Woodcarving

[AussieGirl]

Anyone else here like to work the wood?Im into many aspects of wood working but im just starting out whitllin wood right now. I got lucky and found me a couple of carving knives at th local flea market but now I just need a whetstone and some basswood.

 

[rachlore]

nope.......... i just do other things.

 

[itsmechrissy]

Nope but I did buy a used wood lathe a few years ago, still haven't found the time to figure out how to use it :-(

 

[barnyard pimp]

I do it for a living! Everyday I cut, sand, or finish something of wood! Been doing it for a long time and I learn all the time! Love it!

 

[AussieGirl]

LOl i learned the hard way at first,had a exacto knife and tried to carve a limb from an oak tree. My thumb didnt stop shaking there for awhile found out the difference between hard wood vs soft. Now I went to Micheals to see what wood they had and may its expensive for just a foot its 8$

I was thinking maybe ill try Hobby Lobby next.

 

[barnyard pimp]

I feel your pain! Oak is pretty and hard. Some woods work better than others. I don't do much with a knife as it hurts my hands afterwards. If you look at my avatar, the little rooster was carved out of cherry and walnut. I love making things and being creative. He was roughly cut out with a bandsaw the cleaned up with a dremel and then a lot of sanding. A good carving knife is great to use though. I just can't stand the pain afterwards. Been doing this hard for 26 years.

 

[galanie]

I've done my bit of woodcarving and enjoy it a lot. The most techical thing for me was learning through the years how to really and truly get a surgical edge that lasts. Maybe I'm too picky but it makes things go a lot better.

Wayne Barlow's chip carving book and knives are a great start. It gets you started with a pretty simple technique that is relaxing since you can do it in your lap in front of the tv (with a cookie sheet to catch the chips).

But I also have a set of gouges for relief carving and a few patternmakers rasps for some rough shaping. Plus an electric woodcarving getup that was pretty cheap but works great for oak.

I did start out with some rough whittling of folk figures and enjoyed that a lot. Good knives and sharp knives are a must no matter what though. I use different sharpening things depending on the shape and purpose of what I'm sharpening. For a super nice edge, I start usually with emery paper on a thick sheet of glass. The glass is used because that is absolutely flat, you can depend on it. Most stones start out not so flat but glass is. And the emery paper cuts the metal away fast. From there I move on to my set of Japanese water stones, which have themselves been flattened on wet or dry sandpaper on the glass. After that, sometimes I use a piece of leather glued to a board to finish off, but that's just for the ones I'm REALLY picky about.

Many cities have somewhere stuck back off the beaten path, a shop that carries exotic woods for woodworkers. You can usually get a nice deal there on some good basswood for carving or mahogany or whatever.

 

[AussieGirl]

I've done my bit of woodcarving and enjoy it a lot. The most techical thing for me was learning through the years how to really and truly get a surgical edge that lasts. Maybe I'm too picky but it makes things go a lot better.
Wayne Barlow's chip carving book and knives are a great start. It gets you started with a pretty simple technique that is relaxing since you can do it in your lap in front of the tv (with a cookie sheet to catch the chips).
But I also have a set of gouges for relief carving and a few patternmakers rasps for some rough shaping. Plus an electric woodcarving getup that was pretty cheap but works great for oak.
I did start out with some rough whittling of folk figures and enjoyed that a lot. Good knives and sharp knives are a must no matter what though. I use different sharpening things depending on the shape and purpose of what I'm sharpening. For a super nice edge, I start usually with emery paper on a thick sheet of glass. The glass is used because that is absolutely flat, you can depend on it. Most stones start out not so flat but glass is. And the emery paper cuts the metal away fast. From there I move on to my set of Japanese water stones, which have themselves been flattened on wet or dry sandpaper on the glass. After that, sometimes I use a piece of leather glued to a board to finish off, but that's just for the ones I'm REALLY picky about.
Many cities have somewhere stuck back off the beaten path, a shop that carries exotic woods for woodworkers. You can usually get a nice deal there on some good basswood for carving or mahogany or whatever.

What do u recommend is the easiest to start with for a beginner?My local flea market was gonna order whetstones and Id thought Id try that out. Also I was gonna check out the local Hobby Lobby and see what they have.Theres another store thats a little farther but would be worth the trip is a Woodcraft store N of San Antonio.http://www.woodcraft.com/stores/sto..._woodworking&gclid=CKLBn5iltrACFSdjTAodCE8SJA Id love to join a local club too,
I didnt know u could use leather to sharped a knife,do you have to oil the leather real well or how does that work?

 

[galanie]

Woodcraft is an excellent store. They will have a lot more tools and information than Hobby Lobby, which is geared more towards flower arranging and folk painting, those sort of crafts. Diamond stones would probably be easiest for the beginner. There are also guides you can get to hold the tool at the right angle for sharpening but better is to have a gauge and train your hands to hold them at the proper angle yourself. Almost all blades and tools, other than normal pocketknife blades and kitchen knives, have a flat side and an angled side. That flat side must be kept flat; never hit the stone at an angle with that side.

Sharpening with leather is called stropping, it's the way the old barbers kept a surgical edge on razors. It's only used as a last polish to get that final smooth, fine edge. Just about any leather works ok so long as you use the skin side. Probably youtube videos on sharpening the old fashioned razors would give you the best idea how that works.

 

[AussieGirl]

I do it for a living! Everyday I cut, sand, or finish something of wood! Been doing it for a long time and I learn all the time! Love it!

Thats a very beauifull piece of work you did on that chicken. How long did it take you to finish?