[MR] Need wood carving recommendations

[Kihe Blackeagle]

The common wisdom I can pass along is to start with a sharp blade, learn to keep your blade sharp, and only work with a dull edge for very specific effects AFTER you learn the first two.  Special shapes of blade or methods of holding / using can come later.  As you DO work beyond the initial pieces, you should investigate the use of gouges and other tools including the spoke-shave and drawknife.  Rasps and files and drills round out the primary durable carving tools.  Learning good technique with abrasives (sandpaper, steel wool, and the like) should finish out the essential techniques.
 
As far as woods, many if not most modern carvers start with basswood when they can get it, but ideally a woodcarver should be able to work with any wood that falls into their grasp . . . Pine or spruce or other softwoods to begin; fruitwoods, oak, maple, and nutwoods or other hardwoods for safety in toys (perhaps counter-intuitive, but the softer woods tend to splinter dangerously when gnawed upon by small teeth in ways that hardwoods resist...at least for a while).
 
My opinions & current beliefs, anyway. Adieu, Amra / ttfn - Mike / Pax ... Kihe  Mike C. Baker / Kihe Blackeagle Opinions? I'm FULL of 'em SCA: al-Sayyid Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra, F.O.B, OSCA "Other": Reverend Kihe Blackeagle PULC (the DreamSinger Bard) alt. e-mail: KiheBard at hotmail.com Buy my writings!: http://www.lulu.com/WizardsDen http://www.livejournal.com/users/kihebard/ > Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 16:37:42 -0500> From: ladyrhi at gmail.com> To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org> Subject: [MR] Need wood carving recommendations> > Good afternoon!> > I'm hoping there's someone out there who can point me to a few things> relating to wood carving. I'm an utter and complete novice but I want to> learn. I want to carve three-dimensional items (such as dogs, horses, etc.> as medieval children's toys and small implements (for display, not for> children to actually play with)....> > so I am in need of recommendations for carving tools and what type of wood> would be best suited for such an endeavor (as well as any clue where I might> find such wood).> > > > -- > Gina MacNeill> AKA Lady Rhiannon of Berra, CP> List Moderator of the Atlantianweavers Yahoogroup> > Under no circumstances will I ever purchase anything offered to me> as the result of an unsolicited e-mail message. Nor will I forward> chain letters, petitions, mass mailings, or virus warnings to large> numbers of others. This is my contribution to the survival of the> online community.> ========================================================================> The Merry Rose Tavern at Cheapside> List Info: http://merryrose.atlantia.sca.org/> Submissions: Atlantia at atlantia.sca.org> Subscriptions: http://seahorse.atlantia.sca.org/mailman/listinfo/atlantia
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