The Beginner’s Woodworking Studio

Woodcarving can be accomplished with nothing more than a piece of wood and a whittling knife. However, the beginner’s woodworking studio will consist of a variety of Carving Tools such as knives, chisels, and gouges. Bench knives, the basic carving knives, are about 1 3/4 inches to 3 inches long and taper to a point.

They are used for carving detail and are also known as whittling knives. Gouges come in c-shaped and u-shaped varieties and are used to clear larger areas of wood to be carved. A v-gouge, or chisel, has a sharp point and may be used to carve joint lines as well as detail. The straight chisel has a straight tip for making lines and detail and is great for corners.

Extras in your studio will include carbon paper or lead pencil for transferring your pattern to the wood, sharpening stones or strops to keep blades sharp, clamps and a mallet. Storage for your implements should keep everything dry and protected. A workbench is also very useful.

While any sort of wood can be carved, there are particular species that make great Carving Wood. Woods with consistent soft texture and little grain are popular with beginner carvers. Basswood and Butternut are two soft, straight grained woods that are forgiving and easy to use. You might also want to try a hardwood such as walnut or mahogany for its beauty and interesting burls.

Sources of your design inspiration can come from purchased patterns, folk art, furniture design, or nature itself. Like Michelangelo, the wood carver sees something in each piece of wood that is a design waiting for the right tools and artist to bring the design out of the wood.

Chuck Hall is a veteran woodcarver. His work and free lessons can be seen at http://www.CarvingTricks.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chuck_Hall

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