By Lora S. Irish

You will notice, as you search for a new carving knife, that there are enough choices on the market to make your head spin. So how do you sort through them all to find the tool that’s right for you? Here’s a quick guide to get you started. After you select the right knife for you, try it out on one of our carving projects, such as Heart-Shaped Bottle Stopper.

A Comfortable Fit When you grip the handle, the tips of your middle and ring finger should lie about 1/4″ (6mm) away from or just against your thumb palm. This lets you have free motion of your fingers, thumb, and wrist during any cut—not too tight and not too open. Your fingers should hold the knife handle to the palm without the need for excess pressure. If the handle is too narrow or thin, your fingertips will need to curve into a clenched shape to hold the knife steady. That causes extra tension in the hand, which over time becomes tiring. If the handle is too wide, your fingertips will not touch the thumb palm area. To hold it securely, you would need to grip tightly to steady the knife through the cuts. This, too, can cause fatigue and stress on your hands. Traditionally, tool handles are sized to fit a medium-to-large man’s hand, because until a century ago, woodworking and carving were mostly done by men. Today, though, many professional carvers are women—and these women usually have smaller hands and therefore narrower grips. (My husband is a longtime woodworker. While his hand can hold a large knife comfortably, mine just can’t.) Fortunately, today, you can find handles in a variety of sizes. Some manufacturers offer you a choice of handle shapes and sizes. In general, those classified as detail knives have smaller handles.

This knife handle is too wide for this carver.

A knife handle that properly fits a woman’s hand…

…will most likely be too small for a man.

A Rule of Thumb To gauge how well a knife handle will fit your hand, wrap the fingers of your dominant hand around your other thumb. Your thumb represents the knife handle, which rests across your palm. Since the fattest part of your thumb sits nicely in this area, you can use it to see how thick a knife handle you can comfortably use. This is why I never recommend ergonomic grip tool handles, because they only perfectly fit one person’s hand—the person (usually a man) who made the handle mold in the first place.

TIP: Adjusting A Handle If your knife handle is too large, sand or carve it down to fit your hand. If the handle is too small, wrap vet-wrap tape around the handle to build it up.

Blade Length A good bench knife, one with high-quality steel and a proper fit, will carve about 90% of the straight cuts that you need for any project. And for most carving projects, especially if you’re working with milled and kiln-dried wood where the bark and heartwood have been removed, it only needs to make a clean 1/2″ (1.3cm)-wide slice. A longer knife puts your hands farther from the details you’re carving and reduces your control (above right). If you do need to take larger slices, clamp the wood and use a drawknife; this allows you to use both hands on the tool, keeping control despite the length of the blade.

A shorter blade length (top) will afford you more control.

When a Longer Blade is Better Harley Refsal, author of Carving Flat-Plane Style Caricatures, prefers a longer blade to take the large cuts needed for flat-plane carving. Initially, he ground down a Morakniv blade (a traditional Scandinavian multi-purpose knife) until it was about 2″ (5.1cm) long, and thinned it on a sharpening stone so it would glide through wood more easily. Eventually, he teamed up with Del Stubbs of Pinewood Forge to make the Harley Knife (shown at right). “The distinct, flat facets created by a fairly large, thin-bladed knife, rather than a tiny detail knife or a variety of gouges, yield the Scandinavian-inspired flat-plane look I most enjoy carving,” Harley explained. He also recommends straight knives by OOCT for flat-plane carving and curved knives by Pinewood Forge, OCCT, and Drake Knives for spoon carving. Longer knives, such as a traditional Sloyd, also work well to remove bark from large surface areas such as a walking stick. The long blade allows you to glide the cutting edge down the stick, freeing strips of bark.

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by Vicki Rhodes

Everyone knows that you need paint and paintbrushes to paint. However, there are a variety of other useful items to make the experience more efficient and enjoyable. The following items are the ones I find most beneficial. Once you have have all your paint supplies ready, try them out while painting a miniature scarecrow ornament.

Containers for Water You’ll need two water containers; one to rinse the paint from your brush and the other to pick up water as you paint. Dirty water will change the color of your paint, so keep this container clean. A useful addition to your painting supplies is a brush basin that is divided into two sections with ridges in the bottom. Gently stroke brushes across the ridges to get all of the paint out.

Wet Palette A wet palette is used for paint storage and may be set up using any shallow container. A wet palette may be as simple as a paper plate or a foam meat tray. An airtight container for food storage will keep paint workable for several days or weeks. Lay a damp paper towel on top of your palette, and apply the paint on top of the paper towel.

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By Mindy Kinsey

This review was originally published in Woodcarving Illustrated Summer 2018 (Issue 83).

Flexcut has added three spoon carving tools to its extensive range of carving equipment: two Sloyd Hook Knives and the Spoon Carvin’ Jack. Together, they ensure that spoon carvers both at home and on the go are fully equipped for their art.

Sloyd Hook Knives

“Sloyd” refers to an old Scandinavian concept of handwork and an educational system intended to teach crafts holistically, as part of a well-rounded education. These days, the word calls to mind a simple, sturdy, multipurpose knife designed for carving or whittling.

Flexcut’s new single- and double-bevel Sloyd hook knives are made with a high-carbon steel blade and a tang that extends through an attractive cherry handle. The Single Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife is 8″ (20.3cm) long and deeply curved, and its blade comes to a point. The double-bevel version is slightly longer at 8 1/2″ (21.6cm) and has a more open curve ending at a square edge. Both arrive sharp and ready to use, which is great because hooked knives are challenging
to strop, let alone sharpen.

In fact, these tools are so sharp that I was hesitant to use the Double Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife. I rest my thumb on the tool to push it through the wood while I carve, and that isn’t possible with this knife. It would be very useful for larger projects, like bowls or even large serving spoons, where the carving motion comes from rotating the wrist rather than pushing with the thumb. For a small spoon, however, I found myself constantly shifting my grip on both the tool and project, trying to get the right leverage while avoiding the sharp bevels.

