Cautionary Statement: Wood carving is a potentially hazardous activity and should be undertaken only with safety a constant and primary consideration. To avoid injury thoroughly understand the use of all tools and techniques and review all projects before starting. The projects and all other material on this site are presented as is, with no warranty or guarantee of any kind expressed or implied. The owner and authors disclaim any liability for injury, damage or loss that may occur when using any of the content of this web site. When in doubt seek professional instruction and advice before undertaking any project.
Advide For New Carvers - WOM Help Files
Advice To The New Woodcarver by Ken Bingham - WOM Vol 1 Issue 2
Rec.crafts.carving Newsgroup FAQ - see in particular Types of Carving; Carving Woods; Tools - Hand and Power - WOM Help Files
The Nuts and Bolts of Carving - A Short Course in Carving Basics by Will Sharp
(Days 1-12 at the same location)
Day
13 - Bad Hair Day
Day 14 - Winkles, Wrinkles, Wrinkles
Day 16 - Of Course You Can Draw . .
Introductory Primer to Carving by L.S. Irish at Classic Carving Patterns site
General carving considerations by Tony Wispinski - WOM Vol 1 Issue 1
Stages in learning how to create chip carving designs by Jeff Fleisher - WOM Vol 1 Issue 1
Failure by Graeme Vaughn - WOM Vol 3 Issue 1
Dancing in the Wood - Composition for Woodcarvers by Caril Chasens - WOM Vol 3 Issue 3
Woodcarving Class Etiquette by Vic Kirkman - WOM Vol 2 Issue 6
Beginner Wildfowl Carver Advice by Vic Kirkman - WOM Vol 3 Issue 3
Chip Carving Pattern Stamps and Keep On Turning by Jeff Fleisher - WOM Vol 3 Issue 4
Carving Tips and Techniques at The Carving Bench
More Tips and Techniques at The Carving Bench Archives
Carving Tips at The Southeast Carver site
Simple Exercises for Hands that Craft (downloadable PDF at The Carving Bench) - The 5-5-5 Workout
Learning To Carve from Chris Pye - Woodcarving
Guide To Safe Carving from Chris Pye - Woodcarving
NFTN - Carving faces - WOM Vol 1 Issue 5
NFTN - Tips for carving large figures - WOM Vol 2 Issue 3
NFTN - Learning to carve faces, Love spoons, Retainig prospective in relief carving - WOM Vol 3 Issue 2
NFTN - Cutting with the grain - WOM Vol 3 Issue 3
NFTN - Copyright Information - WOM Vol 3 Issue 4
NFTN - Trouble with crushing wood - WOM Vol 4 Issue 4
Topics in Relief Carving - Stop Cuts, Low Relief, High Relief, Smoothing the Background, Laminating, Using a Depth Gauge - by L.S. Irish at Classic Carving Patterns site - look in the Index under Basic Cuts and Carving Tips
Incised Carving, Wood Block Prints, Intaglio Carving, Chip Carving - by L.S. Irish at Classic Carving Patterns site - look in the Index under Specialized Techniques
Let's Carve Eyes by Gene Graham at Tree To Treasure Wood Carving
Safety First! Wear a glove, learn to work safely, learn to sharpen, and learn the Woodcarver 's Mantra!
Basic Beginner Tools, The Beginner's Tool Kit, and Carving Tool Close up by L.S. Irish at Classic Carving Patterns site
Buffing, Honing or Stropping? What is the difference anyway? Check Vic Hamburger's comments HERE
NFTN - Selecting your first knife; Making cuts by hand; Protecting your carving tools; Gloves - WOM Vol 1 Issue 2
NFTN - Tool length - WOM Vol 3 Issue 5
NFTN - Power carvers - WOM Vol 3 Issue 4
NFTN - Taking care of cuts (on the carver), Cut-resistant gloves - WOM Vol 2 Issue 5
Tool Roll Pattern at The Carving Bench
For more information see also Retail Supply Houses and Tool Manufacturers and Distributors
Tool Sharpening Tips and Techniques - WOM Help Files
Sharpening - terms and items used in carving by Ken Bingham - WOM Vol 1 Issue 3
Sharpening by Mac Proffit - from the Smokey Mountain Woodcarvers site
Sharpening Carving Tools and Sharpening Carving Tools by L.S. Irish at Classic Carving Patterns site
Sharpening Of The Tupelo Knife at The Eggtooth Newsletter
Basic Strokes Of The Tupelo Knife at The Eggtooth Newsletter
NFTN - Home-made strops; "Pinching" the edge - WOM Vol 1 Issue 3
