Beginners here with all the usual questions

[wilsocn]

I really hope this doesn't turn out to be a double post. I typed out this post and tried to submit a few minutes ago but it didnt show up and my stats say that I have 0 posts so I will try again. Sorry if it turns out to be a duplicate.

[my original post]
To start off let me say hi to all the regulars and hopefully you can give me a little help to get me pointed in the right direction.

I have always been interested in art and have always drawn quite a bit and I have been thinking about trying my hand at carving. I think it was the recent trips I have taken to the Smoky Mountains that sparked my interest. I thought all of those Native American and black bears carvings that I saw down there were all really cool.

First let me tell you what I would like to be able to carve (which may or may not be a pipe dream) so maybe you can help me a little better. I loved all the rough carvings that I saw down there with all the clearly visible gouge and knife marks but honestly I prefer to work towards a little more refined with more detail and a bit of a smooth finish.

I still would like to work on small bear, bird and other animals carvings but I like the idea of working on the smaller details of the carving as well. What sort of equipment would be best suited for someone with my tastes? I want to start simple with the equipment and would like to start with a decent knife that doesnt cost an arm and a leg. I realize that you get what you pay for but I really would like to start modest if at all possible. There is a woodcraft near me and I would like to start there and purchase a knife. Here is a link to their page with the knives and could someone possibly tell which is a good multipurpose knife?

Search for Woodworking Supplies at Woodcraft.com

What other tools should I try and get while I am there? I have a rotary tool and several attachments but I prefer not to use it even though it seems that it is a popular tool in the hobby. There noise it creates along with the dust sort of negates what I would like to get out of the hobby which is a peaceful and relaxing hobby.

The last question is about basswood. I have been reading the forum and it seems that this is a popular choice and I was wondering if someone could tell me if this differs from whitewood that you can buy at most local stores like Lowe's/Home Depot? I know that whitewood is a really soft wood and google tells me that another name for basswood is whitewood. Is this the same whitewood that can be found in the do it yourself types store or is it in fact different? If so, is it softer or easier to work with?

Thanks and I appreciate the help.

[Paul_Guraedy]

Welcome to WCI. I have removed the duplicate post. Your first post on the fourm must be approved by a moderator. That's why it did not show for a while.

[chuckbolton]

welcome and be ready to have a great time-- tho sometimes a frustrating one. the good will overcome the not so good. i dont think that whitewood is the same as basswood- tho northern grown basswood tends to be whiter in color than the more southerly grown trees. my experience is that woodcraft basswood is pricey and very dry ( read hard ) id try to find a carving shop in your area or order from heinecke in minn. (heinecke.com) as for some tools-- check out "little shavers" they sell a beginners kit and it will either be a good deal for you or use it to purchase locally what you need. above all - buy good quality tools and your carving will improve dramatically when you learn to sharpen your own tools-- and that is a totally different subject and is addressed here -- do a search for "sharpening" be prepared to be inundated. there are as many ways to sharpen as there are people doing it. find the one that works for you-- thats ALL that matters.

[Robert Cahill]

Welcome to the forum. I used to laminate whitewood to do patterns from Mary Duke Guldan's book and it carved alright but I try to use northern basswood now. If there is a carving club near you might join them. If you like bears check your local library for Mike Shipleys book Carving the country bear. In my opinion a good book to start with.Also Gene Messer from this site has put a a nice one on u tube for carving a small .bear.(caricatures). As far as knifes go everyone has a favorite. I started with a utility knife just don't use them as a wedge

[TreeWizard]

chuckbolton gave you some very good advice. If you get your first set of tools from Rick at Little Shavers they will come very sharp and any tool he sells can be returned to him at any time for a free resharpening.

His prices are very good and the free sharpening won't come at the expense of the initial cost.

I also like the look of a smoother carving and that requires very sharp tools to achieve as well as some sanding.

