[Dogfish]

Hello,

I'm new, but I've already posted two threads concerning (1) driftwood and (2) carving canes/sticks... It just occured to me that I haven't even properly introduced myself... So... Sorry if I've confused you by just diving right in...

I tend to lose interest in new hobbies if I don't dive into it whole-heartedly and start doing something. As I said in one of the two first threads, I got the woodcarving bug just out of Prince George, BC.

My uncle owns three cabins out there, and I got bored one night at our first family reunion out there, so I picked up some wood he had lying about - firewood, mind. And started to whittle a knife... I'll post pictures of it once I've got them.

So... I want to carve a cane of sorts, to get a feel for it... I have two friends who turn sixteen this October, and I'm hoping that sometime during the next two years or so I can gain enough experience or chew through multiple attempts to carve walking sticks for them as gifts.

I neglected to mention that I have only a knife to work with... Should I go out and buy myself some tools? I'm sure it's a worthwhile investment, but I've been raised a super savvy money-clinger... I'm so scared that I'll buy them and they'll end up with my screen printing supplies - unused with exception to the rare spurr of desire to use them.

I know that it's inevitable for me to buy them, but should I get them now? If so, what should I get? I'm a student without much of a job, so I've got a mad-tight budget... Any suggestions?

Since I've began looking for a nicer pocket knife than my utility and art knives, I've heard a lot of referals for Lee Valley Tools (I'm in Central Alberta, Canada... so... perhaps farther away than most... )

Could anyone give me some tips as to what I would need to start a walking stick with a twisty thing wrapping about it?
I'm thinking like the snakes on www.artstick.com, but I would much sooner go for vine sticks... The log approach is a last resort (although it does sound like fun, even with all the work required.)

Thank you all so much,
Bones.

[squbrigg]

Welcome aboard Bones. Lee Valley is probably your best bet for tools here in Canada. Good service and good tools. You don't need much to begin, collecting tools will come naturally as you go along. Just a good simple carving knife is all you need to begin. If you want to see if you have the desire to stick with carving, get yourself a set of Warren interchangable blades, or Flexcut and give them a try, or even better, Rick (Rick in Seattle) sells a great beginners set and more importantly, they are good and sharp to begin with, everything you need to get started at a great, reasonable price.

Have fun carving.

Bob

[GeorgiaCarver]

Don't forget to get/use a safety glove and thumb guard..... Speeking from experience of course!

[Dogfish]

Thanks, Brigg and Whats.
I checked out Rick-in-Seattle... Does he mail to Canada/accept canadian funds? Also... are interchangables as good as a normal hand-gouge? I would just like to know... I'm not sure if Lee Valley has any of the interchangeable ones, though I was only there for a small amount of time.

Thanks again, and for sure I'll use a safety glove, Whats... I'm a tad too clumsy not to.

[whitecree]

Lee Valley has a couple of actual physical stores in Alberta. Calgary and Edmonton, I believe. Their online ordering and delivery times are quite acceptable.

Rick does accept Canadian orders, and he is quite helpful in discussing the tools he sells and can make any number of helpful suggestions. He has what looks to be a fairly decent beginners toolkit that doesn't cost too much.

As to what tools you absolutley have to have - you have it already. A knife and the desire to carve.

If you are strapped for cash - as most students are - then do a little bootstrapping. Carve something, sell it, and use that money to upgrade your tool inventory.

[Just Carving]

Hello Dogfish

You mentioned you're using a utility knife and my antennae went up!

I too was and am still leery about spending hard earned cash on tools--Okay, I'm cheap!

I have a set of starter tools from Rick's Little Shavers and they're great--and he'll help you and steer you in the direction you want to go--but I like to keep things simple. I read about Lynn O. Doughty using a fixed blade utility knife, or as he likes to call them "box cutter". So, I bought one for $1.98 from Lowe's--can't get much cheaper than that. All I needed to do was sharpen and hone the blade, and later on I rounded off the back edge of the blade and alittle off the handle so the points wouldn't be digging into my thumb. It works great for roughing out, and can even do a good deal of detail work, too. I also like to use a skew chisel because it makes it easier to make a stop cut when I need to.

Like Whitecree said, for now, you've got what you need--a knife and a desire to carve. So, Just Carve. And if you make some money on the side, then you can save it, and/or buy some more tools. Best part, if you keep at it, while your buddies are working for their money, you can be carving for yours, smiling the whole time, and laughing all the way to the bank! Enjoy!

[Dogfish]

Thanks, Whitecree and... Bob?... Well, thank you both. I was about to jump off the bootstrapping wagon, but you've encouraged me to keep on. It's actually something I'd like to do, just carve and sell my way up the tool ladder.

Um... Bob, so... do you have any tips as to how to use a utility knife to carve/rough out?

Thanks again, I'll keep my desire burning.

[Just Carving]

Bones,

You can use the utility knife the same way you would use a pocket knife to whittle. As with any tool, there can be a limit to what you can do--but a knife will take you a long way. See this link, and you'll see what I mean:
http://www.wikihow.com/Begin-Woodcar...-Utility-Knife

Obviously, it needs to be sharp, and honed--and kept that way. You should have a glove or at least a thumb pad to protect yourself when carving. See the link below for more about the thumb bad--BTW you can use duct tape instread of masking tape, and if you have a scrap of suede, leather, or plastic from a soda bottle, you can include a piece in the layers of tape for extra protection.

I am assuming you know how to do the basic cuts of carving. Push, paring, stop, etc. If not, here's a link:
http://www.whittlerbob.com/tip_carvers.htm

You could also check the local library, and see if they have any books on basic wood carving--might even be able to do that on-line.

Pick a wood that won't give you too much trouble. I don't know what you have around, but most hardwoods that aren't too grainy are good. In a pinch, clear pine, or spruce is all right to practice your carving cuts, but to actually carve something out of it, the results may not be spectacular. It would be better to use Northern Basswood, butternut, poplar, birch, cherry--if you search around this website for information on a particular wood that you might have handy, you'll find out whether it's good and if there's anything you should be aware of. An example is red oak. It's okay to carve, but you'll learn that it has a tendency to strip away if you carve it in the wrong direction. Easiest way to find out about red oak is to get a piece. It'll carve great one way, but turn it around, and it's almost as if a layer is peeling off. That's a tip on any wood: if you're having trouble carving a piece of wood, and you tools are super sharp, turn the piece of wood around, or flip it over, and try again and see if it carves better.

Once, you have the basics of carving down, then you can carve walking sticks, caricatures--just about anyuthing with time, patience and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! So get going, read, and start practicing your carving. Stick with it, and you'll be surprised how easy it will be, and the rewards are great!

BTW--Take a look at what Lynn O. Doughty does with a 2 dollar utility knife

http://www.outwestwoodcarving.blogspot.com/

[Robert Cahill]

Bones,
When I first started carving I used a utility knife and also ground old hacksaw bades into differant shapes for knifes and then epoxed them in dowels. It was cheap and easily replaced. for some free tutorials you might try Lora s Irish's site www.carvingpatterns.com

ROBERT

[Dogfish]

Thanks, Robert.

Um, to both Bob and Robert, I'm not terribly tool-wise at the moment, so... How would one go about sharpening, honing and shaping a utility blade or hacksaw blades into usable shapes with no powertools or sharpeners/honers about?

Thanks again, I'll check out those sites rights away, Bob.