Pumpkin Carving!

[cmmeyers]

We (well, I) carved a pumpkin yesterday. My kids have Star Wars on the brain, so of course that was this year's pumpkin theme. The subject : Darth Vader!

Attached is a composite picture. One was taken with the flash on so you could see the pumpkin, the other with no flash. My wife painted white glue around the cut-out area and then sprinkled black glitter on it, so that is the black you see in the one pic.

I am a complete novice at pumpkin carving, and I now know that there is an art to it. It is definitely something that you need to practice in order to get better. I began cutting with a serrated knife. That was fine for the straigt and slight curved parts, but then I quickly realized that I was going to need a completely different tool for the more detailed cuts. While searching for the perfect tool (I was looking for narrow saw blades in the garage), my wife suggested....the Dremmel! It was just what I needed. I got a little out of control in places, but it didn't turn out too bad (no complaints from a 5 and 3 year old).

 

[rstaff3]

Nice job! I've yet to carve mine.

 

[sandman]

The other day I was in Home Depot and by the checkout they had some "Dremel Pumkin Carving sets".

It looked like an orange version of thier cordless tool. Cheap to at $12 I think.

 

[jflis]

Great looking vader!

i use my exacto #11 knife for all of my carving. That and a set of small wood chisels and other carving tools. I have yet to carve one this year, but my daughter is beating me up so I will get something done!

A friend of mine has contracted me to do a Frank Zappa pumkin (that should be fun ) and I hope to do another hendrix too

 

[Pippen]

Great job! My kids have Star Wars on the brain too and I'm in the process of putting together costumes for Vader, Luke and Leia for Halloween.

Last weekend we had our annual fall campout with about ten families and the kids all did pumpkin carving. Mine wanted Vader but none of them were willing to do anything about it so we totally cheated as you can see from the pic.

We're thinking to do a Bionicle pumpkin for Halloween:
https://www.maskofdestiny.com/archiveimage.asp?i=3510

 

[cmmeyers]

I have boys. When they play outside nothing is off limits for them "gross-wise". If it moves they play with it : bugs, slugs, worms, crickets, beetles, spiders, snakes, ants, praying mantis, etc....

So what was their reaction when I told them to scoop out the insides of the pumpkin? "Ugh! That is so gross!" They wouldn't touch it! They ran to the bathroom to wash their hands like a bunch of girls! I threatened to carve a Barbie pumpkin instead of Darth Vader.

They'll touch anything creepy-crawly outside, but touch a vegetable...NO WAY!

 

[jflis]

Well, if your kids love spiders and such, combine that interest with pumpkins

Here is a spider pumpkin I did in 1999.

 

[cliveroonie]

show off

Originally posted by jflis
Well, if your kids love spiders and such, combine that interest with pumpkins

Here is a spider pumpkin I did in 1999.

 

[Reed Goodwin]

Originally posted by jflis
Well, if your kids love spiders and such, combine that interest with pumpkins

Here is a spider pumpkin I did in 1999.

I think someone :cough:Jim:cough: has too much time on their hands...
Reed

 

[cmmeyers]

Go away Jim! You're making me look bad!

 

[m85476585]

I also saw the Dremel pumpkin carving tool.

I invented the perfect tool to thin the inside wall of pumpkins to make them easier to carve! I took about 2 or 3 inches of 3/4 (I think) copper tubing and cut a slot lengthwise. Then I bent it open to form a kind of U shape. I cut a curve on one side and filed it sharp. It is a lot easier than using a spoon.

I should probably change the shape now that I have tin-snips. Most of the cutting is on the sides. It isn't too sharp, but it is a lot sharper--and stronger--than a spoon.

 

[BlueNinja]

I had a "puking pumpkin" last year... Will probably do that this year, too, so will post pics.

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by Reed Goodwin
I think someone :cough:Jim:cough: has too much time on their hands...
Reed

LOL

Oh, i'm sorry

At least I didn't show my hendrix or covered bridge

BlueNinja, I've seen the "puking pumpkin" a few times, the first time I nearly fell off my chair!

