Basic carving help required... complete novice

[jpbiow]

I'm a university student in England and I recently carved an Ohm (the Hindu sign) into an avocado stone for a close friend of mine. It is their Birthday soon and I would like to carve an Ohm into a small, round peice of wood, maybe 8-10cm in diameter? I am a complete amature, so please can you suggest a type of wood that I should use in order to create a smooth carving, and perhaps suggest the types of tools that I would need and a suitable finish so as to protect it?

Any help will be much appreciated,

good day,

James

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Well, I can tell you if you keep carving Ohm's you're going to have trouble as the Ohm is a measure of resistance!! I tried looking up the Hindu version of an Ohm but couldn't find one. Maybe they measure things differently over there??

Most carvers over here use Basswood known as Linden or Lime to the Europeans. It's a very finegrained, smooth and clear, soft hardwood. Now knowing if you carve in the round or on the flat it would be hard to advise on the tools. Finish? I'd suggest Polyurethane but that's only one of many out there.

[AlArchie]

found this.....it's an AUM or Om......no resitance here, from what I understand.

Al

[Mitchell]

You could use linden as it would be available and releatively easy to carve. You will need a saw to cut out the basic shape. Since this MAY be a limited adventure at this point, I'd suggest a coping saw to cut the basic shape out of the wood.

You could also use a relatively inexpensive knife or even box cutter type blade to knock off the edges. You could even try Xacto blades.

Then I'd suggest using sandpaper to do the final smoothing. (can't believe I suggested sandpaper!) I'd start with a coarse grade and work down to a finer grade. Sanding will take some time and patience.

IMO, this would be the safest way (and least expensive) to make something like this by a beginner. "Safest" has two meanings - one is the obvious, meaning less physical harm, and two - means less chance for mistakes on the piece itself.

Lynn mentioned finishing with polyurethane - that's an excellent suggestion. You could stain the piece before the polyurethane, but I'd suggest trying it out on a test piece (keep some scraps) before putting it on the final piece. A local supply store could help you out on suggestions here.

[mark yundt]

You've been pointed in some good directions,,just wanted to say I like the idea,,I'm very familiar with it through reading and studies of various theologies,,it will be a great gift and I'm sure appreciated,,best of luck.
It's also along the lines of "Oh Mani Padme Ohm" (spelling?)only in a different theology correct?Actually one is a theology,,the other might be more accurately called a philosophy,,,either way,,good choice.

[jpbiow]

Thank you all very much for you help, it is much appreciated. It is lovely to find people who use their experience to help novices, instead of trying to belittle them. I will start my attempt today and will post any futher questions of set backs that I might encounter.

Thanks again,

Regards,

James