# Are You Interested In Wood Carving?



## Admin (Jan 4, 2010)

I am wondering how many of you have tried doing any word carving projects or have interest in it? I've been watching some amazing videos on it.


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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

I think it would be cool, but I dont believe I have the artistic mind to deliver on it. I cant even draw a proper stick figure.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I love to do woodcarving but I don't have time for it anymore. About 30 years ago I made this table.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

A few of my pieces...









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## bauerbach (Mar 25, 2012)

Steve Neul said:


> I love to do woodcarving but I don't have time for it anymore. About 30 years ago I made this table.


that is spectacular...


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Man, you guys are good, I was going to post the P-51 Mustang fighter plane I carved in the last couple of days but no way, it can't come close to you guys. Just beautiful, both of you.


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

I carved wooden signs many years back--

That was fun,but took to much time (I found it easier to make a living building houses and other such things)

Some day I hope to try the craft again---


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

jiju1943 said:


> Man, you guys are good, I was going to post the P-51 Mustang fighter plane I carved in the last couple of days but no way, it can't come close to you guys. Just beautiful, both of you.


I'd love to see what you've done. 
And yea I love to carve. 
Here's a few.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

jiju1943 said:


> Man, you guys are good, I was going to post the P-51 Mustang fighter plane I carved in the last couple of days but no way, it can't come close to you guys. Just beautiful, both of you.


Post the picture. Most all of us have received help from someone. I took evening classes for a couple of years from a Bavarian woodcarver.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Steve, that would be a dream to be able to have someone instruct like that. You excelled in that course buddy. You should take time for carving, it is so relaxing. 


Dominick, that is beautiful, I love the outdoors and everything that goes with it, you are good. I think I will just let my P-51 remain unseen. Kinda like I caught a good size bass, years back, and went to have it mounted, it looked like a minnow compared to some of the fish the fellow had waiting to be mounted. :smile:

Mikeswoods, you need to spend more time relaxing, you work way too hard.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

jiju1943 said:


> Steve, that would be a dream to be able to have someone instruct like that. You excelled in that course buddy. You should take time for carving, it is so relaxing.
> 
> 
> Dominick, that is beautiful, I love the outdoors and everything that goes with it, you are good. I think I will just let my P-51 remain unseen. Kinda like I caught a good size bass, years back, and went to have it mounted, it looked like a minnow compared to some of the fish the fellow had waiting to be mounted. :smile:
> ...


This is the guy I took classes from. I just discovered he died in February of this year. 

While I was able to carve most anything I wanted I never got fast enough at it to persue it as a career. Ludwig was fast. he could carve a full statue about a foot tall in two to three hours. That table I worked on it off and on for three years.


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## bigcouger (Jan 4, 2012)

I have done a few but there is no area in this forum for carving :furious:


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

jiju1943 said:


> Man, you guys are good, I was going to post the P-51 Mustang fighter plane I carved in the last couple of days but no way, it can't come close to you guys. Just beautiful, both of you.


There is no competition here. Go ahead and post some pictures.:yes:


















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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Dominick said:


> And yea I love to carve.
> Here's a few.


Some nice intricate work Dominick. Well done.

















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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

bigcouger said:


> I have done a few but there is no area in this forum for carving :furious:


Post in the 'Project Showcase' section.:yes:

















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## Admin (Jan 4, 2010)

bigcouger said:


> I have done a few but there is no area in this forum for carving :furious:





cabinetman said:


> Post in the 'Project Showcase' section.:yes: .


If we have enough who are interested in it, I can add a carving section.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Cricket said:


> If we have enough who are interested in it, I can add a carving section.


I think if you started a section there would be enough interest. A lot of folks would like to start carving but don't know where to begin. There is so many cheesy carving sets in the stores I imagine a lot of people buy them and get frustrated and quit thinking it was their own ability when it might have been the tools. I had the luxury of living in a big city where someone taught classes. Even though I was carving before I took the classes it really helped to have someone guide me. I also think much of what was taught to me could have been explained online.


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## Admin (Jan 4, 2010)

I was enjoying brisket at Rudy's Country Store & Bar-B-Q this afternoon and I kept staring at the firewood thinking how it could be used to carve some cool stuff. I am seriously considering finding a local class.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

Cricket said:


> I was enjoying brisket at Rudy's Country Store & Bar-B-Q this afternoon and I kept staring at the firewood thinking how it could be used to carve some cool stuff. I am seriously considering finding a local class.


I never did care for the idea of carving wood like that. Carving is time consuming and you put so much into it only to watch it crack and split in the seasoning process. Although the majority of the carving I've done was on furniture, I only use kiln dried lumber. Also the firewood you looked at could have been oak or hickory. Certainly not a type of wood to begin carving on. The teacher I had prefered to carve basswood. The only thing I didn't like about it is the chisels had to be extra sharp or the wood would tear rather than shave off. If a person took their time and picked out some soft boards walnut carves very good. The table I posted a picture of was done in Honduras Mahogany. It carves good too.


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## cuerodoc (Jan 27, 2012)

I'm not looking to start carving, other than to add to some turnings--so-- Yes i'd be interested.
I already have tools too.
+ 1 with starting a new section.


