Trading tips for gutting, transferring, and carving the real thing.
User avatar
By cyberdman
#9503
Nah, you just need the longer blades then, but the X-Actos still work great on regular old pumpkins too. Of course, that may depend on your carving style.
User avatar
By Tkaraoke
#9557
What kind of tape do you guys use to tape down the transfer paper and patten to the pumpkin?
User avatar
By cyberdman
#9558
I don't use transfer paper. I glue the pattern right to the pumpkin. You may want to add a layer of clear packing tape over the top of your cut sections.
User avatar
By CorpseBride
#9573
Tkaraoke wrote:What kind of tape do you guys use to tape down the transfer paper and patten to the pumpkin?
Just regular ol' scotch tape my friend.
User avatar
By katieme
#9616
cyberdman wrote:I don't use transfer paper. I glue the pattern right to the pumpkin. You may want to add a layer of clear packing tape over the top of your cut sections.
Why the clear packing tape?
User avatar
By cyberdman
#9629
I guess I should clarify that taping is mostly for shaded patterns and you only need to do this if carving a non-fake pumpkin in a complicated area of the pattern. For all cut-through patterns it doesn't matter. For shaded patterns, after you carve the cut-through sections, the pumpkin juice can lift, smear or ruin the shaded sections of the pattern. Using a clear packing tape over these sections keeps them intact while carving the other sections. Things can get quite juicy when doing shaded (3-color) pattern carvings on real pumpkins. On fake pumpkins, it doesn't matter - no pumpkin juice. Does that make sense?
User avatar
By Tkaraoke
#9644
That's weird....

Every time I use scotch tape it never sticks to the pumpkin. Maybe the tape I'm using is old. I have usually ended up using packing tape and even that doesn't stick all that well.
User avatar
By CorpseBride
#9660
*cue twilight zome music*

.....that IS weird. It works fine for me :?
User avatar
By 2manyferrets
#9666
I use scotch tape.But If the pumpkin is really cold the scotch tape won't stick. Sometimes I use pushpins to tack it on and that works good too. Or sewing pins. :lol:
User avatar
By Tkaraoke
#9680
That could be the case because we had very cold teps around Halloween last year and I did keep the pumpkins in the garage. I'll have to see if I can keep them from getting too cold this year.
User avatar
By 2manyferrets
#9691
Well now, you want to keep them cold. The warmer they stay the quicker they rot. I would just bring them in about an hour or so before you carve.
User avatar
By Tkaraoke
#10216
Here's an interesting tip...I'm going to try it:

Someone on another pumpkin site came up with this idea...

Glue your pattern to your pumpkin and then cover the pattern with packing tape. He says it works like charm and will keep the pattern from lifting if you encounter a juicy pumpkin.
User avatar
By Patti
#10240
Tkaraoke wrote:What kind of tape do you guys use to tape down the transfer paper and patten to the pumpkin?
I'm probably one of the few people who does use transfer paper. With the quantity we carve we need a way for the pattern to stay on throughout the mucking process.

What we do is use push pins to hold everything down. Just push them into an area that will be removed when you carve and you won't have any extra little holes.

It took me a few tries to get used to the transfer paper but I like it now. After I trace the pattern I go over it lightly with a Sharpie pen. That way the pattern stays intact and is easy to see.

We usually carve on average 100 pumpkins for Halloween night. We have to get the patterns on before we muck the pumpkins as we only have a short window from the time the first cut is made in a pumpkin until it begins to rot. This year the weather looks to be cool (high ~65 F) so hopefully we'll have a slightly larger window.

I've just finished my coffee, time to go get started.
User avatar
By Tkaraoke
#10387
I tried the method described on my "Myers" pumpkin and I did have to endure some pattern lifting but it wasn't too bad. After thinking about it, the blade had trouble cutting through the tape that was doubled up so the next time I'm going to be extra careful where I place the tape and see if that helps. It sure was nice to be able to see the lines clearly and not just dots on a pumpkin.
User avatar
By Tkaraoke
#10727
Just adding a little to this thread....

I ditched the tape and just glued the pattern to the pumpkin (using Elmer's stick glue) and for the most time it stuck and was totally awesome! A big handshake for the person who recommended that to me. There is no way in hell I would have been able to carve as many pumpkins as I did if I had to poke them like I used to do.
.