However, I really liked the Single Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife. I could push it easily through the wood in my preferred grip. I appreciated the deep curve, which fit well into the smaller spoons I was carving. I found that I used different areas of the curve depending on the part of the spoon I was carving. The Single Bevel Sloyd was easy to use, fit my hand well, and cut through my hardwood blanks cleanly.

The carver and author Lora S. Irish had a different experience with the hook knives. She noted that the single-bevel knife “is definitely a right-handed tool. I am not comfortable as a lefty using it in a backwards pushing motion, which takes away my ability to control the cut.” Lora also had a large problem, literally, with the size of the handles. “The width—girth—of the handles on both tools does not give me, a small-handed woman, any possibility for a secure grip. That lack of gripping power means that I lose all control over the cutting stroke. … Most spoons are carved from a hardwood species [so] the pressure the carver needs to add to the cutting stroke increases the chance of losing control of the cut with a knife that does not properly fit inside the palm of your hand.”

I did not experience problems with the sizes of the handles, suggesting that carvers will need to test the handles to see if they suit your hands (and consider sanding them to size as needed). Left-handed carvers should also be aware that the single-bevel hook knife may be uncomfortable to use and consider the double-bevel version instead.

Spoon Carvin’ Jack

While carving spoons seems like an ideal “whittling” activity, most people don’t carry a curved blade along with their pocketknife. Shaping a spoon bowl with a straight blade is challenging and time consuming.

Enter the Spoon Carvin’ Jack, Flexcut’s newest folding knife. The 6″ (15.2cm)-long body contains three locking blades (one straight and two curved) that arrive sharp and ready to carve. Together, they enable carvers on the go to shape both the handles and bowls of spoons. The body of the knife is made of ergonomically shaped aerospace aluminum that’s comfortable to hold and has a solid, if slightly heavy, feel. It is cross-hatched for improved grip.

This is a brilliant idea. In practice, while the radiuses of the two blades match those of the Sloyd hook knives, I did not find them as easy to use as the full-size versions. The curves are fairly slight in such short blades, making it harder to dig deeply into the spoon bowl. That said, if you simply carve shallower spoon bowls when you’re working in the wild, the Spoon Carvin’ Jack will enable you to whittle by the campfire to your heart’s content. It’s a small price to pay for the portability, safety, and convenience of an all-in-one spoon tool that will fit in your pocket or pack.    

The suggested retail for the Single Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife is $74.95, the Double Bevel Sloyd Hook Knife is $79.95, and the Spoon Carvin’ Jack is $124.95. Visit www.flexcut.com to order or to find a local retailer.

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by Bob Duncan

This article was first published in issue 57 of Woodcarving Illustrated.

Basic measuring tools have been around for most of documented history; the Freemasons include dividers in their symbol. These simple tools help carvers create symmetry and transfer measurements from a study cast or clay model.

If you break them down to their simplest forms, dividers, calipers, and compasses are similar—two pieces of material joined at a pivoting axis on one end.

Dividers and Calipers

Dividers are the most simple of the three tools because they feature two identical straight legs, which usually end in a point. There are many shapes of calipers, but the most useful calipers for woodcarvers have two curving legs that come together at the end.

Dividers and calipers are useful for gauging proportions while carving. Artists say that a face is about five eyes wide and there is one eye-width
of space between the eyes. While you can use a ruler to measure the width of an eye, it’s quicker, easier, and more accurate to set a pair of dividers or calipers to the width of an eye and use the dividers to make the marks.

You can also use dividers or calipers to help position elements on the face. After you carve an iris, for example, place one leg of the dividers in the outside corner of the eye and place the other leg of the dividers on the inside edge of the iris. Transfer that width to the other eye to place the second iris in the correct position.

Dividers or calipers are also useful for transferring dimensions from a clay model to your blank, especially if you make a full-sized clay model. Use the calipers or dividers to transfer the locations of landmarks from the model to the carving. Some types of calipers allow you to increase the proportions as you transfer the measurements. These specialized tools, called proportion calipers, allow you to make a half-size model and scale up the dimensions while transferring them to the carving.

Another great way to use calipers is to ensure elements on both sides of a carving, such as arms and legs, are the same size. I prefer calipers for this use, because the curved legs fit around elements easier.

Simple Shopmade Calipers

Carver, author, and instructor Rick Jensen creates his own calipers from the wooden paint stirring sticks hardware stores give away when you buy paint. Rick shapes the lower part of each stick into a graceful curve that ends in a point. He drills a hole in the other end, threads a machine screw through the hole, and locks the screw in place with a wing nut. While a caliper like this probably isn’t accurate to the thousands of an inch, it is more than accurate enough for a carving.

Compasses

Like dividers, a compass has two straight legs; however, one leg holds a pencil or other writing implement. A compass is often used to draw circles, which are common in geometric carvings and chip carvings. A compass is useful to mark regular distances, such as the points on a geometric chip carving. I also use a compass to mark the depths of the different layers in a relief carving.

Although you can buy precision engineered calipers, dividers, and compasses with hardened steel tips, you really don’t need that sort of accuracy when it comes to carving. You can pick up a functional compass at an office supply store. Wherever you find them, these inexpensive measuring tools are useful additions to your carving tool kit.

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by Gary MacKay

This article was first published in issue 49 of Woodcarving Illustrated.

When I first started chip carving, I would place a towel on my lap to catch the chips. With chip carving, you should have your thumb, knuckle, and knife point in contact with the wood you are carving. That’s not normally possible when you carve the chips near the edge of the blank. To help support my hand while I carve these chips, I created a lapboard

  I made my lapboard with 11/2″ wide sides to allow plenty of surface contact when carving chips near the edges of my stock. The sides are the same thickness as the wood I normally carve and help to lock the blank in place. Additionally, the lapboard gives me a solid surface to carve on and I can sweep the chips into the drilled recesses to keep them out of the way while I work.

If you increase the height of the sides, you can use the lapboard to hold extra tools and catch wood chips when you work on any type of carving.