For some reason, that reminds me of a FoxTrot cartoon that I would *love* to duplicate. It shows a string of carved pumpkins sitting side by side. On the first pumpkin is carved the number "3". This is followed by one with a "." (period) with the rest of them like this:

(3) (.) (1) (4) (1) (5) (9), etc

he called it "Pumpkin Pi"

 

[11bravo]

Originally posted by jflis
snip....For some reason, that reminds me of a FoxTrot cartoon that I would *love* to duplicate. It shows a string of carved pumpkins sitting side by side. On the first pumpkin is carved the number "3". This is followed by one with a "." (period) with the rest of them like this:

(3) (.) (1) (4) (1) (5) (9), etc

he called it "Pumpkin Pi"

Now that's an idea.

Greg

 

[jflis]

Found it!

Check the toon out here: https://www.pen.k12.va.us/Div/Winchester/jhhs/math/humor/comics/trig/pumpknpi.html

 

[Ray Dunakin]

Nice work guys! Especially that spider pumpkin -- wow!

I won't carve mine until the day before Halloween. Our warm weather ruins 'em too quickly.

I've been working on a lot of cool new props for my annual "haunted patio". I bought a "flying" ghost that runs back and forth on a line, moaning and raising its arms up and down. Stripped off the stupid looking cartoonish "ghost" it came with, and built a new, very creepy looking ghost for it. The new one ghost has a skull face with fangs, and skeletal hands with claws, and glows bluish in UV light. It also has an ethereal form made of tattered cheesecloth.

I did the same thing with the "floating" ghost I bought last year. I also finished the standing corpse I built last year, replacing the glove-hands with new, more realistic "decayed flesh and bone" hands. I also have him holding a torch in one hand, which has a flickering fake flame.

I have several more things in the works, including another corpse with more skeleton exposed. I'll post pics of everything when I'm done.

 

[KermieD]

Originally posted by Ray Dunakin

I bought a "flying" ghost that runs back and forth on a line, moaning and raising its arms up and down. .

Where did you find this? I've been looking for one and coming up blank.

 

[Ray Dunakin]

Originally posted by KermieD
Where did you find this? I've been looking for one and coming up blank.

I bought the "flying ghost" from Party City. There's also a goofy cartoonish "flying bat" that uses the same mechanism. I've seen either or both of these at various other stores including Albertsons and Walgreens.

 

[SecretSquirrel]

Here's an online guide to pumpkin carving. You can even carve a virtual pumpkin

https://www.liquidgeneration.com/sabotage/pumpkin_carve.asp

 

[RoyGreen]

Originally posted by SecretSquirrel
Here's an online guide to pumpkin carving. You can even carve a virtual pumpkin

https://www.liquidgeneration.com/sabotage/pumpkin_carve.asp

uh, yea!


ok, here's a REAL virtual pumpkin...
https://toilette-humor.com/carve.html

 

[racerx]

Check this out for the mother of all pumpkin carvers.

 

[Ray Dunakin]

Originally posted by racerx
Check this out for the mother of all pumpkin carvers.

Holy melon rinds, Batman!!! Those are in-freaking-credible!!!

 

[jflis]

Originally posted by racerx
Check this out for the mother of all pumpkin carvers.

Well, I can't compete against *that*, but I can still hold my own

These next 4 images are of one pumpkin with two pictures of Frank Zappa.

The first is an unlit of the caricature of Zappa (they don't look so good unlit... )

 

[jflis]

Here it is lit.

I just *love* the expression

 

[jflis]

This is a portrait of Zappa unlit

 

[jflis]

And here he is all lit up. I just love the way the eyes came out on this one...

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

Weird

I have yet to see a TRF logo pumpkin...

 

[Reed Goodwin]

I was actually considering carving a pumpkin with a rocket taking off, but I decided I wouldn't carve one this year. Maybe next year.
Reed

 

[cjl]

Here's one that I carved last night. I can't compete with Jim, but IMO, I did a decent job.

 

[Pippen]

Some jerk took the pumpkin my daughter carved with a kitty face off of our front porch during early trick-or-treat hours. Foolish me put a 12 Yankee candle inside and they took that too. It was a scent I didn't care for so it's not a great loss but my daughter sobbed for half an hour.