Carvin' Copy
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Copying might be frowned on in school, but it’s one of the best ways to build your carving skills! By transforming a block of solid wood into a “portrait” of an existing object (such as a fruit, leaf, or flower), you’ll practice a full range of key techniques: laying out your design, roughing the form, carving details, and applying a surface finish. This low-tech approach suits students of all levels; those with some carving experience will have the option using of more challenging woods or complicated shapes.
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Class Supplies and Tools
Your supply fee includes:
-use of shared carving and sharpening tools
-handouts
-objects to copy
-wood
-consumables such as oil, wax, paint, and scalpels
You should bring:
-a dustmask
-a notebook and pencil
-carving tools as desired; you are welcome to use the shared tools but if you are serious about continuing to carve you may want to bring your own tools so that I can teach you to use and maintain them...
-use of shared carving and sharpening tools
-handouts
-objects to copy
-wood
-consumables such as oil, wax, paint, and scalpels
You should bring:
-a dustmask
-a notebook and pencil
-carving tools as desired; you are welcome to use the shared tools but if you are serious about continuing to carve you may want to bring your own tools so that I can teach you to use and maintain them...
Shopping for Carving Tools
Choosing the right tools is a very personal decision, based on considerations such as your hand size, scale, studio situation, and budget. Adjust my recommendations to fit your own situation. And if you already have tools similar to these, great! Bring them along!
SHAPES
As a basic starting point, I recommend getting three chisels:
-a C- or U-shape (aka “sweep” or “gouge”)
-a V-shape (“parting tool” or “veiner”)
-a flat blade with either a squared-off or angled (“skew”) cutting edge
SHAPES
As a basic starting point, I recommend getting three chisels:
-a C- or U-shape (aka “sweep” or “gouge”)
-a V-shape (“parting tool” or “veiner”)
-a flat blade with either a squared-off or angled (“skew”) cutting edge
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SIZES / STYLES
Almost any shape of tool will be available in many different sizes and handle styles. When choosing, keep in mind the size of the work you want to make, the size of your hands, and how much room you have for storing tools (handles can take up a lot of space!). BRANDS Of the many great options available, I think that the Flexcut brand offers the best balance of affordability and quality. Flexcut chisels are available either with fixed handles, or as interchangeable blades that snap into different handles; the snap-on blades take up less space so I can easily carry around one handle and 12 different blades in a small tool roll. Flexcut offers a variety of beginner kits; these are generally fine, but I were choosing my tools individually I'd get a handle and these blades (you can see them on the Tool Profile Chart pdf): SK317 45 deg. x 5/32" (4mm) Parting Tool SK407 #2 x 9/16" (15mm) Skew Double Bevel SK402 #8 x 3/8" (10mm) Sweep Another brand that I like is Dockyard; they sell sets of tiny microchisels that I use for carving details and for working with wax. SHARPENING There will be sharpening tools for you to use in class but if you plan to carve on your own some sort of sharpening system is essential. It's easy to keep Flexcuts and other small chisels sharp with the Flexcut SlipStrop. STORES I keep my eyes open for sales and have bought from many local and online sources, but Woodcraft.com is very reliable and offers a "birthday club" discount. |
My tool roll with one handle and many blades; note that I store them point down.
A boxed beginners set with fixed handles.
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MY RULES OF CHISEL OWNERSHIP
1. Don't buy more than you need; start with 2-3 and grow your collection as appropriate.
2. Don't waste your money on cheap tools.
3. Treat your tolls with care: keep the ends capped or covered, never let a cutting edge touch another piece of metal!
OTHER TOOLS
Other hand tools I may introduce in class include: razor saw, adze, draw knife, drill, crooked knife, or mallet. Don’t run out and buy these, but feel free to bring any that you already have and I can explain how and when to use them.
1. Don't buy more than you need; start with 2-3 and grow your collection as appropriate.
2. Don't waste your money on cheap tools.
3. Treat your tolls with care: keep the ends capped or covered, never let a cutting edge touch another piece of metal!
OTHER TOOLS
Other hand tools I may introduce in class include: razor saw, adze, draw knife, drill, crooked knife, or mallet. Don’t run out and buy these, but feel free to bring any that you already have and I can explain how and when to use them.