NFTN - Sharpening; Sharpening V-gouges - WOM Vol 1 Issue 5
NFTN - Tool care tip; Advice on gouges; Sharpening - WOM Vol 2 Issue 5
NFTN - Tool Sharpening, including R. Gallandt's 5 wheel sharpening rig - WOM Vol 3 Issue 1
NFTN - V-Tool Sharpening - WOM Vol 4 Issue 3
Buffing, Honing or Stropping? By Vic Hamburger
Some Random Thoughts About Painting Your Bird Carving by Jo Craemer - WOM Vol 1 Issue 2
Chip Carving - In Search of the Perfect Finish by Jeff Fleisher - WOM Vol 2 Issue 3
Shellac - The Versatile Finish by Vic Hamburger - WOM Vol 4 Issue 6
Painting Characters and Caricatures by Fred Key at The Southeast Carvers site
Painting Santa Claus at The Carving Bench
NFTN - Painting with acrylics - WOM Vol 1 Issue 5
NFTN - Brush tip; Wax finish for driftwood; Finishes for bark carving; Painting grass - WOM Vol 1 Issue 6
NFTN - Getting flesh tones on carvings; Using dyes in lieu of oil stains; Trying to get "old" finishes - WOM Vol 2 Issue 1
NFTN - Painting with colored pencils; Antique finishes; Stains - WOM Vol 2 Issue 2
NFTN - Painting technique; Wet sanding; Natural stains - WOM Vol 2 Issue 3
NFTN - Hide glue as a sealer; Sealing fish carving; Cleaning air brushes; Hints for storing paint - WOM Vol 2 Issue 4
NFTN - Gold leaf for gilding signs - WOM Vol 2 Issue 5
NFTN - Paste wax finishes, Ebony stain tip, Spoon finish, Paper sack rubdown, Gesso - WOM Vol 2 Issue 6
NFTN - Painting tutorial from Susan Irish, WOM Vol 3 Issue 2
NFTN - Painting, Wood dies and other finishes, Painting "old" eyes - WOM Vol 3 Issue 5
NFTN - Antiquing. Oil finishes for chip carvings, Finishing a realistic carved eye - WOM Vol 4 Issue 1
NFTN - Painting fish - WOM Vol 4 Issue 2
NFTN - Fishy paint problems - WOM Vol 4 Issue 4
Air Brush Info: How-to Air Brush Lessons, Information from Testors
Tips On Bark Carving by Tony Wispinski - WOM Vol 1 Issue 2
Pencil Carving by Tony Wispinski - WOM Vol 1 Issue 5
Carving "The Cow Plaque" by Tina Toney - WOM Vol 2 Issue 2
Bottle Santa by Tina Toney - WOM Vol 2 Issue 3
101 Things to Carve on a Rainy Day - by Grahme Vaughan - WOM Vol 2 Issue 4
The Hunchback Santa by Tina Toney - WOM Vol 2 Issue 4
Santa on a Pear by Tina Toney - WOM Vol 2 Issue 5
Pals - 2 Santas by Tina Toney - WOM Vol 2 Issue 6
Projects by Pete LeClair - WOM issues beginning with the WOM Vol 4 Issue 2
Carve An Old World Santa with Ron Correia (may not work with some browsers)
Fast Face Tutorial with Robin Edward Trudel
Carve a Basic Face for Beginners at Lois Henry's Dancing Fox site
Patterns - An assortment of patterns by "Ol' Don" Burgdorf - WOM issues beginning with WOM Vol 3 Issue 5
Patterns at The Southeast Carver site
Patterns at Javo Sinta's woodcarving site
Woodspirit Patterns at Lois Henry's Dancing Fox site
Wood Spirits at Classic Carving Patterns site - look in the Index under Wood Spirit Carving
Transferring Patterns, Pounce Patterns, Enlarging and Reducing, Simplifying Patterns - by L.S. Irish at Classic Carving Patterns site
Welch Love Spoon Tutorial by L.S. Irish at Classic Carving Patterns site
What is Diamond Willow by Bob Gander - WOM Vol 2 Issue 2
Creating Ridges in Diamond Willow by Bob Gander - WOM Vol 2 Issue 5
Making Diamond Willow Walking Sticks by Ken Laninga - WOM Vol 4 Issue 2
Vaccuming Kiln for Drying Wood by Lynn Diel - WOM Vol 2 Issue 4
All About Tupelo Wood at The Eggtooth Newsletter
How To Square A Block of Wood at The Eggtooth Newsletter
About Lining Up A Wildfowl Pattern On Your Block at The Eggtooth Newsletter
NFTN - Cleaning Cypress Knees; Softening end grain with an alcohol/water mix; Bark for carving, Repairing worm holes - WOM Vol 2 Isssue 4
NFTN - Cracks in logs from drying; sealing logs while drying - WOM Vol 2 Issue 5
NFTN - Cleaning up the fuzzies in basswood, Drying basswood - WOM Vol 2 Issue 6
NFTN - Wood types, Gathering carving woods, air-drying wood - WOM Vol 3 Issue 1
NFTN - Diamond willow, Cleaning carvings, Cracks in carvings, Carving "punky" wood - WOM Vol 3 Issue 5
NFTN - Different carving woods - WOM Vol 3 Issue 4
NFTN - Carving sticks: collecting and drying, dealing with soft wood - WOM Vol 4 Issue 3
