Relief Carving Tools

[DMH1112]

I have just started carving and want to learn carving in relief. What types of chisels, gouges, ect. do I need to carve in relief? I buy my tools from Lee Valley, is there a better place to buy tools from? Lee Valley sells a carving in relief set by hirsch but I am not sure if the tools in the set are the right tools. I have look at lots of patterns and what tools they need but the set only has some. I was thinking of buying the tools individually but to buy tools from lee valley individually is very expensive.

Thanks

[pallin]

There have been several (many?) discussions of this question. You might try a search of posts using your subject.

You will find many opinions. The ultimate answer is what works well for you.

[abrakadabra]

I would first buy a nice carving knife because it can substitute some other tools like skewed chisels. Pinewood Forge Catalog

A carving set will have useless tools like superbig gouges.

You should decide about the sizes yourself.

I would first buy a few medium size Pfeil gouges (or fishtail gouges) in different sweeps: 3/8, 5/8, 7/10, 9/10; and a V-tool 12/6.
If you want to make smaller carvings, buy smaller tools. If bigger carvings - bigger tools.

You can go to a Woodcraft store and check Pfeil carving tools.

You can buy them cheaper from www.kmstools.com

[Dan S]

My suggestion is to find a club and try a number of different tools. You can spend a lot of money experimenting and this will take you past that.
After you have tried a bunch I would agree with the previous post and suggest Pfeil tools.

Good luck,
Dan

[DMH1112]

Do pfeil tools work like chisels? Would I have to get more than just one V-Tool?

[pallin]

Pfeil (Swiss-Made) is the brand name of one manufacturer of carving chisels, gouges, etc. They are not files, spelled in a strange way.
V-tools come in different widths and different angles on the "V" - whether or not you need more than one depends on the type of carvings you do. I started with one and found it was okay for many years.

[DMH1112]

Do you need only v-gouges not a wide arrange of gouges? What are the first tools( other than a carving knife) that I should invest in for carving in relief? I only what to get the ones I need at first and get more slowly from there.

[abrakadabra]

For the start, you need only one V-tool. I think #12 6mm is OK.
It looks like this


You can go to a Woodcraft store and check Pfeil tools:
Carving Tools, Wood Carving Tools, Woodcarving Tools & Hand Carving Tools at Woodcraft.com

If you go to Rockler or a big lumberyard, they can have Two Cherries (also, known as Hirsch) tools.
Woodworking Tools Supplies Hardware Plans Finishing - Rockler.com

Also, Woodcraft and Rockler have carving books on their shelves.
Carving Book, Carving Books & Woodcarving Books at Woodcraft.com

Some books have tool recommendations. But each author has his own preferences.

[DMH1112]

I would like to get my tools from wood craft because there are two stores reasonably close. The fish tail gouges they sell are:

#1 6mm, 8mm, 12mm, 14mm, 16mm, 20mm, 25mm
#3 6mm, 8mm, 12mm, 14mm, 16mm, 20mm, 25mm
#5 6mm, 8mm, 12mm, 14mm, 16mm, 20mm, 25mm
#7 6mm, 8mm, 12mm, 14mm, 16mm, 20mm, 25mm
#9 5mm, 10mm, 15mm, 20mm

I think I should of asked this question a long time ago. What do the #s stand for? Because I wasn't sure which number to get the different sweeps in. Also is there a book that you can recommend to me about beginning relief carving.

[RUssL.]

Chris Pye's Relief Carving book is the most detailed instruction book I have seen.

The first number of a gouge is the "sweep" or shape of the cutting edge of the tool.
Simply state the higher the number the more acute the arc of the blade. That is to say: a #1 is flat across and a #11 is "U" shaped, with all the other numbers in between.

The second number is length across the cutting edge: a 2mm is two millimeters across, a 25mm is twenty five millimeters (or roughly 1") across.

All of this and much, much more is in Chris Pye's book.

ps.
I love working with fishtail gouges, but you might want to focus on plain "straight" gouges initially. Fishtail gouges, as the name implies, splay out (like a fish tail) at their edged and are great for reaching tight spots.

Just my $0.02
Get the Chris Pye book, really. It's ALL in there.

Russ