What do you use to hold your carving??

[Blake Lunsford]

This may seem like a stupid question, but I'm hoping some of you can give me some good advice.

What do you use to hold or mount your carving piece on to free up both of your hands? When I learned to carve spirit faces, the instructor provided us with a triangle shaped piece of wood and screwed the piece on the back to a large board that he had secured to the table. He recommended that we carve on the "90 degree edge" to make the nose pop out and to make the face taper from the nose to the ears.

The problem I am facing is that I am having a problem finding triangle shaped basswood to carve on. Most basswood comes in a block and to carve on the edge, you have to hold the wood with one hand and carve with the other...which can pose a huge problem! I would like to be able to carve anything from caricatures to santas using a full block of wood, but I think I would do a better job if the piece was stationary.

Anyone have any inexpensive solutions to this problem?

Carve on!
Vacaricature Carver

[Ron D]

i use a anti slip mat put your wood on it and it shouldnt go anywere depending on how hard your pushing.the map i use i got at my local hardware store {looks like the stuff you put in a tool box mines black but it comes in alot of colors.i think people put it in there kitchen drawers to}hope this helps
ron

[dart]

I use my hand mostly but I have a woodworking and metal working vise and also I made a "pipe vise" like Al showed us how to make awhile back.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Panavise makes a reasonably priced vise, or you can make one of several there are plans for or....you can buy one of many many, fairly expensive carving vises. You don't need triangle shaped wood, you can do the same on the corner of a square piece of wood..and after awhile you can just remove more wood to get to where you want to go....I rarely use a vise unless I am working on something big, I hold the wood in one hand and carve with the other.

[Mitchell]

I use my left hand to hold most of my carvings. I'd say 90% of the time. I have used a vise on occasion, but find it's more trouble than a benefit.

I sometimes use a little wooden brace on my work bench. This brace does not let me carve with both hands, but rather just also me to hold the workpiece against something sturdy. I can get more leverage against the tool this way.

[MelNM]

I use my left hand also, but I plan on building a holder that Owlhause uses, it looks very east to build. Here's the picturetrail address he has it on. I found the holder and the carvers screw on Treeline. I'm sure other carving supply stores have them also.

www.picturetrail.com/owlhause/

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

that should work fine...I was thinking of making a longer carvers arm and mounting the end in a big wood block. the problem with most vises is they are not solid enough to use chisels on. Or the tables they are mounted on are not solid enough....

[Alice in Wonderland]

I usely screw another piece of wood on the bottom of my carving wood and then you can put it savely into any vise
Alice

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

I've tried a lot of stuff, but always end up holding it in my hand. So for the last 30 ro 40 years it's mostly the old left hand with the right one making up the difference.

[Hisart]

Left hand or bench.
I have a no slip pad, it's a rubbery white plastic mesh, that I lay on the bench. I still chase it around but it moves only about a quarter inch per strike.
Works for me.