One of the difficult parts of learning to carve is to learn to sharpen your tools, especially deep gouges and V tools. The kit from Rick comes with a strope and compound to help you maintain the sharp edge. I don't think you will go wrong with this set.

[mudden]

Welcome to the forum. On the Woodcraft sight the Butz knives are a really nice set but they have to be honed and stropped. They hold the edge well and the price is reasonable.I am still very new to carving and I have a set of those knives I also just made a couple of knives out of old german straight razors and havent tried them yet but i think i will enjoy them also.

[bigEd_H]

Hello and welcome to the forum and to woodcarving. For an inexpensive knife, a Stanley #199 fixed blade utility knife can't be beat. You will need a detail knife to get at the small details and in areas the utility knife can't reach. For that there are many brands to choose from. Denny makes a great knife and the Murphy bench knife is good and inexpensive. For palm tools, Flexcut and/or Ramelson both make good inexpensive tools. As for wood, you can't beat good clear basswood and Heincke seems to be the best source for that. Rockler also has a 20lb box of basswood for under $30. The Rockler wood comes mostly rough cut and is not all Northern Bass, but comes in a variety of sizes and shapes. If you are going to paint the project it isn't necessary to use the clearest piece of wood.
Good luck and happy carving.

[wilsocn]

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will look into a beginner kit then because I dont want to start carving something only to realize that I am missing a tool that will make life a lot easier for me. I have also seen Heincke's website used quite a few times on the forum and their prices seen pretty good although I am not sure what basswood usually goes for. In any case I will more than likely be placing an order tomorrow.

The only part I am thinking about now is keeping my blades sharp when they arrive. I have never really sharpened a knife before so I guess I will be searching google for some good tutorials or something.

Again, thanks for all the help and I am looking forward to getting my blades and wood and hopefully I will have something to post before too long.

[big dave]

howdy and welcome, you can use the search bar at the top of the page here to search for sharpening advise

[hwallen48]

Originally Posted by wilsocn

I really hope this doesn't turn out to be a double post. I typed out this post and tried to submit a few minutes ago but it didnt show up and my stats say that I have 0 posts so I will try again. Sorry if it turns out to be a duplicate.

[my original post]
To start off let me say hi to all the regulars and hopefully you can give me a little help to get me pointed in the right direction.

I have always been interested in art and have always drawn quite a bit and I have been thinking about trying my hand at carving. I think it was the recent trips I have taken to the Smoky Mountains that sparked my interest. I thought all of those Native American and black bears carvings that I saw down there were all really cool.

First let me tell you what I would like to be able to carve (which may or may not be a pipe dream) so maybe you can help me a little better. I loved all the rough carvings that I saw down there with all the clearly visible gouge and knife marks but honestly I prefer to work towards a little more refined with more detail and a bit of a smooth finish.

I still would like to work on small bear, bird and other animals carvings but I like the idea of working on the smaller details of the carving as well. What sort of equipment would be best suited for someone with my tastes? I want to start simple with the equipment and would like to start with a decent knife that doesnt cost an arm and a leg. I realize that you get what you pay for but I really would like to start modest if at all possible. There is a woodcraft near me and I would like to start there and purchase a knife. Here is a link to their page with the knives and could someone possibly tell which is a good multipurpose knife?

Search for Woodworking Supplies at Woodcraft.com

What other tools should I try and get while I am there? I have a rotary tool and several attachments but I prefer not to use it even though it seems that it is a popular tool in the hobby. There noise it creates along with the dust sort of negates what I would like to get out of the hobby which is a peaceful and relaxing hobby.

The last question is about basswood. I have been reading the forum and it seems that this is a popular choice and I was wondering if someone could tell me if this differs from whitewood that you can buy at most local stores like Lowe's/Home Depot? I know that whitewood is a really soft wood and google tells me that another name for basswood is whitewood. Is this the same whitewood that can be found in the do it yourself types store or is it in fact different? If so, is it softer or easier to work with?

Thanks and I appreciate the help.

Welcome, lots of great ideas and people here!