Looking for inexpensive beginner's tools

[alien]

Hello
I am trying to get started with wood carving and am on the lookout for some inexpensive beginner's supplies. I know about the beginner's kit on littleshavers but that is more than I am looking to spend right now when I just want to try it out. I found this kit on amazon and was wanting to hear some of your opinions on whether it would be suitable:
Amazon.com: Hobby Knife Set 51 Piece Wood Carving Kit Balsa Craft…
I can't tell whether it has gouges and veining things or what but it comes in case and includes a stone which is nice.
Also today I was at AC Moore and they had an X-Acto brand 6 piece carving set which included:
Straight chisel
Bent chisel
Skew chisel
Bent gouge
U tool
Veining tool
This set was approximately 50 dollars but they circulate a 50% off coupon every week and I could use that to get it for $25.
Was just wondering if either of these sets would be good and which you all might recommend. Thanks for your advice

[Claude]

That stuff is great for balsa, but if you really want to be a wood carver, you'll need to use harder woods which need a different type of tool, in general. For the money, in my opinion, the best bet is Rick's beginner's kit at Little Shavers Wood Carving Supply It comes with everything you need to get started. And...don't just take my opinion - go up to the Green Bar above and click on Search, then type in Little Shaver and see what the rest of the forum thinks.

There are other great beginner kits from other suppliers as well, but Rick's stuff is sharp when you get it, and it also comes with stuff to keep it sharp.
Claude

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

In my opinion Claude is 100% right. Other beginner kits at:

Starter Kit - In my opinion theses are some of the best tools out there. You still need a glove, strop, compound and thumb guard.

Beginner Wood Carving Kit

Dave

[AlArchie]

Claude is right, that first set is made for and is darn good for MODEL MAKING....those tools can be used for general carving, but I can guarantee you will be turned off the hobby by starting out with them. As adjunct tools to a decent carving set, they serve a purpose...detailing, small piece making, clean up of tight spaces, etc.

That second set (the six piece one) is JUNK!!!! The bevels are ground too steep, the bevels are not finished (they have heavy grinding marks), and the steel is questionable. It MAY be good steel and it may NOT...no way to know until you buy and try.

Either way, if you want to spend about half an hour on each tool to get the bevel right, then honed to sharp edge, you may wind up with a decent set......or you may not. I've re-done a couple of these sets just for the heck of it, and found that one of the three I've worked over was good when done with. The other two had bad steel and never did work up correctly. And NONE of the V tools was any good at all and there was absolutely no way to rework the tool with any sharpening tools I posses.

If you look around you may be able to find a set of Ramelson palm tools for around 25 to 40 bucks...the same one Rick sells but not well sharpened. I have a couple sets of these from different sources and the bevels were good, the V tool reasonable and the handles well made. They did need final honing and polishing. Sooooo...if you want to spend the time instead of the few extra dollars, look around for the Ramelson type tools.

If you want to try eBay...do a search for Millers Falls Carving sets. They are vintage tolols that are excellent. bids seem to be holding in the 25 to 40 buck region.

Al

[bigEd_H]

I agree with Claude and Dave... and Al. If you want to really get into wood carving, you'll need good tools to start with. The links Claude and Dave gave are the top choices I'd suggest, too.

BTW, welcome to the forum.

[susieq]

If you buy cheap tools to start with, it will make carving harder for you...period. You will get discouraged trying to use junk to work with. Quality makes a huge difference in how easy or hard it is to carve. For a beginner, not realizing that it's the tools holding you back and not your lack of talent, might cause you to throw in the towel all together and go do something else.

If you can't afford a complete set, buy tools one at a time..... I do have a suggestion though. There is a line of American made tools that are pretty reasonable and very good. They hold an edge. Warren tools.

My favorite V tool is a Warren. My only complaint with them is that they only make small tools. I wish they made some larger gouges and chisels too. The tools come with no handles. There is a handle with a collet you hand tighten when you insert the "stem of the tool into it. I think the tools run about $12 to $15 ea. the last time I paid attention to price....the handles run about the same. You can buy one handle and change the gouge out for the next one you need to use...which will get really old but it would work for a while.

You can also make wooden handles for the Warren tools too. I do think they sell the #5 gouge with a stubby handle on it though...... I had a whole set of Warrens that my husband found for me at a yard sale. The owner had put wooden handles on all of them... great little tools that hold an edge and most are available on line somewhere.

But if you buy junk tools, it will hold you back in your carving. You might as well throw your money down the toilet and flush it.

[Donna_T]

Ditto to what has already been said. My favorite inexpensive tools that are relatively good are the Ramelson and the Warren. My Warrens have fixed handles.

If you can only afford it, get one at a time--a good knife, a glove, a strop, and a thumb guard is a good way to start. Then add a med-sized v-tool (1/4-3/8"). Then a similar sized gouge or veiner. I worked with 3 pieces for 2-3 years before adding more. I've seen some beautiful carved pieces that were done totally with a knife.

Donna_T

[Mitchell]

You'll ultimately be disappointed with the cheap route. If you are limited on funds, get fewer instead of cheaper.

[pallin]

If you were going to "try out" bicycle riding, would you start with a cheap children's bike from a yard sale? Do you think it would give you the real experience of bike riding? Take the advice of these carvers. Choose one good tool (appropriate to the form of carving you want to do), then add others as needed.

[SlowMover]

I understand not wanting to spend big bucks to try out a new activity. he thing I will say is put the cost into perspective, A big Mac meal deal is around $6, so ten meals is around the cost of a starter set from Little shavers, or a good knife and glove with thumb protector and a gouge from other venders. Or one movie and snacks for three people is the same cost, or one tank of gas for a big SUV....the cost will be spread out over years if you like carving, and you are much more likely to continue if you have decent tools...so the real cost of a starter set...next to nothing a day.....

Please save up a little and get decent tools to start with, cause I guarentee you will quit quickly if you struggle with junk.

Go to a local carving club and see what others are doing and using, some clubs even have starter kits of their own for sale or loan, check it out. Hope you enjoy our favorite hobby as much as the rest of us do.