Purchasing Tools, Need Advice

[Linda L]

Need some advice on tools. I initially started carving with the Palm set from Flexcut. This weekend I made my first attempt at a woodspirit and it didn’t go well, but I learned a lot. I tried following instructions from several authors and tutorials and I’m convinced that this is another of those “everybody does it a little differently!� One thing I noticed was they all used full size tools.

A very dear carving friend has offered to sell me a few larger tools. I have roughouts of several decoys and a Heron I’d like to get started on as well as woodspirits and possibly a Greenman. I also want to carve sticks and tops for sticks eventually. I don’t think the small palms I have will work as well as the full size tools for most of this.

He asked me to run the tools he has in mind for me past some of you experienced carvers to see if you agree with his choices or if you might suggest something different. Considering what I am planning to carve, here is what he has in mind:

“I picked out eight for your consideration, #1by 5/8, #6 by 1/2, #4 by 1/2, #7 by 3/8, #6 by 1/4 JB Addis, #7 by 3/8 Henry Taylor, #5 by 3/8
Henry Taylor, # 4 by 7/16 Addis..too close to 4 by 1/2 above. Those not listed are Sorby and Ashley lles... Noodle it around, I'll find something else for the last #4 by ½.�

Would appreciate any feedback!Idea

Linda

[Mark Gargac]

Hi Linda, I love to carve faces, woodspirits, mtn. men, indians, ect,. The tools you have listed here are good for faces lets say a woodspirit about 1.5-inchs wide with a long flowing beard at 3.5 inches total length from hairline to bottom of beard. I would include a few more tool sweeps a #3,#5 and you can never have to many #7's ( the tool sweep I use the most on my carvings) The #1 5/8 that you mentioned, that's a chisel and I think I own one but cannot remember ever using it for carving any faces. I have roughly, including palm 155 gouges ranging from 1 mm to 75mm in different sweeps ,oh, I almost forgot a couple of chisels and at last count about two dozen carving knifes. 90 percent of my tools are swiss made. The palm gouges are nice for the smaller carvings , the one's you can hold in your hand and carve with a protective glove. For the larger carvings it's on the vice with them and of course larger gouges are used. I like sweeps with the odd numbers for carving my faces, 3 , 5 , 7 , 9 , 11. You will find that alot of woodcarving is expermenting with different tools till you find what works right for you.( so join a carving club and borrow members tools at meetings, just kidding) The #5 and #7 gouges work nice for carving noses and #9 and #11 are good for creating the eye sockets and eye mounds, I like using a
#5 flipped upside down for rounding over the cheek bones on indians. The size of the tools depends on the size of the face you are carving. I dont believe you stated the size of woodspirit you are trying to carve . Give me a couple of approx.measurments and I can let you know what size's of tools to use.
If you like, I invite you to take a look at my woodcarving site, bottom left on this post.

[Linda L]

Mark, I don't know how I missed your site but I am beyond words to express how beautiful your work is, and how talented you are. I can only hope to someday produce work that is even even half as spectacular as what you have done.

I started carving about a year ago, but had several setbacks with my health and I'm just now getting back to it. Of course I've read everything I could get my hands on in the meantime.

One positive to the "forced" timeout was that it gave me time to really figure out what it is that I really want to carve. At first, I felt like a kid in a candy store---I wanted to do it all! I've come full circle, and now I'm finding that I really like the realistic human face and a few of the common ducks and waterbirds I see frequently at our summer home.

I'd like to do walking sticks/canes/staffs with wood spirits, and my sense of humor wants me to learn to carve a few in live trees---small where they catch a stranger off guard! I ordered the WCI issue that featured Colin's work and I'm facinated by it.

When I first started carving, I fell in love with the "Greenman" being a Nature person, but I've never lost sight of my one "big" idea. I'd really like to someday be good enough to attempt a "Greenwoman" with pine boughs and dogwood branches. That is my ultimate goal.

So, it looks like size wise my interests run the gamut. Like to just pick up a stick and carve small, but also want to set my sights on a few large pieces. I can see a lot of the direction I want to go in your carvings, the only difference being that I'd really like to learn to carve the female face. Nothing like setting high goalsApple !

Thanks for the advice and please feel free to add more if you have a better idea from my somewhat vague description of my goals!

Linda

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I don't know what size you are carving, but I carved for several years and just recently got some mallet size chisels....before that only palm size and knives....still predominately what I use.....as for "what" you carve, if you keep carving you will eventually try everything I think....there was a time when I said, I won't carve walking sticks or canes (right! have about 30 standing in the corner) and I don't particularly want to carve caricatures...lol can't tell you how many adorn our shelves! Didn't carve birds, but have.....on and on, Cheers

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

If those Addis tools are in any kind of codition at all, you might consider grabbing them. They are fine old (very old) English tools. Very collectible, but you can still use them. Best of both worlds.

[BobD]

Linda,
I'm excited because Mark is doing an article with us! His work is AWSOME!!!!!

Bob

[Linda L]

That is TOO KOOL!!! But now I have to sit and wait for my next issue. I do believe kind sir that you like to bait us here !

His work is some of the best bust carving I have seen. Can't wait to see the article. Let's see is it one month or two I have to wait...

Linda

[Ashbys]

Bob,
I agree Mark's work is awesome, will be looking forward to that article.

Ash

[Linda L]

Originally Posted by Plain_Ol_Ed

If those Addis tools are in any kind of codition at all, you might consider grabbing them. They are fine old (very old) English tools. Very collectible, but you can still use them. Best of both worlds.

I forgot to mention that I'm getting the whole set for $100.00 plus exact cost of shipping. Don't know much about tools yet, but it seemed like a good deal.Question

Linda

[BobD]

Sorry everyone, it won't be the next issue...but it's coming up soon!

Bob