Carving Wood
Over the years I have occasionally done some wood carving. It does not take a lot of complicated tools or hard to learn techniques to do a decent wood carving. What is needed is a piece of wood and some basic carving tools.
While many people start carving in very soft woods like basswood or pine, I suggest the hardwoods. Hardwood is going to be a bit more difficult to cut, but you will end up with a nicer and more interesting carving. Colored woods like black walnut or cherry work nicely and show an interesting grain when carved. Many professional carvers look for burls, which are gnarly growths on the trunk of a tree with highly-swirled grain. I suggest looking for a decently sized piece of straight grained wood. A good place to look for wood to carve is firewood. Firewood is often available in large pieces with fairly straight grain, and it is inexpensive.
For tools you will need at least one decent chisel. Most carvers use a gouge, which is a curved chisel, for roughing out the work. The smaller the gouge, the finer the detail you can work into your carving, but it will take longer. You might want to buy a selection of gouges. Carving tools can be very expensive. I have a set that cost me over $100, but the sky’s the limit when talking about carving tools. Get some that suit your budget.
If you are very poor you might get by with a carpenter’s chisel that you can buy at any hardware store. You will have to learn how to use this to remove material. In the past I have made tools out of scrap metal. These can work surprisingly well. A lot of the primitive wood carvings done by tribes in New Guinea use nothing more than a thin-bladed hatchet. Once you get your tools, keep them good and sharp with a whet stone.
Carving wood can be dangerous. Be especially careful with knives. If you use a carving knife it is a good idea to get a carving glove to protect your free hand. Razor sharp chisels can give bad wounds. Always cut away from your body and keep the tool under control. When using a mallet on a chisel, do not pound on it like you are trying to break rocks. Use controlled thumps to drive the tool into the work.
Carving takes a considerable amount of time. It generates a certain amount of wood chips. You will want a nice bench to work on, or at least a chair. A bench with a cleat screwed to it is helpful for holding your work. You might consider some kind of arrangement like a bench screw for holding your work. Work from the outside in and slowly remove the material that is not part of your finished design. What you carve is your own business and is where the art comes into the equation.
Once you have your carving roughed out you may want to go over it with a straight chisel to smooth it out. You might want to sand your carving with progressively finer grits of sandpaper. You may want to apply a nice satin clear finish to your piece to protect it. If you have carved something that you think should also be painted, go ahead and add color. It is a little known fact that even marble sculptures were painted in the ancient world. How you finish a piece is determined by how you want it to look. Personally, I favor a nice clear finish that accentuates the grain of the wood.
Wood carving can be an enjoyable hobby. It takes strong hands and patience to do a decent carving. Be careful with your tools and be gentle to the wood, and it will reward you with years of pleasure in what you produce.
