Chip Carving Problems

[jaxpatch]

Hi John,
As another newbie I know how you feel but it could just be the wood is too dry. try putting it in a large sealed plastic bag for a couple of days with a pan of water so that it absorbs some moisture. I have also left mine in the dishwasher overnight after it has been emptied and turned off!! Mine definitely carved easier afterwards.
Also, even a new knife should be sharpened before using it .
I can reccommend Martys website - there's lots of info ,ideas and projects.
Goodluck
Jackie

[Johnt63]

I ordered from Heinecke and they were really great in the emails. I am anxiously looking forward to working with their wood as they say that good wood is hard to come by and I can really believe that for sure. I think the other wood I got was in the store being dried out for a long time and I am sure that this will make a difference. Thanks for the reference to Heinecke and I mentioned to them that I was referred from Woodcarving illustrated forum. Anyone thinking of talking to them they are super uber polite and professional. I recommend them as well already.

[Johnt63]

Originally Posted by My Chip Carving

Hey John,
Not all basswood is created equal, as other posts have mentioned.
I'll set you up with quality northern grown basswood practice boards and projects.
Also, I have some chip carving knives that I'll sell you at a discount.
Email me: Marty@MyChipCarving.com

Marty
www.MyChipCarving.com
866-444-6996

Sounds awesome I will definitely check that out thank you very much.....

[Bob Riegl]

Using wood from Heinecke is a great start---but most of the knives you buy need some honing. I am surprised the flexcut knife won't cut---they are the sharpest out of the box I've ever seen. Make a good strop and get a Green Compound bar for honing ---get a good wood carving catalog and use that for most of the stuff you need---try Marty Leenhouts he's the expert on chip carving---he will help you out to your advantage not disadvantage. "Doc"

[Johnt63]

I got the Heinecke, big difference. Never again will I buy wood unless it's from them and won't be buying it from woodcraft since it sits there and drys for forever until someone comes along and buys it. I've read articles that describe how they don't even allow their wood to go a day or two without being sealed up. I can't imagine how long that wood was there. It's not their fault it's just nature of the beast. Heinecke wood is highly recommended by me now as well.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

My bet is that you have southern basswood....even at that, mist a little rubbing alcohol on it and try that.....then go buy some good stuff from Heinecke lol

[rtunas]

John I own probably most of the chip carving knives made and in my opinion Flexcut is not worth thr price as the steel will not allow for a sharp reliable edge. If you want a great knife I would recommend Mychipcarving.com knives, Wayne Barton knives, Lamp (Klotzli) and one not mentioned much being Lee Ferguson C-1 knife. For just $25 it can not be beat and holds an edge like no others. Also the basswood from Woodcraft is from Midwest Products. They primarily cater to modelling or architecture modeling and indeed it does look like it is southern basswood which makes it a bit too stringy to chip carve but it can be done with a sharp knike. To get the knife sharp for beginners I would recommend the video by Marty at Mychipcarving.com website then follow up by stropping the blade until you can see your reflection. This will allow for easier carving but also beware as scary sharp means blood loss if not carefull. Just ask me as I had 7 stitches one time when I was learning to carve. Watch out and enjoy chip carving as it is an enjoyable form of carving.

[jdbcarving]

I have bought 3 different chip carving knives from Woodcraft for chip carving, and all of them had to be sharpened to cut correctly. Doesn't take too much, but I use some 400 grit paper to tapper the blade edge more on the 10 deg slope, then my ceramic stone, then a few licks on the strop and ready to go. None on my knives I have bought (about 10 carving and 3 chip knives) had been sharpened where you could really do some nice carving. Just practice, and yes you can get some hard basswood.
Jim B

[Steve Reed]

I would suspect that your knife needs to be honed/stropped. Yes, even new knives need this sometimes.