beefy handle and makes the grip much more comfortable and the knife easier to control.
@mgraham_Indiana I did want to but the tang on this one shifts forward to where the finger groove would need to be. You can see when setting the blade that the tang sweeps forward in the handle. Where the handle is sanded too right now, I was worried I was going to expose the tang if I went much deeper.
You know of course that you could have used your bandsaw to hog off that matl. Otherwise great job and will probably inspire me to do the same. Cheers!
@kellyzimmerman3117 😆 🤣 😆 🤣 😆 We're going to assume that I of course thought of that and had a very good reason not to use it. (A reason that currently escapes me) Thanks Kelly!
@@kellyzimmerman3117 Hindsight is always 20/20. If I do something like this again, there are several lessons learned i can apply, and this is just another one! 😉
Hay Johnny after I brought only one Beaver Craft though the mail as many knives are sold it's was beautiful but tiny for my medium large glove size hands I wonder just why they ( also other manufacturers) don't sell knives in glove sizes might give the buyers a much closer to properly size.. I have a saw and make my handles of 3 pieces of wood the inside layer of wood matches the thickness of the blade's thickness and good grade wood glue is stronger than the wood's strength and laminated plywood is stronger than the wood by itself. Epoxy isn't strong on flat surfaces but needs holes to bond to. I've sujusted to several knives builders to make a oversized handle and encourage the carving community to shape the handle to fit the Carver's hands. 1 X 30 will make the job easier as you suggested. Thanks for addressing the issue Also I invested $44 for 3 Badger State Blades and building 3 handles myself I fill is economic 3 great blades on handles I like under $ 50 is a bargain and I like working with wood anyway.
@JohnJude-dp6ed Indeed. Badger State Blades are excellent knives too. That's a great idea on using three pieces of wood. Since this was my first time trying anything like this, that idea hadn't even entered my mind.
@@JohnnyTheLayton I'd lost my pictures of my handle build and I'll try to find them and send you some perhaps some day mail you a " kit " precut and ready for glue up.. Craigslist has good used 1 X30 inch belt grinder/ sanders and get the better belts of the Internet for quality and price
@@JohnJude-dp6ed Yeah a belt sander is on my wish list but I've got a lot of things on my wish list currently that outweigh hobby stuff! =) It's all a balancing act. On a long enough timespan, i'll have all the things! =)
@trace_minerals Some knives really need it. But the more comfortable you are carving the better you can carve so finding a comfortable handle can be important.
It looks amazing, can’t see the join at all! I finished your dwarf priest last night, my first attempt at a figure and I’m really happy with how it came out, thanks to your clear instructions. Found it so easy to follow. Thank you for your videos!
Thank you Johnny. As always extremely clear and helpful. Would love some insight into soft Vee tools possibly for future topic. I am so confused over this shape and where to find it / when it would be used. Shaun Chorley Lancashire UK
Fantastic video! I agree about the FlexCut. I really like their knives. I have two of their v-tools. They cut great and hold an edge, but they have a bit of...flex...being stamped/bent steel.
