by M. L. Kiser

Created on: September 01, 2011   Last Updated: April 30, 2012

Woodcarving, a rewarding hobby

Woodcarving can be a delightful and rewarding hobby.  No, we’re not talking about the “Whittling” that “Jed Clampett” of the “Beverly Hillbillies” used to do in front of the big “Cement Pond”.  We are talking about real carvings, relief pictures and statues or even pieces of jewelry.  You only need three things to begin, 1) a picture or idea of what you want to carve, 2) a very sharp pocketknife or utility knife and 3) a chunk of wood; it’s that simple. 

If you are one of the many people who can hold a picture in your head of what you want to carve, then you can begin right away.  If not, then you may also want a pencil, a picture or drawing of what you want to trace onto the block and some graphite paper for transferring the picture to the wood. 

You should know a little about the difference between hard and soft woods.  Soft woods are more brittle and unless you are using a razor-sharp knife, the fibers in the wood are apt to tear and leave an ugly spot in your carving.  Examples of soft woods are Yellow Pine, Balsa, Basswood, Maple, Cedar and Lime. 

Hard woods are harder to carve and easier to get an injury from if you are not careful, because they are very dense and of course, hard.  Some examples of hard woods are Mahogany, Walnut, Wild Cherry, Oak, Apple, Pear and other fruit trees. 

Soft woods, close grains allow you to carve smaller details easier and without damage to the wood.  The harder, larger grains of hard woods are more suited to larger carvings and sculptures.  Hard woods chip much easier and you do not want to be chipping off a nose from a carving, by accident. 

If you are carving a two-dimensional piece, (height and width), also known as “relief” carving, you may want a flat piece of wood; about one to two inches thick and suitable for framing when completed.  While you can carve this with a pocket or utility knife, it is often best to use chisels and gouges. 

If you are carving a three-dimensional piece, (height, width and depth), you will need a block of wood about twice to three times the size of what you plan to carve into it and a pocket or utility knife is just fine. 

The importance of having a sharp blade cannot be over-stressed, so make sure that you test your blade on a sample piece of the wood, which you want to carve.  You should be able

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