JUST LIKE GEPPETTO

Just like Geppetto’s workshop in the delightful fairytale Pinocchio, Mayhew “Make” Eaton’s workshop is filled with machinery, wood of different shapes and sizes, and just started carvings waiting for his hands to brush off the dust and finish them off.
Make, a Waukon local, retired from real estate and auctioneering in 1989. Since retirement, he has kept busy playing golf, fishing and making furniture for his home. In fact, Make says, “when you retire, you end up busier than ever.” Retirement certainly hasn’t stopped him from finding new things to do, and when asked how he started woodcarving, he replied, “I just gave it a go one day.”
After three years and a few carving classes, Make has a growing number of carvings to his name. There are cowboys, American Indians, rabbits, leprechauns, beaver, buffalo, bear and big-horned sheep. He even has a sailor among his wooden family.
His ideas come from photos, books and magazines, particularly the carving magazines that come with step-by-step instructions. While stating he is “not very good at it,” Make proceeds to demonstrate how easy it is for anyone with an interest in woodcarving to have a go.
Starting with a small piece of wood that has been cut out into a peculiar shape on his band saw, he starts to carve. While he is carving, I check out the plethora of tools on his bench. I count the number of knives - ten in all, each with a different purpose. When I look up, I see the wood already coming to life in Make’s hands. Two ears, four paws and a long tail have appeared. It’s a mouse. Next comes its nose, eyes and then its fur, cleverly achieved by using an unnerving sounding machine with a spiky head, known as a “burr.” So one knife, one gouge, a bit and a burr later, the mouse is complete - and all within half an hour.
Make uses Basswood for most of his carvings, as it is extremely soft. Occasionally he will use Butternut. He gets his wood from a woodcarving supplier, often as “rough outs” which have already been shaped and are ready to carve, or as straight pieces so a pattern can be traced onto the wood and then cut out on a band saw.
“Knives are the tools of the trade,” says Make, and keeping them in tiptop condition is essential, and an art in itself. A paper wheel is used to sharpen the knives, after which they are polished on a floppy wheel made of felt. Make sharpens his knife every 25 minutes or so if he is using it constantly, and the secret is “to never let it get dull.”
Once the carving is complete, it is given feathers, fur, or hair depending on what it is. Make uses the variety of bits and burrs to create texture, and often uses a “burner,” which also gives the wood color. The carving is then painted or just sealed, to let the natural color of the wood show through. But, it doesn’t just stop there.
With many of Make’s animal carvings, the mounting is as important as the figure that has been carved. The mounting gives the carving a sense of place. A big-horned sheep sits atop a mountain, which is cleverly made out of wood, but painted, giving it the affect of granite. A beaver sits amongst sticks and water made out of glue, sand, sawdust and blue dye.
Even Make’s workshop has a story. Called his “own little doghouse,” the workshop is made of old railroad ties from the Waukon to Waukon Junction railroad, and is the first building of its kind in the county. The workshop was built in 1971 and was added onto in 1974 to house cars and tractors. But over the last three years, that has given way to the expansion of his woodcarving workshop. In Make’s words, “I just needed more space.”
While it’s hot in the summer, the workshop is very cozy in the winter, with two wood burners. “Quite a few,” says Make.
Make hasn’t decided what kind of carving he would like to specialize in, for example, Scandinavian style or charactertures such as hillbillies or cowboys, but thinks he is leaning toward animals being his preferred subject.
This summer, his skills will be further developed when he attends a week-long woodcarving retreat at Villa Marie in Frontenac, MN. The Minnesota Woodcarving Association has organized the course, where under the guidance of well-known woodcarvers, participants hone their skills. Make will be attempting to carve a fox.
Make can’t recall how many carvings he has done or even what his first carving was, many being given away as gifts. But he knows one thing. Each is individually carved, and each one is unique in its appearance. And Make’s favorite carving? An American Indian woman sitting cross-legged with a bowl on her lap. She looks content and satisfied with her day’s work, much like Mayhew Eaton. The problem is, says Make, “you find more stuff to do, than the time to do it.”