i want to learn woodcarving

[macaro1]

i been trying to find a hobby besides computer and video games, so i thought woodcraving would be fun and cool to do. so right now i have blocks of basswood, set of carving tools that came with one large block of basswood from hobby lobby, and a Husky carving pieces and handles kit. i have not worked on a project yet so i want to know the best way to start

[Mr. Chips]

Hey Macaro,
Welcome to the group.
First I would check for fellow carvers in your area. Click on the 'Carving Clubs' link on the left of this page. You can learn alot more watching than someone trying to tell you.
Second, make sure your tools are sharp. Again a fellow carver can help. Or check some of the old posts here. click on the 'advanced search' on top of the page.
Next click on the 'Videos' link on the left of the page. Gene Messer has some great tutorials on here you can learn a lot from watching. Also Lynn Doughty. another member, has a great website with tutorials.
Most important, safety, make sure you have a carving glove before you start carving. You can get a good one for about $20, and that's cheaper than a vist to the Saw Bones for stitches.
Last, have fun and post pics of your work so we can see. There is lots of good people here, so if you have more questions just ask. Also, search through some of the old posts.

Randy

[brent]

Don't be surprised if the tools you bought fail to work as you hope they would.
A good sharpening and honing might help, but still, don't get discouraged.
Google woodcarving and start reading and you will find out a world of info and lots of places to purchase tools and supplies.
All the info that Mr. Chips stated is good and one other site you might try is to google Chris Pye. He has a wealth of info on his site.
Good luck and hang in there........you'll get the hang of it.

[kitaye]

The best advice I can offer is grab a piece of basswood, a really sharp knife and start whittling. Eventually you'll either have a pile of chips or the beginnings of a really fun hobby. Let the wood speak to your hands and let your hands speak with your knife.

[mpounders]

You can learn a lot about grain directions and how to cut wood by just making simple shapes....carving a round ball on the end of a square block, etc. A carving glove is definitely recommended for safety. Try carving a simple knife, spoon, or fork ... or something simple that YOU really want to carve.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

I invite you to check out my Blog which is listed below. I've just started a new video series on carving a small bust of Gabby Hayes. In the videos I explain and show how to go about cutting out a blank and roughing out the figure. I'll take you through the whole process of how I carve and paint the figure up to the point of almost telling you which shelf to put it on when you're finished. Hope you stop by.

[Ron T]

Hello and welcome. There also tutorials on youtube put there by Gene, Arlene and other members here.

[Whittled Thumb]

Without reading the rest of the post, im gona give you this advice.........WEAR A GLOVE AND THUMB GUARD!!! You can pick up filet gloves at bass pro shop for 7 bux. I wore a leather glove wrapped in tape.......well i ended up cutting my finger to the middle nail right to the bone, seven stitches, and again today had to go back to the doc to have the nail cut out cus it was growing wrong WEAR A GLOVE!!!!

CARVE ON!

[carverswoodshop]

welcome to the forum , enjoy

YouTube - carverswoodshop's Channel
carverswoodshop

[Bill102M]

First and foremost, Safety, Safety, Safety. When starting out be very careful! A bad cut can cut short a wonderful carving hobby. Rule one were a glove if you are carving something small in your hand. Rule two, sharp tools are safe tools. Sound kind of strange but, a sharp too takes less force to push through the wood, the more force used the easier tools will get out of control. Rule three, learn how to sharpen tools properly, lots of articles on how to accomplish this task. Rule four, just carve! you will soon learn what you enjoy most, and what kind of carving floats your boat. Enjoy! it's a great hobby, and you will not meet a better bunch of people than wood carvers.