Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA
By Bethany Hofstetter
When members of the Chisels and Chips Carvers of North Pittsburgh look at a block of wood, they don’t see a piece of a tree, they see a beautiful mallard, a goofy sailor or even Noah’s Ark.
The club has carved out a niche in the North Hills, where it has been teaching people the art of carving for almost 15 years.
Tad Miner, one of the club’s founders, said he became interested in wood carving after he retired in 1990. When he realized that there weren’t any carving clubs in the North Hills, he decided to start one in 1994. The Chisels and Chips Carvers club now has more than 70 members, including men and women of all ages from all over the Pittsburgh area.
The club meets on the second Monday of each month at Parkwood United Presbyterian Church in Hampton.
As part of their monthly meetings, members share ideas, gain experience, listen to speakers and practice by doing projects.
Miner said his first was to carve a duck decoy from a kit his son bought him for Father’s Day. “I carved a duck and when I got done, it looked like a duck … and that got me started.”
The club is open to all experience levels, welcoming those with no experience to advanced carvers.
Members are invited to work on charity projects throughout the year. This year, the club carved about 24 canes for people with disabilities.
Club members worked together to create a 46-piece Noah’s Ark set they are raffling.
Bill Miller of Shaler spent several months working on the 2-foot-by-2-foot ark. About 16 other members carved the animals and Noah and his wife. The set will be raffled Dec. 8 at the club’s annual holiday event, with proceeds going toward educational materials and speakers.
Miller didn’t consider the project work. “It’s relaxing,” he said.
Miller has carved about 23 different Noah’s Arks in his lifetime, and jokes his interest started because he has seven grandsons and none of them were interested in a dollhouse. So he made each of them an ark.
Sally Powers of Richland, a member with her husband, said she is proud of what it has been able to accomplish.
“It’s really the creativity,” Powers said. “To take a block of wood and end up making something recognizable is amazing.”