Wood carving

[welshwhit]

Hi there folks,

I've just had a go at carving my first woodspirit, after seeing many awesome examples from you very talented bunch!

I'm really pleased with my effort and really enjoyed the experience of doing it and aftrer searching the site have become frustrated at trying to get the detail that can be achieved!

I realise that patience and practise will help me towards this, but at the moment I'm using just a knife, would some other bits of kit help?

I was looking at these (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-WOOD-CARVING-CHISELS-SET-10-pieces-/260641710902?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Crafts_Other_Crafts_EH&hash=item3caf74e336), but thought I'd draw on your collective experience first!

Thanks

Drew

[Hoodoo]

Hi there folks,

I've just had a go at carving my first woodspirit, after seeing many awesome examples from you very talented bunch!

I'm really pleased with my effort and really enjoyed the experience of doing it and aftrer searching the site have become frustrated at trying to get the detail that can be achieved!

I realise that patience and practise will help me towards this, but at the moment I'm using just a knife, would some other bits of kit help?

I was looking at these (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-WOOD-CARVING-CHISELS-SET-10-pieces-/260641710902?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Crafts_Other_Crafts_EH&hash=item3caf74e336), but thought I'd draw on your collective experience first!

Thanks

Drew

I would not waste my money on those. Keep practicing with your knife. You can do a lot with a knife. But a small V tool and a gouge can be pretty handy. My favorites are made by Gil Drake (http://www.drakeknives.com/). His palm tools are as good as it gets imo. And they come super sharp. I would only buy 1 or 2 tools at a time and learn to use and maintain them before buying more.

Second on the list would be Flexcut. Their palm tools come sharp and they are reasonably priced.

Ramelson makes some good bargain priced palm tools but their edges can be petty iffy. If you buy from Little Shavers (http://www.littleshavers.com/Index.html), he will sharpen them for you so they are good to go.

This link (http://www.littleshavers.com/60210ShowMe.html) gives you a good idea what you can do with a good V tool.

Everything on this guy was carved with a knife except the texturing on the beard and eyebrows. And a lot of carvers prefer a knife over a V tool for this, so it comes down to preference.

http://faculty.gvsu.edu/triert/images31/stumpy5b.jpg

[welshwhit]

Thanks for that Hoodoo, some great advise there.
I'll have a look and maybe invest in a v gouge first, but like you say, I'm having a ball just using the knife!

I've also learnt alot from the post you included the shelf elf in! Allen goodman has taught me alot already!

Thanks Drew

[Sherwood]

I would agree with Hoodoo's post, and give those a miss.
My woodspirit carvings arent the greatest in the world, but as i,m only my fifth one I am happy enough:D
I use a mora to remove the bulk, and get down to the basic shape, then switch to using a flexcut chip carving knife (http://www.flexcut.com/products/cart.php?target=product&product_id=988&category_id=97) and then add detail with a 3mm V tool (Ashley Isles tools) (http://www.ashleyiles.turningtools.co .uk/carvtols/carvtols1/carvtolsspec/onedogleg-2.html)

Heres a pic of the last couple I carved
http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn55/dukeriesmike/Bushcraft/20100718-_MG_6899.jpg
I find the eyes are the hardest part to carve out, so I may be making another chisel purchase soon....
cheers,
Mike

[welshwhit]

Ok, next question. . .

I've loads of sticks and twigs from hazel and even some cherry wood, but I've drawn a blank on Lime wood, that I permission to access anyway.

So where is a good place to get some?!

Thanks
Drew

[robin wood]

For lime wood, not mid Wales. Having said that it is not essential. Hazel is soft and carves easily so if you have it use it. Alder, willow and poplar are other good woods for learning. If you want lime then it was commonly planted in 18th century landscape parks so if you have a big 18th or early19th C house nearby go look and ask the gardeners/woodland management team. It is a commonly planted street tree in larger towns too so tree surgeons are often a good bet.

[welshwhit]

Cheers for that!

I'll have a word with a few folk, but luckily I have access to quite a lot of hazel

Drew