Step 1: Cut the sides to size. I chip carve mainly 3/8″-thick wood, so my sides are 3/8″ thick by 11/2″ wide. The length of the sides depends on the size of the lapboard you want to make.

Step 2: Cut the base to size. I made my lapboard 10″ by 12″, but you can size the board according to the scrap wood you have or what is most convenient for you.

Step 3: Drill the chip collection holes. Use the drawing to determine the position of the holes. I use a 11/2″-diameter Forstner bit to drill 1/4″-deep holes. Alternatively, cut a piece of 1/4″-thick plywood to the size of the base and drill the holes with a spade bit. Glue the 1/4″-thick plywood to a 1/2″-thick piece to get the 3/4″-thick base.

Step 4: Assemble the lapboard. Glue and clamp the sides to the base.

Materials & Tools

Materials:

• 3/4″ x 10″ x 12″ plywood (base)
• 2 each 3/8″ x 11/2″ x 12″ scrap wood (long sides)
• 3/8″ x 11/2″ x 7″ scrap wood (short side)
• Wood glue

Tools:

• Forstner bit 11/2″ to 2″ diameter
• Clamps

Patterns:

• Pattern dimensions

About the Author

Gary MacKay is a lifelong woodworker who embellishes his work with chip carving. He has been selling his wooden items at juried craft galleries for 22 years.

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by Roger Schroeder

This article was first published in issue 42 of Woodcarving Illustrated.

While purists will argue that files, rasps and rifflers, not to mention sandpaper, should never touch a wood carving, don’t sell these tools short. Many projects need a smooth surface, not a flat-plane or faceted one. These versatile tools can shape, smooth, even sharpen if necessary, and are actually economical alternatives to sandpaper. They are ideally suited for working oddly shaped areas and difficult wood grain, as well as roughing out. A single file removes wood as quickly as a large rotary cutter and produces a finished surface that rivals 220-grit sandpaper for smoothness.

Files

A file has three main parts: the length, which is the cutting surface covered with teeth; the tang, which is where the handle is attached (never use the tang as a handle); and the heel, which is the transition between the length and the tang. Files come in wide variety of types and profiles.

Types of files: You need to understand both the cut of the teeth, that look like lines, and how coarse or smooth a finish they make. From coarse to smooth, the distance between the teeth diminishes. However, a smaller file has teeth closer together, even if it is labeled coarse. In general, the longer the file, the coarser it is. To help the consumer, manufacturers often stamp the cut between the first row of teeth and the tang.

File Profiles: Once you’ve determined what type of file is best suited for the job, you can further refine the usefulness of the tool by selecting the correct profile or shape.

Rasps

Rasps make deeper and coarser cuts than files because they have separate and triangular, rather than parallel, lines of teeth. Rasps scrape away wood rather than plane it away as files do. The rasp is well suited for shaping wood quickly. Files have gullets or spaces between the teeth that fill with wood chips. One advantage a rasp has over a file is that the teeth resist clogging, but rasps are only available in a limited variety. The size and distribution of teeth determine a rasp’s degree of coarseness and the amount of wood it can remove. All cut rapidly but will leave a rough surface.

Rifflers and Specialized Tools

Over the years, files and rasps have evolved into more specialized tools, such as rifflers, Microplane® rasps, and needle files.

Riffler comes from a French word meaning to file or scrape. A riffler is a small, double-ended file, rasp, or both, with a gripping area between the cutting edges. It is fashioned to work in tight spaces. Common end shapes include straight, curved, and knife-like. Rifflers come in a variety of profiles, such as oval, triangular, square, round, and half-round.

Needle files are designed for very precise work and leave a smooth surface on wood. A good set will consist of as many as 12 second-cut files, but purchase one that offers an interchangeable handle. Sets of needle rasps are also available.

Microplane’s stainless steel blades, which come in round, triangular, and flat shapes, offer razor-sharp edges. I tried my flat-blade Microplane on a piece of white oak and was more than pleased with the results. The wood disappeared without a great deal of effort. For the power carver, there are 1″ and 2″-diameter rotary cutters with 1/4″ shanks. These tools should be used on a drill press running at a maximum of 1200 rpm, not in a hand drill or flexible shaft tool.

Using Files and Rasps

Draw filing, a finishing stroke, requires you to hold the file in both hands at right angles to the wood and push across it with light pressure. Since the teeth of files cut only on the push stroke, lift the tool up on the return stroke. A beginner’s problem is overdoing the push stroke operation, resulting in an unwanted hollow.

Cross filing is done at an angle, not straight across as the name might suggest. Hold the file with both hands and apply enough pressure so the teeth do not catch on the wood grain and cause the file to skip over hard and soft grain changes. Working at an angle is critical when using rasps. Filing parallel or perpendicular to the grain will tear and break the wood, leaving the surface ragged, with a lot of follow-up work required. Cross filing will prevent that from happening.

Care and Maintenance

While files are made from ultra-hard steel and tempered hard to give the teeth a long life, they do tend to be brittle and are easily broken. Files are not designed to pry, hammer, or clash with other metal tools. Use them for what they were designed for, and they should last several lifetimes.

Keep files hanging up and away from other tools. If wall space is at a premium, then keep them stored, but separated, in a drawer to protect the teeth. Since files, like most other steel implements, are prone to rust, it’s wise to keep a few bags of silica in the drawer to draw off moisture.

A file card is the best investment you can make for unclogging a file that has filled with wood chips. Purchase one that has nylon bristles on one side and short, stiff steel teeth on the other. Badly clogged files require you to brush the file with the steel teeth. Stroke the brush parallel to the file’s teeth. If you want to prevent heavy clogging, use the bristle brush frequently. If you chalk the teeth heavily prior to use, it will discourage clogging. Do not oil a file; it will make it difficult to dislodge dust and wood chips.

About the Author

Roger Schroeder, of Amityville, NY, is a retired teacher, accomplished author, and the founding editor of Woodcarving Illustrated.

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by Chuck Solomon and Dave Hamilton

Photos of bits in use courtesy of Foredom

This article was first published in issue 48 of Woodcarving Illustrated.

