Five Question for Tom Nardone Pumping Carving Pro

Tom Nardone with a creation he calls "The Brain."

Q: So how did you get into professional pumpkin carving?





A: I used to live in Ferndale and we had just a ton of kids come to the house trick-or-treating, so I used to make pumpkins to entertain them. Then I made a Web site about pumpkin carving with power tools and it got popular ... and eventually (I was) asked to write a book.



Q: What should people look for when picking out a pumpkin?



A: Ugly pumpkins. When you carve a pumpkin it's kind of like a caricature, and caricatures are better when they're big, so try to get one that's as big or bigger than a human head. I also go for ones that are tall rather than wide.



Q: How long should people expect their creations to last?



A: I spray it with bathroom cleaner with bleach it in and that will keep it as long as possible. That should keep it lasting about five to seven days when it's cool. Otherwise you get about three days before they start to get moldy or soft.



Q: What tools do you recommend people have?



A: Those pumpkin carvings kits they sell at the store are pretty good. An ice cream scoop is good to scoop the goop out. I tell people to stay away from the big kitchen knives for carving. I use the jigsaw to do the face, and I use a Dremel to shave the skin off, and to take the top off the pumpkin I use a drywall saw, or I use a reciprocating saw.



Q: Any tips for amateur jack-o-lantern makers?



A: Before you carve the pumpkin sometimes it's nice to draw the face on with markers. One thing I've discovered that works well is dry-erase markers because then if you don't like a design ... you can just wipe it off. I also have free patterns available at the Web site.

Please dont forget to leave a comments.. thanks and have fun