Techniques for Beginners

Maintaining a Sharp Edge

Maintaining a Sharp Edge

Strop your tools to keep them in top shape by Mac Proffitt This article was first published in issue 55 of Woodcarving Illustrated. Regular tool maintenance prevents hours of time spent sharpening. A properly maintained edge needs to be sharpened on a stone only if you damage the edge. Proper tool […]

Sawing Carving Blanks

Sawing Carving Blanks

Speed up the roughing-out process by cutting three views with your band saw by Jim Willis This article was first published in issue 52 of Woodcarving Illustrated. I draw the front, top, and side views of my design on the carving blank. This way, I make sure all of the major […]

Line Carving: Three Simple Styles

Line Carving: Three Simple Styles

Master the basics of drawing with a veiner by Chris Pye This article was first published in issue 42 of Woodcarving Illustrated. A line inscribed on the surface of the wood is probably the simplest form of carving. This artistic expression traces its origins back to some of the most primitive art […]

by September 29, 2017 Get Started Carving, Techniques for Beginners
Sharpening V-Tools

Sharpening V-Tools

Learn to tune this difficult-to-sharpen tool by Charles Berold This article was first published in issue 41 of Woodcarving Illustrated. Many carvers find sharpening V-tools a challenge. Most traditional methods focus on treating each side of the V as a straight chisel, but there are several steps leading up to the […]

by September 27, 2017 Get Started Carving, Techniques for Beginners
Holding Your Work

Holding Your Work

Use simple methods to secure your blank for easier and safer carving by Chris Pye   After sharpening your tools, how you hold your work has the most direct, mechanical bearing on your carving experience. Traditional European woodcarving uses both hands to guide the tools, so carvings must be securely […]

by September 22, 2017 Get Started Carving, Techniques for Beginners
Gouge Sharpening Exercise

Gouge Sharpening Exercise

Use wood molding to practice sharpening techniques, before you work on your tools by Andre Breau   For beginners, sharpening a carving tool usually means one of two things: taking the tool to a professional to sharpen, or risking the expensive tool practicing their sharpening technique. The National Woodcarving School […]

by September 20, 2017 Get Started Carving, Techniques for Beginners
Setting Up Shop

Setting Up Shop

A carver needs more than sharp tools; a workspace, bench, and lighting are equally important by Chris Pye   Carving, just like everything else, happens in a context. In other words, there are prior and surrounding circumstances that directly affect what you are doing. Indeed, they affect what you can […]

by September 13, 2017 Get Started Carving, Techniques for Beginners
The Basics of Sharpening

The Basics of Sharpening

Properly prepare your knife for safe and enjoyable whittling by Bob Duncan   Although it may seem contradictory, a sharp knife is a safe knife. When a knife is dull, or not shaped properly, it requires more force to push the blade through the wood. The more force required to make […]