Tips for keeping your carving tools razor sharp by John Mignone and Roger Schroeder. This article was first published in issue 32 of Woodcarving Illustrated. Ask ten carvers how to sharpen a tool and you are bound to get ten different answers. But what is the right way to sharpen a […]
The basics of getting your tools into the best condition for carving and keeping them there by Chris Pye This article was first published in issue 37 of Woodworking Illustrated. Most carving tools that you buy today come “ready-sharpened,” and it comes as a surprise to students in my courses that the […]
Easy steps to tune a complex tool by Mac Proffitt This article was first published in issue 54 of Woodcarving Illustrated. A V-tool is simply two chisels stuck together, and chisels are the easiest tools to sharpen. The trick to sharpening V-tools is to sharpen both chisels equally. Avoid cheap V-tools. […]
Grain direction strengthens and accents a carving by Everett Ellenwood This article was first published in issue 44 of Woodcarving Illustrated. Grain can either accent your carving or weaken it considerably, so it is important to pay attention to the grain when planning a carving. Under a microscope, the cross section […]
This easy-to-make shop aid is a great way to keep your gouges and V-tools in tip-top shape by Lora S. Irish This article was first published in issue 35 of Woodcarving Illustrated. With just a few minutes of work, you can create this honing board customized to sharpen your specific gouges […]
Design your own carvings with the aid of armatures and clay models by Marv Kaisersatt Photography by Chipping Away Inc. This article was first published in issue 47 of Woodcarving Illustrated. Clay figures can serve as models for those choosing to carve their own creations in wood. Wire skeletons, called armatures, […]
Taking a caricature from concept to completion by Marv Kaisersatt This article was first published in issue 38 of Woodcarving Illustrated. By relying on commercially available patterns, your scope of subjects is very limited. It’s actually quite simple to design your own caricature by determining proportions and positions with models before beginning the […]
Tips and tricks to clean up difficult areas in a relief carving by Lora S. Irish This article was first published in issue 38 of Woodcarving Illustrated. Clean joint lines are the first problem a budding relief carver runs into. If your joint lines are not sharp and clean, the whole […]
Handy jig makes it easy to get a perfect edge by John English This article was first published in issue 43 of Woodcarving Illustrated. Sharpening V-tools can be challenging. WCI Holiday 2007 (issue #41) presented a simple technique for sharpening V-tools freehand. Many experts recommend learning to sharpen without the aid […]
Proper techniques for safe and efficient use by Chris Pye This article was first published in issue 39 of Woodcarving Illustrated. There is your piece of wood: a willing or unwilling victim of your designs, and then there’s you: intent and ready to carve. What’s in between? Your carving tools. We’ve […]
