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A post that answers a specific question.~1350 words.

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Best Wood Carving Tools for Beginners

Wood carving is much easier with the right tools. Heavy gas-powered chainsaws which most prospective carves own are not ideal for the beginner wood carver. Also sharp pocket knives are not ideal for the beginner wood carver for making anything more than whittling a spear at the end of a stick.

With chainsaw carving fatigue can be a major factor. My Husqvarna 257 is very heavy for me and after less than an hour of use fatigue sets in. If I were making a large detailed carve then I’d need to use a Stihl Msa200.

There have been great advances made in smaller chainsaws, even chainsaws powered with battery are available. These lightweight chainsaws are great options for the beginner and even seasoned chainsaw carver.

The weight of the electric battery powerd Stihl MSA20 is 10.2 lbs. The weight of my Husqvana 257 which is typical 20″ gas powered chainaw is over 30 lbs.

Thirty pounds may not seem like much but when wielding it for hours as is the case when carving matters…a lot. The only negative to a battery powered saw is the battery charge. According to the website with the recommended battery AP 300, the saw will run for 45 minutes. Just enough time to carve for a while then take a break. However with the AR 3000 battery this saw can run for 200 minutes.

If weight is not a major factor for you then a well running smaller chainsaw is fine for the beginner carver. As you might expect smaller bars/ chains might be more practical.

Tools for Beginning Whittler

I am not a professional whittler, I can carve basic things with knives and do own sharpened wood carving knives. However, I have spoke with some pros about this and they insist that the best tools to get started carving is a shortened carving knife. Stiff, short and sharp along with a 90 degree wedge blade. Shaped like a V. These two knives can get the whittler 99% of the cuts and shaping that we need. The versatility of what can be done with these two knives is very good.

There are many fancy options for carving knives and buying just these two knives is diffu=icult on amazon. This kit on amazon however contains these two blades, along with many others. Another option might be to go to a craft store and just buy individual knives.

For the beginner carver it is also advisable to use a pencil to sketch on the wood before you start carving. Also if possible, find someone that can help you get started with the basic cuts. I purchased a coursed on Udemy to help me get started carving with wood, and it was well worth the fee. My instructor was a woman who had been carving since the 1980s and she had developed extreme skill and enjoyed teaching.

So there you have it, the highly rated Stihl MSA 200 battery powered chainsaw and a $37 dollar knife kit. Are the best tools for the beginner wood carver. Once you get your beginner tools, keep them sharp and just get carving. I would recommend you start chainsaw carving chairs, then move to bears. And with knife carving start with little figurines then move to wooden ducks. You may be surprized at what you are capable of carving.

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Best Wood to Carve

What is the best wood for carving? If you are like me you have asked this or are currently asking this question as you get started in carving. And if you are also like I was, you are a beginner in wood carving because you are asking it. Seasoned carvers don’t seem to ask this and seem to scoff a little at the question.

If you are like me you may have some wood and are looking for something useful to do with it. Or you may have a tree you want down and are just wondering if you can turn it into a wooden bear or an eagle or an outdoor bench. For me it was two 6′ diameter 200 foot tall mega-willow trees. And two unwanted pine trees that were dumping sap on our vehicles.

The quick answer to that question is that most woods can be used for carving but some woods are far better suited for carving than are others. As was in my situation, willow can be carved, it is very soft, but it dries out fast, it cracks easily and it typically full of parasites. All of which happened, but I was able to do some initial caves and I developed some carving skills. Both with my chainsaw and with a carving knife that I bought at a rummage sale for $0.25.

I asked what is the best wood to carve to dozens of professional and hobbyist wood carvers. And most of them said not to make anything valuable with willow but carve it anyhow for practice and to just enjoy the process. They also pushed back on the question a bit before answering. They helped me to split the question up into several questions in order to answer most appropriately.

  1. What is the best wood for a beginner to get started carving with?
  2. What is the best wood to carve with a chainsaw?
  3. What is the best wood for whittling? (carving with a knife)
  4. What is the best wood to make valuable carves that are kept for decoration and/or sale, like wooden ducks?

So the best wood depends on what tools that you are carving for and carving with.

What is the best type of wood for a beginner carver to start with?

Answer: White pine that is freshly cut in the fall, not cut in the spring or early summer. This is because there can be high amounts of pine sap in the wood if it is cut in the spring. This sort of wood is the best for beginners to gain carving skills with, especially when carving with a knife. Freshly cut wood is softer and easier to work with. White pine is also good for chainsaw carving but chainsaw carving can be a bit more forgiving.

What is the best wood to carve with a chainsaw?

Answer(s): White pine, cedar, or cherry. But wood type is not all that critical, just start carving with the wood that is available. Develop carving skills, develop your cuts and grooves to accomplish the shapes and details you are looking for. Also smaller chainsaws are easier to get started with , 14″ to 16″ bars are easier than larger 20″ bars for detail work.

Best wood for Whittling?

Answer: White pine cut that has been freshly cut in the fall or winter. As the beginner increases in skill they should expand out to other woods. It is not a huge deal what wood you use to carve. Some other great options include: birch, cherry, black walnut, cedar, and Sumack. Beginner carves are spoons and perhaps a duck. Not too much detail and rewarding at the end of the carve. Some woods are too hard and are hard on your tools but if that is not a problem grab a piece of oak or maple and start carving.

What is the best wood to make valuable carves for decoration and/or sale?

Custom Wood Carving

Best Answer: black walnut, cedar, birch and cherry.

As I researched this and started carving myself I quickly realized this is a common question for beginner carvers. But for the experienced carvers it is not as big a deal. There are many woods that are good options for carving with either chainsaw or knives.

The important thing is to just get carving, improving skills and if you mess up, have a bonfire, cook some smores, or use it to heat your home.

Check out my related post:

Best wood carving tools for beginners.

What woods have you carved with? Please share your insights in the comment section below.