Thread: Newbie to carving

Hi Woodwormer,
Not sure of your area, but there is a very healthy Carving Club in Doncaster.
You will get all the help you need.
I will PM you.

Woodwormer, I agree with all that has been said so far, even the things that are contradictory. My advice would be more contradictory still and that's because there are so many contexts, traditions and methods involved in the rich tapestry of how to carve.

In very general terms my advice would be to choose what will keep you interested, grow your confidence and skill and keep you going past the inevitable failures. Still somehow having fun and having something to show for your efforts.

Also, know your own learning style preferences, a class that you attend might be good. Or you might do better with books and 'U Tube' gleanings, in spite of it serving up 'the good the bad and the ugly'. I personally wouldn't be able to cope well with a formal schooled class, I'd just keep falling further behind. But I do find books helpful, ignoring the censorious bits like 'don't use ? tools or sand paper or this or that'. I have found Chris Pye's online course very good because I can learn without the teacher seeing how I re-work the methods for my own circumstances.

My take on carving and the tools to use (there are many ways of cutting the cake) is that carving can be done by holding the work still on a bench or in a carving vice while using both hands on the carving chisel or with one hand and a mallet. otherwise carving can be done by holding the work in one hand which is protected by a kevlar glove and or scrupulous good practice, with the carving tool in the other.

My work is mainly welsh lovespoons and other miniature carving, so I mostly use the latter method and palm tools, working with a lap-bench that I can use unobtrusively indoors. They say that you should buy the best tools you can afford. I think this is excellent advice, however in my experience with the kind of carving I do, and I think carving on boxes would be similar, I have found that even cheap tools can be made quite useful.

Once you have developed a method, there are several, of getting a razor sharp edge on your tools and can keep them that way during the carving process by frequent stropping e.g. with the Flexcut Slipstrop or bit of leather with rouge on it, then even the cheapest tools will function well for a surprisingly long time and even on very hard timbers like rock maple.

I also use miniature tools made from piano wire, just hammered and shaped with abrasive papers, seven or eight tools for about two dollars, and I use them frequently. A good Knife, even a top range one won't cost much, it will be useful for some types of carving , it will give a wealth of experience in getting a feel for an edge tool cutting timbers of different types and it will have usefulness beyond carving.

For timber choices I prefer harder timbers for their detail holding ability. White Beech is fairly soft and nice to carve but it is difficult to sand and finish. Jelutong easy to carve, New South Wales Rosewood is only moderately hard and carves very well. Tasmanian Maple and Sassafrass are a bit harder but carve well and Privet is an excellent timber for carving. Poplar is available at Masters, it might be OK with sharp tools. Masters also have Red Oak, very good but tough going. Any timber can be carved but some like Radiata Pine should be avoided, remember, you want to grow your confidence and somehow have fun... Radiata Pine won't do this for you!

I have just posted an entry on my blog about the tools I use and an earlier post explains the lap-bench arrangement if you think the hand-held approach might work for you.

I'm at the other end of the scale.
I started carving maybe three years ago with two palm sets from flexcut.
since that time I have now purchased every single palm tool they have. I do not have every single knife and I don't think I'll bother... I think I have nine maybe. maybe more.

now have I used every single chisel?
no. but I will. I'm slowly using more and more. I'm trying to carve things that use the different edges.
but the more I use the more I sharpen.

I am a carpenter by trade so I knew I wouldn't get bored with my tools.
I'm also a fly fisherman so I knew I also had a touch of the obsessive compulsives.

I also find that I'm attracted to things that require accessories.
carving to me is an accessory 'sport'. and I want to play better.

and it doesn't matter what you do, if you're like me you'll look at past projects with slight embarrassment. a case of the shoulda coulda wouldas.
if you play your cards right you can be paid to practice. therefore carve well and purposeful.

cheers,
shawn