How to Whittle a Ball in a Cage

just a basic tutorial where i show u how 2 whittle a ball in a cage. nothing too fancy!!

Here's what you'll need:

1) A solid, square block of a soft wood like pine, basswood, or balsa. I’m using a balsa wood block that measures 1 and ¾” x 1 and ¾” x 5” but any block with a square dimension will work fine. The length will determine the length of the cage so if you want to take the time to whittle out the extra space in the next steps you can make a very long and very narrow ball in cage. The world is your oyster!
2) A ruler, compass and pencil. We’re going to be outlining our design before we start. I’m marking lines where I want my ball to start on every side, then choosing a radius that slightly overextends past the lines of our cage pattern and using the ruler to make sure that the circles drawn with the compass line up with each other.
3) Next up, you’ll need something to chisel with. An actual chisel works best, but in a pinch a chiseling motion can be imitated by using a series of stop cuts with a small knife
4) You’re also going to need a knife for refined details. A pocketknife or a knife designed for wood carving works best, but in a pinch or if you’re just really emotionally attached to a box cutter like I am you can use that too.
5) Band-Aids, antiseptic wipes, gauze (optional) I know what you’re thinking, that whittling isn’t dangerous as long as you’re using proper technique and exercising patience and restraint with your cuts. Well, even if you’re being careful mistakes do happen and it’s smart to have a box of Band-Aids handy. You don’t want to waste precious whittling time walking back and forth from the first aid kit, and getting blood off of a wood as light as this is once it’s seeped into the rest of the wood block isn’t easy. Also, before you start you should quickly remind yourself of where the major veins and arteries in the human body are. You can never be too careful!! If you’re on blood thinners or feel faint at the sight of blood, make sure that you’re not whittling at a place where falling unconscious would hurt your head.


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