Carl Voegel Creates Custom Kris Kringles By Mallory (Goebel) Hertel ‘07 Director of Advancement
Carl Voegel has seen thousands of students through Mater Dei but few of those familiar with Carl as a teacher and coach are familiar with his special talent. As a hobby, Carl produces several custom wooden Santa’s that he makes for his wife, children and grandchildren and a few others that secure one of his one-of-a-kind creations.
Another woodcarver, Dick Bitter, (who had some grandchildren that came to Mater Dei) showed me some carving techniques, how to sharpen knives and also how to make my own wood carving knives. Both of them were some of the original members of the Tri-State Woodcarvers Club and I have always appreciated what both of those guys did for me.
When did you start carving these Santa’s and what was the inspiration? As a kid growing up next to a lumber yard in Poseyville, one of the workers would usually leave a pile of scrap lumber from the day for me to take (and a pile of bent nails to straighten) and make things from. That was always interesting to me…….making stuff with wood!
On average, how long does it take you to carve a custom creation? Since I carve for different lengths of time and on different carvings, it is really hard to figure that out. My best guess is that it takes about 12-14 hours to rough out a carving from a picture that I find on a Christmas card or such, with my bandsaw, actually carve it and then paint it. That all depends upon how detailed a carving it is. It is just an enjoyable hobby and one that can be taken with me almost anywhere to work on.
During one Christmas while in grade school, Santa brought a cheap wood burner and I learned how to burn drawings onto some of the wood with that tool and have always kept an in- Are they all approximately to the same terest in wood burning. spec or do you do some larger than others? Standard height you work The biggest influence was one day in with? about 1994 when my wife and I were Generally, I begin with a 7-8” tall X 3 out at the old Washington Square Mall ½” X 3 ½” block of Wisconsin basswhere there was a Tri-State Woodcarv- wood (which carves better than anyer’s Show. Bob Koressel, who graduat- thing else that I have tried). That size ed in 1951 from Mater Dei (and was in just tends to fit my hand pretty well. my mother’s class), talked to me about The basswood is expensive, shipping his carvings and I was really interest- costs especially, but my wife doesn’t ed from then on. In 1995, I started seem to mind too much when I purstopping by Bob’s house and he would chase it. teach me some techniques of carving. 24
Can anyone that wants one order? Yes and No! Carvings are most often given to family members and friends (or at the most sold to friends at a reduced price) at Christmas. I tried sitting at a Woodcarver’s Show one weekend in about 1996 in an attempt to sell some carvings but did not enjoy that too much at all (Probably because my carvings were the worst ones displayed and I did not sell anything!)