NFTN - Creating a Bandsawn blank, Types of carving wood - WOM Vol 4 Issue 4
Carving Woods and Basic Wood Glossary to Mail Wood by L.S. Irish at Classic Carving Patterns site
Safety
NFTN - Taking care of cuts (on the carver), Cut-resistant gloves - WOM Vol 2 Issue 5
Dust Collection and Your Health
Thoughts About Dust Collection - WOM Help Files
Dust collection in the workshop by Tony Moore - WOM Vol 2 Issue 1
NFTN - Dust control - WOM Vol 1 Issue 2
Air Curtain Portable Power Carving Station by Thierry Varem-Sanders - WOM Vol 3 Issue 3
Tips and How-to's
Drawing an Ellipse by Bill Judt - WOM Vol 2 Issue 4
Adapt a TV Table for Carving In The Den by Bill Aker - WOM Vol 2 Issue 5
Driven Pulley Speeds Chart by Joe Brott - WOM Vol 3 Issue 1
Golf Ball Cover Cutter by Captn Dave LaVoie - WOM Vol 3 Issue 3
Tool Reviews
Record Carvers Vice by Don Leners - WOM Vol 2 Issue 2
Delta Band Saw by Don Leners - WOM Vol 2 Issue 3
The Endura Engraving System by Cathy Krumrei - WOM Vol 4 Issue 6
Workholders of various sorts
Making a Carver's Bench Hook at the CarvingWorld/WCI site
The Carving Buck - A LARGE Sized Work Holder at Lois Henry's Dancing Fox site
Bracing Table for Relief Carving by L.S. Irish at Classic Carving Patterns site
Multi-position work holder by Danny Fultz - WOM Vol 2 Issue 2
NFTN - Simple holding methods for relief carving - WOM Vol 1 Issue 3
NFTN - A Carving Vice, by Bill Dentzel - WOM Vol 1 Issue 5 (link updated 3/31/06)
Shaving Horses, Mules and Ponys
Richard Burton's Continental (dumbhead) style shaving horse construction drawing
John Alexander's English style shaving horse page at Greenwoodworking, including history and detailed construction infromation.
Drew Langsner's Continental (dumbhead) style shaving horse page at Country Workshops
Hybrid Shaving Mule plans and finished Mule at Country Workshops
Tom Rettie's Continental (dumbhead) style shaving horse
Matthews and Young Bench-top shave pony information page (link updated 3/31/06)
Richard Rombold's Double-headed shaving horse - dumbhead style at one end and a stick holding vice at the other
Other Neat Stuff . . .
Build-it-yourself carving duplicator plans at Copycarver.com
Undertaking Commissioned Carvings, including Commission Sales Checklist, Contract to Commission An Artwork, Copyright Agreement by Susan and Michael Irish - WOM Vol 3 Issue 1
Pricing Woodcarvings by Joe Dillett - WOM Vol 3 Issue 2
NFTN - Joe Dillett on Written Contracts For Friends - WOM Vol 4 Issue 5
NFTN - Ivan Whillock on Comissions, Bargaining down prices, Showing your work at a show - WOM Vol 4 Issue 5
The Prodigal Son by Bill Judt - WOM Vol 3 Issue 2
Pyrography (wood burning) Gallery - see the articles by Kathleen Menendez in WOM issues
Diamond Willow Jewelry by Bob Gander - WOM Vol 3 Issue 3
Portrait Carving in Relief or "Portraits by the Inch" by Steve Schoolar - WOM Vol 3 Issue 3
NFTN - Carving A Female Face - WOM Vol 4 Issue 1
The Art of the Automobile: Vintage Vehicle Carvings by W.W. Fayette - WOM Vol 4 Issue 3
Carving a Custom Walking Stick by Vern Robinson - WOM Vol 4 Issue 4
Making a Brown Trout Stick (with a Ram's Horn Head and a Hazel Shank) by Wilf Laidler - WOM Vol 4 Issue 5
Fish carving instruction (power carving) at FishCarver.com
Magazines and Books
There are several good magazines and many books available for the new carver. Click HERE to visit the Magazine and Book Publishers, Book Sellers section of the Vendor Files. There you will find links to Chip Chats magazine (included an index to articles and patterns,) Carving Magazine, and to Wood Carving Illustrated (including an article index.) Also included are links to the major carving book publishers.
Questions, queries, posers? Send email to womeditorATcomcastDOTnet(Replace AT and DOT with appropriate symbols.)
The Carvers' Companion is owned by W.M. Kelley; contents copyright 2002 - 2011. See also Ownership and Copyright Statements on the Gateway page.
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Last Update 9-11
