Thread: Suitable wood for hand carving small figures

I think the sharpness of the chisel could be the problem . Sharp chisels don't have problems with most woods but specially Pines . Pine can be soft enough to not leave crisp fine edges maybe . Is it as sharp as it should be ? And do you know how sharp that is ? The standard for carving chisels is VERY sharp .

Rob

Hi Derwick, welcome to the Forum. You would have been better off posting this query in the "Timber" section - more likely to be spotted by a local who could guide you on what's available in your area.

I'm with Auscab in that the major contributor your problem is quite likely the edge on your chisel. If you are using straight out of the box without honing or stropping, it is probably far from sharp enough.

It can depend on which pine you are trying to carve, too. Over your way, I assume you will be using P. radiata, which can be anything from soft & crumbly to tough as old boots with marked earlywood/latewood variation which makes carving detail exceedingly difficult even for an experienced carver. Hoop pine would be a better choice if you can get it, being a far more homogenous wood. There are several excellent carving woods over this side, but they are not likely to be easily obtainable in W.A. Maybe a local will chime in & help out....

Cheers,

Thank you for the response. The chipping knife I purchased was new and I did strop it before use. The edge angle looks about 30degrees. I would be interested if there are any ‘Whittlers’ in WA that could give advice on available timer suitable for carving. Also what type of equipment they use. Thank you for the forum.

WA Carvers Guild are in Wandi every monday morning. WA Carvers Guild Wandi