In power carving, the bur or bit is the part of the tool that does that actual wood removal. The power carving tool, such as a flexible shaft machine or micro motor, spins the bit at a high speed and the cutting surface or abrasive on the bit removes the wood. Power carving bits go by names such as burs, cutters, carvers, stones, and discs.

Bits are manufactured from a variety of materials and are available in many shapes, head sizes, and shank sizes. The sheer volume of bits available can be overwhelming. By breaking down the categories and taking a look at the performance of the different types of bits, you can choose the best bit for the job.

Shank Diameter

The shank is the backbone of the bit. One end of the shank is inserted in the rotary power carver. The head of the bit is formed around the opposite end of the shank. The most common shank diameters are ¼”, 1/8″, 3/32″, and 1/16″. Flexible shaft machines accept any of these diameters when equipped with the appropriate collet. Micro motors typically accept 1/8″- and 3/32″-diameter shanks, although, optional collets can be purchased for alternate size shanks. Air turbine machines use only friction bits with a 1/16″-diameter shank. Generally, the larger the size of the bit’s head, the larger the diameter of the shank. Use the largest bit you comfortably can for the area you are carving. When inserting the bit into your rotary power carver, make sure the shank is as far into the tool as it will go.

Head Shape and Size

Bits are grouped into a few general shapes. The shape of the bit’s head determines the contour of the cut. The larger the head, the more wood it will remove. Larger bits are generally used for roughing out a piece and smaller bits are used to add details.

Many of the shapes have very specific purposes, but we tend to use the ball, cylinder, flame, and pear-shaped bits the most.

	Bull nose/ball nose: Combines a ball with a cylinder Use to make concave cuts and hollow out areas using the top Use the side to cut flat areas and round edges Creates a cut similar to a U-gouge with the top and a knife cut with the side		Cylinder: Use to cut flat areas, round edges, and make stop cuts and V-cuts Creates a cut similar to a knife or straight chisel Hold the tool at an angle and use the top corner to make V-cuts Smooth-end or safe-end bits are the most useful		Flame: Use to make concave cuts and V-cuts, and to recess areas Creates a cut similar to a U-gouge when using its side and a V-tool when using the tip
	Large taper: Use to round edges, make concave cuts, and access hard-to-reach areas		Small Taper: Use to access hard-to-reach and angled areas Create feather barbules and hair		Oval: Use to round edges, create lumps and bumps, and make concave cuts
	Ball: Use to create concave cuts and to hollow out areas Creates a cut similar to a U-gouge		Inverted Cone: Use to make V-cuts for feather barbules and hair		Disc: Use to undercut feathers and make channel cuts Cut off thin pieces of unwanted wood
			Pear: Use to round edges and create lumps and bumps when bird carving

Grits and Materials

Bits are made from a variety of materials. These materials vary greatly in cost, cutting speed, durability, and the smoothness of the surface they leave behind. The most coarse and longlasting bits feature aggressive carbide points bonded to a metal shaft. These bits remove wood fast, but leave a rough surface. The finest cutting bits are man-made stones which produce a smooth surface. Coarse bits work best at slower rpm and finer bits work best at higher rpm.

