[Shamus]

I’m wondering what are the differences between carving hardwood vs. softwood. Are there different tools involved? I have a greater access to softwoods, especially pine (mainly for cost reasons). I’ve been looking around, but have had trouble finding a specific distinction between the carving of the two different kinds of woods.

[AlArchie]

The "hardwood/softwood" distinction is really somewhat misleading. Probably better to use the correct terminology; "conniferfous and deciduous".

Conniferous (gymnosperms) are what are generally termed softwoods, and deciduous (angiosperms) are the hardwoods. Conniferous gymnosperms are the cone bearing trees (pine, spruce, cedar, cypres, pinions, redwoods, etc.) and the flowering deciduous trees that annually shed their leaves are are commonly known as the hardwoods, ( maple basswood, elm, butternut, aspen, poplar, etc.)

Generally the hardwoods are actually "hard wood" when compared to the softwoods, but some hardwoods, such as basswood, butternut, aspen and a few others are softer than a lot of "softwoods".

Tools used for actual hard hardwoods, usually have a slightly steeper bevel than tools used for softer woods. So.....a tool used to carve a hardwood, such as maple or oak may be sharpened differently that a tool used to carve a "soft" hardwood such as basswood or butterut.


I don't do extensive carving in either type exclusively so keep my blades sharpened for working basswood, white pine ,sugar pine, aspen, etc. and they work pretty well in the harder woods also, but I have to strop them a bit more often then.

Now, ain'tcha glad ya asked? hehehe

Al

[Shamus]

I am glad, absolutely. The solution is actually simpler than I feared it might be. Thanks for the reply.

[Capt. Bandaid]

Al hit the nail on the head. I have noticed that English tools are ground for carving in HARD wood, eg, oak. They have a larger angle on the tool edges than the German tools that are designed to carve SOFTER woods like Linden. I do not normally carve the hard woods so my English tools do not get much use.

[jhogan]

I usually keep a 15 degree bevel on my carving tools for carving bass. I'd like to carve some harder wood, such as walnut and holly. What bevel should I use?
Thanks,
John

[AlArchie]

John. I wouldn't change the bevel one iota! Try the tools you have, as they are and see if they work well for you. No sense grinding steel off to get a smal change in bevel angle and then reginding again to get it back!

These angle preferences are generally for carvers who are going to work in one specific type of wood, and it is not productive to grind for each type of wood you intend to carve.

About the only thing you may have to do whwn carving harder wood is to strop a bit more often. And increasing the angle will only make it a bit harder to cut into the wood. Steeper angle more force required......simple matter of physics.

Al

[jhogan]

Well... I chipped my v-tool on a piece of walnut and that's when the carving came to a hault. I certainly do not want to regrind my tools for another wood if I don't have too, but I'm not sure there's enough steel behind the 15% bevel to hold up to walnut. I'm hearing you.... just not too sure I'm sold yet.... still scratching my head. The v-tool was factory sharpened... maybe that was the problem.
John

[AlArchie]

John there are several things that could have caused that chip.

First is a defective tool. Not likely but entirely possible.

Second, you may have hit a "hard spot"; a knot, extra close grain or imbedded grit.

Third, and what I'd bet on, is that you "pried" the tool instead of cutting. Don't be put off if this is what you did, as we have all done this at one time or another...or we will.

Especially with a "V" tool, it's easy to to to make a turn with the blade and force the turn a bit faster than optimum.....result, chipped blade.

If you look at the actual V in a V tool you will find that there are two meeting bevels and a third bevel where the keel meets the other two. That gives two stress points with no chance of relieving those stresses. Any machining done on steel shafts, where two diameters meet, always includes a radius where the two meet, rather than having a sharp intersection. The radius relieves the stress point. Unfortunately, on a V tool, there can be no radius as the inside intersections are thin and even if the keel is slighly rounded, the outside intersections are still a fairly sharp angle.

Try not to force your turns with the V tool in particular.

Al

[Mitchell]

Link to previous discussion:

hardwood bevel

[Capt. Bandaid]

My Robert Sorby micro-tools seem to be ground at about 21 Degrees. I believe these are intended for harder woods like walnut and oak. However, I agree that it is impractical to regrind you tools every time you switch to a different wood. I, too, would stay with the finer edge and take my time.