Newbie woodcarver

[WoodDragon]

Hello i am a newbie to wood carving just finished my first project ^_^ a Plain Wild Cherry Walking Stick for my Grandpal so anyways.I was just wondering what Tools shoud i get and begin with??? And can i go out in the woods and cut any wood and use it??

For walking sticks, you can use most any wood you find in the woods (provided you have the landownwer's permission)

Aspen is light and carves well, diamond willow turns out beautifully, cherry is harder to carve but makes good hard, stout sticks, as do oak, and ironwood. I've even seen some fine sticks done in pine and cedar.

Most of all, have fun both carving AND collecting!

Al

[Callynne]

* * Hi ya WoodDragon, welcome!! *I haven't carved any walking sticks yet but I know in which direction to point you for some very useful information. *Go to http://cliffordparker.tripod.com and you will get lots of very good advice! *
* * Cliff is a stick carver and has a website with pictures of his work and sections on wood selection, drying tips, sharpening tips, etc., etc. *Check it out, I think you'll be happy with what you find. *Also, don't ever hesitate to ask ANY guestions, the people here are very friendly and VERY helpful!! *Callynne
* *

Hello and Welcome WoodDragon,

Tools

Buy the best quality your budget will allow. Good tools stay sharp longer and will cut down on the frustration and increase your enjoyment of this wonderful hobby.

A good 'starter set' for a beginner is a bench knife with a 1 1/2' or 1 3/4' blade. Good quality, basic knives sell for around $10 and can be bought at most carving suppliers. You will also need a 1/8' 45-degree V tool, a 1/4' #9 gouge, and a 3/8' #6 gouge. You might also want a chip knife if you are planning to try chip carving. Be sure to check to see if the supplier offers the tools already sharpened . Many will either sell their tools 'ready to carve' or will sharpen them for you for only a nominal fee. With these basic tools you can get started carving for between $50 and $150 depending on the brand of tools you buy. I do not advise buying sets of tools unless you know they contain tools you need.

You will also need to buy and learn to use tools for honing and stropping your tools to keep them sharp. There are nearly as many ways to sharpen as there are carvers and I would recommend finding someone to teach you and tell you what you need to keep your tools sharp.

Wood

If you are going to carve sticks you can use almost any type of wood but some are a LOT harder to carve than others. If you are going to carve in the round or relief you will need to find a supply of boards, blocks, or blanks. I get all of my basswood from a local pallet company. If you have a local pallet company or sawmill go visit them and ask about getting cut-offs or scrap from them. Northern white pine and basswood are both good wood for carving.

Some good suppliers to check out are

Little Shavers
http://www.littleshavers.com/

The Woodcraft Shop
http://thewoodcraftshop.com/

Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers Supply
http://www.woodcarvers.com/default.asp


Good whittlin, Cliff
Charles City, Iowa
http://cliffordparker.tripod.com

WoodenDragon, nice name, just be careful where you breath when you're carving. There are two options in caqrving, 1.chisels & knives; 2 Powercarving with a rotary machine and a flex shaft.
Knives & chisels require frequent re-sharping if you'll notice all the questions on the board about sharping. If you slip and cut you hand or finger, maybe a trip to the Doctor to get it stiched up. With Powercarving you can get started with just a Dremel tool with a flex shaft you can pick up at a Homedepot or Lowe's store. the bits and burs are a lot cheaper and faster and don't have to the re-sharped all the time. Yes you can cut yourself with a power tool, but yo're much less likely to.

I have worked with, popler, sweetgum and other saplings I have cut around my home. I cut them close to the ground and let them cure with the bark on for at least 6 months before I start. I mortise a handle or figure to the shaft after I have carved the figure I want. This makes it easier to handle than trying to carve it all from one piece. I have done three commissioned walking stafs at $450.00 each useing this style, if that tells you anything. One of which was a dragon haching out of an egg held by a dragon's claw. email me and I will email you pictures of them.
Rember if you're not haveing fun, your doing something wrong. Jack D.

Hello everybody newbie Mistake carving a greenstick and it spliting : Well my dad bought a Dremal Tool a Cople Days ago for him self to use i might be able to weasel my self into being able to use it ^_^ and im gonna get the handtools What where they again??? A 1 1/4 bench knife,a 1/8' 45-degree V tool, a 1/4' #9 gouge, and a 3/8' #6 gouge ???? Thanks everyone Oh and could some one go about telling me how to collect ready to carve wood?

[Bandaid]

Hi Woodendragon...check out the Resource Files at www.carverscompanion.com it has some good info. including collecting of sticks. 8)