Carbide-point Bits Brand names: Typhoon, Saburr Tooth, Kutzall Average price per bit: $15 to $20 Shank diameters:¼”, 1/8″, 3/32″ Durability:High: we have several bits we have used for more than ten years without a noticeable change in their ability to remove wood Most aggressive bits available Used for rapid stock removal when roughing out both hard and soft wood Produce a relatively rough surface Typhoon, Saburr Tooth, and Kutzall Extreme make cleaner cuts, collect less debris, and are easier to clean because the points are structurally aligned Kutzall bits cut fast, but leave a rougher surface and can be difficult to clean Cut wood, acrylic, plaster, and fiberglass	Carbide Cutters Brand names: Various Average price per bit: $12 to $20 Shank diameters: ¼”, 1/8″, 3/32″, 1/16″ Durability: High: long-lasting bits are nearly as durable as carbide-point bits Produce a relatively smooth surface on woods Available in fluted and cross-cut styles Large bits with ¼”-diameter shafts useful for roughing out carvings Smaller bits can be used to add detail to carvings Cut wood, acrylic, plaster, and fiberglass
Carbide-grit Bits Brand names: Dura-Grit Average price per bit: $15 Shank diameters: 1/8″ Durability: High: tough carbide grit stays sharp and won’t tear loose, but wears out faster than carbide cutters and carbide-point bits Available in several grits Available in most shapes including cutting wheels Cut wood, laminates, fiberglass, gourds, and ceramics	Mini Saw & Carving Drills Brand names: Various Average price per bit: $10 Shank diameters: 1/8″, 3/32″ Durability: High: Mini saw drills are made from high-speed steel coated with titanium nitride; carving drills are made from high-tempered steel. Both types of drills have great heat resistance and life Used to drill holes and carve out from the holes on pierced turnings and relief carvings Difficult to control on an in-the-round carving Cut wood up to ¾” thick. Come in a variety of sizes
High-speed Steel Bits Brand names: Various Average price per bit: $11 Shank diameters: 1/8″, 3/32″ Durability: Medium: longlasting, but not as durable as carbide bits Available in more shapes than carbide bits Useful for cutting grooves and countersinking Less expensive, but less durable than carbide, diamond, or ruby bits Cut wood, bone, antler, plastic, and soft metals	Stump Cutters Brand names: Various Average price per bit: $9 to $11 Shank diameters: 3/32″ Durability: Medium: vanadium steel cutters last longer than high-speed steel bits, but not as long as diamond or ruby bits Serrated edges remove wood quickly, but leave a smooth surface Cut most woods, bits wear out faster when carving hard dense woods
Diamond Bits Brand names: Various Average price per bit: Plated: $7 to $10, Sintered: $20 to $25 Shank diameters: ¼”, 1/8″, 3/32″, 1/16″ Durability: High: sintered diamond bits are almost as durable as carbide bits; plated diamond bits are less durable than sintered diamond bits Plated diamond bits feature a single layer of diamond particles embedded in the shaped metal head Sintered diamond bits feature diamond particles bonded with powdered bronze matrix, which are then bonded to the metal head Sintered diamond bits can be sharpened and reshaped slightly with a diamond dressing stone Plated diamond bits cannot be reshaped Used to texture and carve fine details Available in several grits Available in more shapes than any other bit Used for final shaping, texturing, and detailing Cut wood, hardened steel, glass, ceramic, bone, antler, stone, and precious metals	Ruby Bits Brand names: Various Average price per bit: $9 Shank diameters: 1/8″, 3/32″ Durability: Medium: last longer than stones, but are less durable than diamond bits Particles of ruby bonded to a metal frame Remove wood quickly, but leave a smooth finish Available in fine, medium, and coarse grits Cut steel, ceramic, wood, soft and precious metals, bone, and antler
V Stones Brand names: Foredom Average price per bit: $3 to $5 Shank diameters: 1/8″, 3/32″ Durability: Medium: last longer than ordinary aluminum-oxide stones, but less than ruby bits Made from a vitrified self-sharpening aluminum-oxide grain Cool-running and long-lasting abrasive stones Cut wood, metals, acrylic, glass, and marble	CeramCut Blue Stones Brand names: Foredom Average price per bit: $2 to $3 Shank diameters: 1/8″, 3/32″ Durability: Medium: last longer than other stones, but less than ruby bits Made from ceramic and aluminum-oxide for strength and cutting speed Run cooler than other stones, which makes them less likely to burn wood Leave a smooth finish Cut wood, mild steel, steel alloys, and ferrous metals
Aluminum-oxide Stones Brand names: Various Average price per bit: $1.50 to $2.50 Shank diameters: 1/8″, 3/32″ Durability: Low: least durable bit Available in various grits Red (coarse, 80 to 150 grit) and white (fine, 400 grit) are mostly used for wood Red used for fast wood removal White used for fine texturing, such as bird feathers or mammal fur Stones can be reshaped and sharpened easily to extend their life. Cut wood, mild steel, and soft metals	Silicon-carbide Stones Brand names: Various Average price per bit: $2 to $3 Shank diameters: 1/8″, 3/32″ Durability: Low: last longer than aluminum-oxide stones, but are less durable than CeramCut Blue Stones Silicon-carbide mixture bonded to a stainless steel head and shank More aggressive than white stones but less aggressive than red stones Used to create lumps and bumps on bird carvings, with a limited ability to create feathers and hair Cut wood, aluminum, brass, glass, and gemstones
Ceramic Texturing Rods Brand names: Various Average price per bit: $22 Shank diameters: 1/8″, 3/32″ Durability: Medium: last longer than white stones, but are less durable than diamond bits Used to create feather barbules, fur, or hair Available in three grits: 300, 800, and 1200 Entire 2″-long rod can be dressed or shaped for texturing, giving the rods longer life Cut them in half and dress the four ends with different shapes and sizes Our top choice for creating fine detail for feathers and hair	Sanding Bands & Discs Brand names: Dremel, Foredom, 3M Cubitron Average price per bit: drum: $3, sanding bands: $0.50 to $0.75 Shank diameters: ¼”, 1/8″, 3/32″ Durability: Medium to low: ordinary aluminum-oxide sanding bands last as long as ordinary sandpaper, 3M Cubitron ceramic aluminum-oxide bands last at least twice as long Require a reusable mandrel or rubber drum Available in many grits Drums available in many sizes Cartridge and tapered rolls available for split mandrels in various sizes and grits
Cushioned Sanding Drums Brand names: Various Average price per bit: $16 to $17 Shank diameters: ¼”, 1/8″ Durability: Low: the drums are very durable, the sandpaper cover lasts as long as ordinary sandpaper Mandrel with soft rubber backing and a slot for the sandpaper to be wrapped around the rubber backing Work best with cloth-backed sandpaper Includes a metal template which allows you to cut any grit of sandpaper to size One of our most-used tools	Defuzzing Pads & Radial Bristle Brushes Brand names: 3M, Scotchbrite Average price per bit: $0.80 per 6″ x 9″ sheet: $1.50 per bristle brush Shank diameters: 1/8″, 3/32″ Durability: Low: synthetic steel wool pads and synthetic or horse hair bristles wear out quickly Pads require a mandrel, clamp one or two squares on the mandrel Pads used to remove fuzz before texture is carved Brushes used to remove wood fuzz and clean area between barbules and hair before painting Create your own pads by cutting 1½” to 2″ squares of synthetic steel wool
Radial Bristle Discs Brand names: 3M, Scotchbrite Average price per bit: $1.25 per individual disc Shank diameters: 1/8″, 3/32″ Durability: Medium: last as long as 3M ceramic aluminum-oxide sandpaper Require a mandrel, usually stack in groups of three to six on the mandrel 3M Cubitron ceramic and aluminum-oxide particles are embedded in the bristles Disc diameters range from ¼” to 3″ Disc grits range from 80 grit to 1 micron (14,000 grit) Use slower speeds for control, faster speeds for aggressive wood removal Useful for defuzzing Cut wood, precious and soft metals, and ceramic

Maintenance

Over time, you will accumulate a number of bits to meet your carving needs. It makes sense to keep the bits sharp and in good condition in order to protect your investment. We recommend the following tips to prolong the life of your bits:

• Store your bits in a holder of some sort to prevent them from banging into each other.
• Don’t apply so much pressure that you burn your bits.
• Clean your carbide-point bits with a brass brush.
• Remove stubborn sawdust with oven cleaner.
• Use a wet white whetstick to clean diamond bits.
• Use a neoprene rubber bar to remove dust from ruby bits, stones, sanding discs, sanding drums, and cushioned sanding drums.
• Reshape and clean stones with a diamond hone or dressing stone.

Every carver has his or her own favorite bits. Experiment with bits of different sizes and materials to get a good feel for their capabilities. When selecting a bit for a specific purpose, power carver Jack Kochan asks himself the following questions to help determine which bit to choose:

• How fast do I want to remove wood?
• How much wood do I want to remove?
• How smooth do I want the wood to be when I finish this section?
• What size bit is best suited for the area I want to carve?

