Mallet Carving tools...need advice

[TexasSteve]

I am getting ready to spend some money on mallet carving tools. I am wanting to try my hand at some larger carvings in some harder wood. Mostly faces, although full body as well, possibly some animals. What advice I am looking for is, what are 5 or 6 good starting tools to buy. I think I would be better off buying individual tools than a set, since there always seems to be tools in a set I never use. If I am wrong about that for carving let me know.


I did find this set, but not sure if these are the right sizes to start out with.
#2-16mm skew, #3-3mm gouge, #3-10mm gouge, #4-16mm spoon, #5-20mm, #6-12mm, #7-16mm, #8-6mm, #9-12mm, #10-8mm, #11-3mm, #26-10mm, #41-10mm 60° V-tool

I also found this set:

• 8mm #5 Sweep Fishtail Gouge, 16mm #7 Sweep Fishtail Gouge, 25mm #7 Sweep Fishtail Gouge, 6mm #7 Sweep Gouge, 12mm #7 Sweep Bent Gouge, 18mm #7 Sweep Skewed Spoon Gouge, 10mm #13 Sweep V-Parting Tool, 12mm #14 Sweep V-Parting Tool, 18mm #1 Sweep Bent chisel, 16mm #1 Sweep Skew Cut Chisel, 6mm #1 Sweep Straight Chisel and 12mm #1 Sweep Straight Chisel.

Thanks for the help
Steve

[Claude]

Steve:
Here's what one professional carver has to say about the subject:
Tools I Can?t*Live*Without Fiebig and Yundt Woodcarving

Claude

[twilli227]

Here is a good thread about what chisels to have:

My tools

Start with a few of them, and as you carve more, you will figure out what you are missing. I would not buy either of those sets, because as you mentioned, you will probably not use some of the chisels.

Hope this helps, Todd

[TexasSteve]

Claude, Thanks it was a good article. Although i do like my knife nd palm tools still. I need to Read up, because I am not sure what all those tools are he is talking about.
2/5, 2/8
3/5, 3/8
5/8, 5/12
7/4, 7/6, 7/10
8/4, 8/7, 8/10
9/10
11/3, 11/5, 11/7
12/(?)
15/(?)

[pallin]

TexasSteve - As Mark Yundt stated in his article, you can do a lot with the edges of a #5 gouge. I would recommend that you NOT buy gouges narrower than 8mm until you know you need them. Your knives and palm tools will handle some detail work.

[TexasSteve]

Thanks Phil. I am more concerned with some of the larger tools i need. I figure i could make my palm tools do some detail wok. I won't be relief carving very much, I am still trying to figure out what I like to do. I do find myself drawn to the larger carvings when I am at a show or in a store. I would love to do wildlife. But very interested in real life faces/busts.

[Sharon of the Dell]

I just wrote a short novel to you about my master carver tools and why I like them and why I bought two sets of them. But for some reason, it wouldn't post.
So the short version is I like them, they are cheap in price, but not quality. I have the 13 piece starter set and the 20 piece sculpture set. I use them all, some more than others.
I use a mallet on them and also use them like palm tools because they are comfortable in my hand with the taper like it is.
I use them in really hard wood. They stay pretty darn sharp. I strop them on an old leather belt and that's usually good, or sometimes ad flexcut gold compound.
I use them for faces and for flat relief work.
I'm a happy camper with them! For my budget, they have worked out great!
But we all have our own preferences!

[Robson Valley]

I went through a phase where each carving was bigger than the last.
At that time, the biggest Pfeil gouge I had was an 8/7.
So, I thought that the work would go faster with bigger tools.
I bought a 9/15 and a 5/35.
I learned several things:
1. It would have been a financial mistake to buy a set.
2. My 14oz mallet didn't have the "whacking" power so bought a lead core 30 oz.
3. The work goes no faster: the chip is not directly proportional to the size of the gouge. The 30oz mallet is real effort to swing for any length of time, no matter how fit I am.
4. I learned to do more with power tools and hand saws to shape the blanks.
5. I think that an electric chainsaw would be a real boost.

All this in no more than Western Red Cedar.

[Sharon of the Dell]

So I have a couple of questions for you guys. Hope no one gets mad, because I respect you all and have learned more than I could ever dreamed of here on WCI! And you guys are family/friends to me!
When you say don't buy sets because you won't use them all, which ones don't get used? Everyone has different styles of carvings so, I'm guessing there will probably be different answers?
Or don't buy sets because you may not use one or two of the tools that often. My thought is, if you don't use a tool that much, isn't it worth it to have around when you need it?
To me it's kind of like my sandals with higher heals. I hate wearing high heals, but I keep them, because it's fun to dress up once or twice a year instead of my usual garb of faded holey old blue jeans and ratty t-shirts and my birkies, or work boots or just barefoot on the rare occasion my husband and I go some place dressy! (woman logic)
Anyway, just wondering because I look at these 7 to 20 something piece sets of Pfeils, Lamp brand Flexcut and others and think, I would use every single one of them if I had them. So that's why my choice of the MC's and the price!

[Old_Gord]

Originally Posted by TexasSteve

I am getting ready to spend some money on mallet carving tools. I am wanting to try my hand at some larger carvings in some harder wood. Mostly faces, although full body as well, possibly some animals. What advice I am looking for is, what are 5 or 6 good starting tools to buy. I think I would be better off buying individual tools than a set, since there always seems to be tools in a set I never use. If I am wrong about that for carving let me know.


I did find this set, but not sure if these are the right sizes to start out with.
#2-16mm skew, #3-3mm gouge, #3-10mm gouge, #4-16mm spoon, #5-20mm, #6-12mm, #7-16mm, #8-6mm, #9-12mm, #10-8mm, #11-3mm, #26-10mm, #41-10mm 60° V-tool

I also found this set:

• 8mm #5 Sweep Fishtail Gouge, 16mm #7 Sweep Fishtail Gouge, 25mm #7 Sweep Fishtail Gouge, 6mm #7 Sweep Gouge, 12mm #7 Sweep Bent Gouge, 18mm #7 Sweep Skewed Spoon Gouge, 10mm #13 Sweep V-Parting Tool, 12mm #14 Sweep V-Parting Tool, 18mm #1 Sweep Bent chisel, 16mm #1 Sweep Skew Cut Chisel, 6mm #1 Sweep Straight Chisel and 12mm #1 Sweep Straight Chisel.

Thanks for the help
Steve

If I might suggest first get yourself copies of Chris Pye's two books.
Woodcarving Tools, Materials, and Equipment, Volumes 1 & 2

They can be considered as the "Woodcarvers Bible" as far as info regarding mallet tools is concerned.
You might even be able to find a copy of the earlier version which was only one book , it will serve you just as well.
You will get all sorts of excellent info here from many experienced carvers but I'll bet Pye's book(s) will serve you well as long as you use carving tools.


OG