How Do You Use Wood Carving Hand Tools?

Using wood carving hand tools can be a rewarding experience for adults of all ages. Releasing the creative spirit in design and with each flake of wood can bring a sense of accomplishment. By following a setup procedure, you can use wood carving hand tools with confidence. Then with practice, you can turn a simple block of wood into a work of art. Select a small piece of basswood or balsa wood for practicing the use and technique of the tools. Balsa or basswoods are soft woods that are easily carved. Place the block of wood into the vise, leaving the face you will be working on exposed to the top. Tighten the vise just enough to hold the woodblock in place. Tightening the soft woodblock too much may damage the contact faces of the wood. Lay out a simple design on the face of the woodblock with the pencil. The simpler the better as we are practicing how to use the tools. Take the deep V gouge from the set of wood carving tools. The V gouge will look like the letter "V" from the end of ...  more