Recommended Starter Set We recommend the following bits as an initial investment:
A defuzzing pad and soft bristle brush	Small carbide point bits, from left: fine cylinder, coarse flame, coarse ball, fine ball	Two cushioned sanding drums (large and small) with assorted grits of sandpaper
Regular-grit diamond or ruby bits from left: pear, safe-end tapered, medium flame, small flame, small tapered	Texturing bits from left: small taper green stone, small ball green stone, small tapered stone with a rounded tip, blue ceramic rod
In addition to the bits above, choose carbide-point bits with ¼”-diameter shafts for roughing out.
Smaller carvings require smaller and fewer carbide-point bits, from left: fine cylinder sleeve, coarse cylinder   For large carvings, use large carbide-point bits, from left: fine cylinder sleeve, fine cylinder, fine ball, coarse ball

CLICK HERE to download a PDF of this article.

About the Authors

Chuck Solomon (left) and Dave Hamilton are avid carvers and instructors. They have co-authored The Art of Stylized Wood Carving, Carving Hummingbirds, and Carving North American Hummingbirds, all available at www.foxchapelpublishing.com.

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by Roger Schroeder

This article was first published in issue 46 of Woodcarving Illustrated.

Essentially, a woodcarver’s punch is a steel texturing tool with a pattern engraved on its tip. Just when woodcarvers started to use them is unknown, although examples of punched backgrounds are found that date well into the last millennium.

Common designs consist of a single dot, a series of dots, an asterisk, or a cross shape. But don’t be surprised to find letters, acorns, hearts, anchors, stars, and crescent moons, among others.

To use it, place the punch perpendicular to the surface of the wood and strike it with a hammer. It’s as simple as that.

Aside from the notion of a textured contrast, there are other reasons for using a punch. For one, it disguises a ragged background. Some species of wood, especially when relief carved, simply defy clean cuts where the grain changes. When hard-to-remove splinters show up in small crevices, the pros recommend you find a punch that fits in the space and compress the wood.

Punches for Convex Effects

Instead of the design standing proud of the surface on a punch, the design can be recessed on the punch to create a convex shape on the wood. Eye punches were designed to compress the background so a round or oval mound is left. Punches can also be used to make scales and buttons on clothing.

One clever use of a punch is raising bumps. This technique is perfect for creating bumps on a frog. Give it a try using these easy steps and some basic shop materials:

• Hunt up a piece of scrap basswood and a 10-penny nail.
• Tap the head of the nail on the surface of the scrap.
• Sand the punch mark until it has nearly disappeared.
• Put a few drops of boiling water on the compressed area and wait for a bump to appear.

When the walls of wood cells are disturbed, as in compression, they swell when wet. It’s a trick furniture restorers use to remove dents.

Making a Punch

Dozens of different punches are available at reasonable prices. If you just can’t find that pattern, mound, or indentation you’ve always wanted, try making the tool. Large 16-penny nails offer a lot of steel on which you can engrave a design using files or rotary bits. Another material to consider is steel mending plates, available at most hardware or discount stores. Created to join two pieces of wood or to strengthen a wood joint, the typical plate measures 5⁄8″ by 3″ and is 3⁄32“ thick. It’s readily hammered and the steel is soft enough to file a design into. I’ve created patterns that simulate zippers, stitches, and weaving.

A simple circular punch can be made from a length of copper tubing. However, you should have a bevel on either the outside or inside, depending on the effect you want.  An eye punch for a caricature might warrant an outside bevel while a bird requires an inside bevel. Put the piece of tubing into a drill press and hold a small reamer to the inside as it rotates at low speed to quickly form an inside bevel. To achieve an outside bevel, hold a diamond hone to the spinning end of the tubing. For an oval shape, gently crimp the end with   a pair of pliers.

Experiment

Not every carving is going to require texturing. Much, in fact, can be achieved with a knife or other traditional hand tools. But for some novel effects on a figure, or just some pleasing contrasts on your next relief carving, give punches a try.

About the Author

Roger Schroeder is the founding editor of Woodcarving Illustrated. Roger and his wife, Sheila, live in Amityville, N.Y.

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by Chris Pye

I carve in what might be called the traditional manner. It is sometimes referred to as European. The tools of my trade consist of variously shaped gouges, chisels, and so on. I don’t often use knives, which are so widespread in the U.S. that it would be reasonable to call them the traditional form of carving in America, and I don’t use power tools for anything other than roughing out or texturing.

It’s not that I have anything against knives or power equipment; lots of lovely work is done with them—it’s just that I’m in love with my carving tools. I can do so much more in terms of design or results with my gouges than I can with any knife. Indeed gouges superseded knives and axes in the history of carving design because of their advantages.

Sadly, it’s been my experience that a lot of knife users are put off by carving tools. Beginners can find their many shapes complicated, and they are daunted when it comes to selecting the best one to use for a particular job. Not to mention that dreaded sharpening! This is a pity—there is no doubt in my mind that carving tools can take the carver to places knives simply can’t go.

In this series of articles, I want to undo some of the mystery surrounding traditional carving tools— their selection and sharpening. We’ll move from there into simple exercises that will show you what these tools can do—how to hold and use them properly—and onto projects that bring this information all together.

Think of learning to carve in the same way as learning the guitar. A guitar teacher would first teach you how to tune the instrument and then move on to simple finger exercises. Gradually the exercises would get more challenging and develop into proper tunes.

This is the same as learning any skill and certainly true of carving. The most important part of learning any new skill is practice.

It amazes me how often beginners expect to learn the skill of woodcarving without putting in practice time. You’ll have to practice, put chisel to wood—a lot, if you want to progress!

Let’s begin with a quick overview of all those carving tools: what they are, why so many and briefly, what they can do for you.