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## jbwhitford (Jan 28, 2014)

I do a little carving here and there. That's kind of what got me started in woodworking. I agree add a section.


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

Cricket, I carved the signs from old growth, straight grained redwood---very easy to carve---

My collection of chisels was made up of a lot of antiques---and a few new ones---I love the quality of the steel in the older tools.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Most of the carvers in all styles, hang out in the Wood Carving Illustrated forums, if they care to post at all. That's where the talent is showcased.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Robson Valley said:


> Most of the carvers in all styles, hang out in the Wood Carving Illustrated forums, if they care to post at all. That's where the talent is showcased.


I am a member there also, great forum.


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## Admin (Jan 4, 2010)

I will try to get a forum added for this either tonight or tomorrow.


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## Admin (Jan 4, 2010)

I moved this thread to our new wood carving section. 
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f34/


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

I'd love to be taught. I've only carved a couple items. Have a few chisels, don't really know which ones to use on what. Glad this section has been started. I hope more people post, veteran carvers or not.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

*First carving*









This is the first carving, on my daughters cedar chest. Nothing to brag about for sure, But its a start.


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## aaroncr (Dec 30, 2011)

Thanks for starting this section. Anxious to see what some of these guys have done.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

That's it, Cricket. I have boats to build.
Brain- picking isn't why we are here.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Robson Valley said:


> That's it, Cricket. I have boats to build.
> Brain- picking isn't why we are here.


Why are we here then?


















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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Robson Valley said:


> That's it, Cricket. I have boats to build.
> Brain- picking isn't why we are here.


I'm not sure if you're being an ass or a smart ass or something altogether different. I realize this was posted several weeks ago but you guys need to get off of Cricket's back and stop acting like she's our enemy. Your [seemingly] rude comment is not productive at all. And I fail to see how it in any way is relevant to the topic at hand. You're acting like expanding the forum is somehow a bad thing that it somehow takes away from your enjoyment or somehow wastes your time.

Maybe YOU aren't here to learn but many others are. Learn, share, help others learn, be a part of a woodworking community. If those don't sound like your motivations then go away and bask in the whiny glory of all the other butt-hurt children who ran away. I'm tired of all the negativity, bad-mouthing, parade-raining and ass-showing that's been going on. It's time to grow up and be a team player. Or go the hell away.

You guys (the ones involved in all the whining and crying) act like the new owners somehow ruined this site. NO, it's all the whiny-ass little tittie-babies who hurt this site. It's obvious that the community isn't of your concern when some ads (yes, a bit annoying at first but much less annoying and intrusive now) and the adding of a new section to the forum (a purely positive and beneficial change) is enough to get a bunch of grown men up in arms and running away to start there own "no fats chicks" club. If you guys are that damn shallow and easily offended then please GO THE HELL AWAY.

I hate that I've been driven to acting like an asshole to people who I respect and appreciate but, dammit man... Grow the hell up or shut the .... up.

Now go build your damn boat.


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## Develin (Oct 1, 2012)

```
I've only done some basic carvings. Four of these for table aprons. 

I'm here to brain-pick because I enjoy learning and carving is nice skill to hone! Not sure why there has been aggression here but I do hope everyone can be mature and keep on topic. If it isn't about carving we do have an off-topic section. 

I hope if anyone reads this they will be the bigger man and just take a few moments to chill and then post constructive comments about carving. 

For example... can anyone name different chisels and their specific uses maybe with images? I'd be interested to learn that. 

Thanks and be peaceable
```


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

A lot of folks here are angry about all the advertisements that have been put on the forum. Since Cricket represents the owners people tend to vent their anger toward her. Unfortunate but understandable. 

What you are asking really needs a demonstration but I will do the best I can. For the most part you use the shape of the chisel to make the shape you want. The amount of curve the chisel is called a sweep. A #1 being flat is like your carpenters chisels and #11 being curved U shaped. Then there is a parting tool which is V shaped. Then the rest is the width of the chisel and most are listed in a metric dimension. 

The first picture shows what the parting tool will do.
 
Depending on how much money you want to spend what type carving you intend to do you might put together a set of small, medium and large chisel in about every other sweep but if you intend to make small things like the box you have you might stick to smaller chisels. When you start to carve you rough out the rough shape with something like a #8 sweep. Then when it comes to the detail #1 on your box you might take a #9 chisel to make the round end to the letter and drive it straight down to make the shape and carve the background out with a #3 sweeps. You use a very shallow sweeps for the background so it ends up as smooth as possible like it was machined with a router. The detail #2 has less of a curve to it so you might use a sweeps 7 do the same thing.


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## khowald (Nov 8, 2012)

*Front door*

This is my front door; built it and carved it out of knotty alder. Alder carves very well, nice hard wood. I still need to replace the jamb so it matches...ken


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The carving is nice but I think it would have shown up better if you had stained the background.


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## Admin (Jan 4, 2010)

khowald said:


> This is my front door; built it and carved it out of knotty alder. Alder carves very well, nice hard wood. I still need to replace the jamb so it matches...ken


I sure do like it! Beautiful! :yes:


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