Tool Charts & Sweeps

You have probably seen these charts in tool catalogs and carving books: you are looking at the profiles of carving tools seen on end, what carvers call their sweep. The sweeps and longitudinal shapes of carving tools are collected by manufacturers into numbering systems.

Regular Gouges

In a ‘true’ gouge, the sweep is actually an arc of a circle, a fact that can be readily demonstrated. The bigger the circle from which the arc is taken, the flatter the gouge.

The width of a gouge is measured from corner to corner. This width or size of the tool is classified in either inches or millimeters. For any given width, there is a range of  flatter or deeper (quicker) gouges. The deepest true gouge is a semicircle.

Carvers use the fact that gouges are circle driven to great advantage when they produce perfect flowing lines by rotating the cutting edge along the sweep; cuts that can be unfailingly repeated elsewhere. This is very important in, say, mouldings, or matching two sides of a face. Gouges are the very bedrock of carving, from roughing out to finishing off.

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Short or spoonbent gouges: notice the different bends. You need to find one that will suit what you want to do; how deep a recess you need to get into.

U-Gouges

What I call ‘U-gouges’ are similar to true gouges, but work in a fundamentally different manner. The base of the “U” is a semi-circle or deep curve, but the walls extend upwards, parallel or splaying slightly, which means that you cannot rotate the cutting edge through an arc as you can with a true gouge.

These tools are used for creating channels or flutes when large (and are thus called fluters) and running the sort of detail lines you find in hair, fur or leaves when small (in which case they are called veiners). Broader U-gouges are great for roughing out and general shaping as you can mix the quickness of a deep gouge with flatter sides.

V-Gouges

In the charts you will also see sweeps that look like a “V”: these are called “V” or parting tools. The tool consists of two chisels joined at an angle that varies from 45˚ to 90˚, with 60˚ being the most useful. You would use the V-tool for separating (parting) one element in a carving from another, or for drawing lines, somewhat like a veiner.

Chisels

Lastly in the charts you will see chisels—dead flat like a carpenter’s chisel, but with a bevel on both sides—and skew chisels—angled at the end to produce a knifepoint and also with a bevel on both sides.

Chisels are used for lettering in the traditional manner. Skews are one of those tools I don’t use often, but when I need it, nothing else will do. They are useful for getting into tight corners, cleaning junctions and lines. The double bevel is an important feature, but we will delay discussing this until we look at sharpening.

Shapes

Besides differing when looked at on end, carving tools also differ in their lengthways appearance: their longitudinal shape. The common, parallel-sided regular gouge is shown on the left. The other is what is known as an ‘allongee’ shape—somewhat lighter.

The most common and useful carving tools are the ones with parallel sides, what we might call regular gouges: tough tools, hardened along their whole length and wearing out only over generations. You can use these gouges for pretty much everything: roughing out, modelling or detailing.

Bent Gouges

Thinking about how students seem to progress: next in usefulness are bent gouges. There comes a time when a regular gouge cannot get deep enough into a hollow; the blade fouls the edge. At this point a carver turns to a gouge that looks more like a spoon to get into the recess and scoop the wood away. These tools are called shortbent or spoon gouges. There is no standard bend and you need to see if a particular manufacturer makes the shape you want.

Fishtails

The next most useful tool is the fishtail. The blades of fishtails splay out from the end of a long shank. Again, manufacturers differ in the actual shape or amount of the splayed blade.

Unlike regular gouges, you can imagine that fishtails will eventually narrow as you sharpen them, giving them a shorter lifespan. Being more delicate and short-lived, carvers normally save fishtails for light work: finishing off and detailing, or running the protruding fishtail corners into recesses that would be inaccessible to the square corner of a regular gouge.

Specialty Tools

There are other shapes: what are called longbents (swan or sowback) and the really odd-looking backbents, but really, the longbents are of little use to most woodcarvers—I haven’t used one for years—and the backbents are very specialized tools—although in the right place very useful—and we need not concern ourselves with them right now.

The important thing to grasp here is that any sweep you have as a regular gouge, you can also get as a shortbent or a fishtail. So, when you find the width and sweep of regular gouge won’t get into a corner, or into a recess, you can switch to a similar tool that does the job better or more efficiently.

What Tools Do I Need To Begin Carving?

You can see that by the time you have multiplied the widths, the sweeps and the shapes of carving tools you have a lot of possible tools, enough to make any beginner panic!

The number of tools reflects the enormous variety and complexity of possible carved work. You might, for example, carve letters 10″ high or the tiny eye of a netsuke fish; vigorous and deep acanthus leaves, or simple pea moulding. And as your work will be different from the next carver, your tools will be different as well.

Here’s the good news: you only need a few to start with, and these should be regular gouges. And here’s the golden rule: as you progress, buy your next carving tools on the basis of need. This is a bit of a conundrum: you don’t want to start carving until you know what tools you need, but you won’t know what tools you need until you start carving…

The answer is to start with a few of those carving tools that are most likely to be useful in the widest variety of situations; I’ll give you a short list of such carving tools later. I’ll include those we will be using in later exercises and projects designed to demonstrate where and why these tools are used and how to make the most of them.

Numbering Systems

Manufacturers categorize their tools with a numbering system. Besides recognizing different carving tools, you must be able to find your way around those charts, full of numbers. All the tools we’ve mentioned will have a number given to them and stamped into the shank by the maker. Unfortunately there is no consensus. Manufacturers differ in what number they give a particular sweep or shape.

The most common and oldest numbering system is called the Sheffield list and most other makers follow a similar numbering pattern. In the Sheffield list, for any width:

#1 is a chisel

#2 the skew chisel

#3 is the flattest possible gouge

#9 is usually the semicircle

There is a range of sweeps (#4 – #8) in between.

So, at any given width, the smaller the number, the flatter the carving tool.

The #10s and #11s are U-gouges.

The V-tool might be any number; luckily it is readily recognizable.

However, as an example of the historical individuality of makers, the common Pfeil (Swiss Made) tools start with chisels at #1 (as does the Sheffield list) but calls its skews #1S. Thus Pfeil start their gouges out of sync with the Sheffield list, with their flattest gouge being #2. They also drop some numbers entirely! Nevertheless, the tools you need will be there, even if the numbering seems odd.

You might be carving with a ½” gouge and think: “I’d really like this to be flatter.” You would then go to the tool chart of any (or your favorite) maker, place the cutting edge on its sweep in the picture, and find it was, say a ½” x #6—with luck, as it says on the shank. You would then buy a ½” x #5, #4, or #3, depending on how much flatter you wanted it. You can also use the chart to find your tool in shortbent or fishtail shape.

What Are the Best Makes and Where Do I Buy Them?

There are many good carving tools on the market, made from decent steel and tempered to hold their cutting edges well.

A short list would include: Auriou, Pfeil, Henry Taylor, Ashley Iles, Stubai and Two Cherries—plenty to choose from. You will, however, find variations in the thickness of the blade and the quality of the forging (the actual shaping of the tool). Variations occur even from tool to tool within the same maker and undesirable ones come about through the balance between the elements of hand-forging and quality control. It is easy to become brand loyal and I always suggest students try tools from different manufacturers and make their own minds up.

Because of this variation in shape or quality, it’s always best to pick up and handle a carving tool before you buy it. If that isn’t possible, there are plenty of suppliers in this and other magazines, and on the web. Whoever you decide to purchase from, it’s important to be able to return a tool if you are not happy with it.

Some students argue that traditional carving tools are expensive, and they can be when compared with knives, but not when compared with other wood crafts. You will need to spend some money to start, but carving tools are a great investment: with just a few sharp gouges and a mallet you are up and away carving. You can build up your kit so slowly you hardly notice the cost and you can carve scrap lumber. You would be hard pressed to wear out a regular carving tool in a lifetime of creative carving—I have some around that are a hundred years old, with several names besides mine on the handles.

What’s Next?

Once you have some carving tools, the next thing to do is sharpen them properly. But, hey—don’t they come already sharpened these days? Well, yes, the cutting edge might be sharp but the tool might still cut badly or inefficiently. We need to go through a straightforward process of ‘commissioning’ your carving tools in order to get the best out of them—and thus out of you, the carver.

About the Author

Chris Pye is a master woodcarver, instructor and author of several books, including Woodcarving Projects and Techniques, produced by Fox Chapel Publishing. Chris runs the video-based teaching website, WoodcarvingWorkshops.tv, with instruction on tools, sharpening, lettering, relief carving, in-the-round projects and much more; and from where he writes a free monthly blog about woodcarving. You can see a gallery of his commissioned work at www.chrispye-woodcarving.com.

This article was first published in Woodcarving Illustrated Fall 2006 (Issue 36).

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by Bob Duncan

The safest way to carve is to use a holding device and keep both hands on the tool. However, many carvers hold their work in their hands. Proper hand positioning keeps the holding hand safely out of the tool’s path, even if the tool should slip. Another good safety precaution is to guard the holding hand with a protective carving glove.

Some carvers feel gloves lull you into a false sense of security, especially because no glove will stop every tool. Some carvers feel the gloves are awkward and can contribute to more cuts, because carvers get careless with the position of the holding hand relative to a possible tool slip. Many carvers swear by gloves; the carving glove goes on before the start of a carving session and comes off after all of the tools have been put away.

There are several types of protective carving gloves available. It is important to understand that gloves can stop a slicing cut, but no glove will prevent all injuries, especially punctures. Many carvers try a few different gloves before settling on one that works well for them. Here, a few woodcarvers share their carving glove preferences.

Skylar Johnson: Kevlar glove with rubber gripping dots

The Kevlar glove with rubber gripping dots is a great compromise between safety and comfort. The Kevlar fibers are as soft as cotton, but much more slash resistant. This softness allows for good freedom of movement, which may not be found in stiffer gloves. This glove also has rubber gripping dots, which help me hold my project securely.

Floyd Rhadigan: Kevlar glove with leather palm

I like a Kevlar glove with leather covering the palm, fingers, and thumb because the leather prevents the wood from slipping in the glove. The glove allows me to get a much better hold on the piece I am carving.

Mitch Cartledge: Kevlar glove reinforced with steel threads

The Kevlar glove reinforced with steel threads is more comfortable than an all-metal glove and does a better job than a Kevlar knit glove. I have cut myself while wearing a Kevlar knit glove, but not with the Kevlar glove reinforced with steel threads.

Edmund Livingston, Jr.: Stainless steel filet or chainmail glove

I use a stainless steel filet glove because it stops a slash by most knives. Unfortunately, it won’t do much to stop a puncture wound by a small gouge or V-tool because these tools slip through the weave of the material.

Steel thread-reinforced Kevlar glove with rubber dots

Editor’s Note: The Woodcraft Shop and Chipping Away carry a steel thread-reinforced Kevlar glove that features rubber dots to help you grip the carving. Because it is relatively new, a personal recommendation is not available. The glove features the same cut resistance as other Kevlar gloves reinforced with steel threads, and because of the addition of the rubber gripping dots, it’s likely to be popular.

Thumb protection

Carvers also need protective gear for the thumb of their knife-holding hand. Carvers often use a paring cut, which requires you to draw a knife through wood toward the thumb. The thumb guard protects your thumb as you make this cut. It also cushions your thumb as it is pushing on the back of the blade when you are cutting away from yourself.

Thumb guard

Many carvers use leather thumb guards to protect their thumbs. This is simply a leather pad attached to an elastic band. The leather on some guards extends over the tip of the thumb and the top is open on other guards; there really isn’t much difference in effectiveness between the two types.

Plasticized tape

Some carvers wrap cut-resistant plasticized tape around their thumbs to make a custom guard. While the tape carvers use is similar to the self-adhesive tape used by veterinarians to hold bandages onto animals, vet wrap tape is not cut resistant and should not be used as a substitute. I’ve also heard of carvers fashioning their own thumb guards from duct tape, or using duct tape to reinforce leather or rubber thumb protectors.

This article was first published in Woodcarving Illustrated Fall 2011 (Issue 56).

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