Carving kit

[Steve Maskery]

Evening all,
I wasn't sure where to put this - hand tools or buying advice, perhaps?

Anyway.

I am a total novice at carving. I don't know the first thing about it. But I've always fancied making a rocking horse, I have a few books, and a few months ago I was kindly given a head kit.

I now have someone to make it for (not mine!) so so, in the absence of a proper way of spending the working day, I'm inclined to make a start.

So, carvers, what do I need to buy to get underway? I strongly suspect that I don't need a great deal. When I first bought a lathe I bought umpteen different tools, and most of them have never been picked up in anger. So I want to buy little, buy good and buy once.

All advice very gratefully received.
S

 

[John. B]

I once stood at a woodworking show at ally pally a number of years ago and watched a woman carve a rocking horse with only a Black & Decker Powerfile,
a couple of rasps and sandpaper. She did it as a business, so it would seem you need as many or few tools as your expertise demands.

John. B

 

[Shultzy]

Steve, PaulJ's yer man, he did this so he should know

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... king+horse

 

[Doug B]

Hi Steve,
I`m not a carver, but last night had the pleasure of watching Mick Hanbury turn a plate /bowl, which he then decorated with some carving.
He used the Flexcut 11 piece carvers set (10 blades & a handle) & said how he preferred them to any other chisels he`d used before.
Being detachable blades enabled him to use them in an Axminster power carver via an adapter.
Turners Retreat sell the set he had for £58-19 which for 10 chisels doesn`t sound too bad.
Good luck with your project.
James B.

 

[JonnyD]

I have found a standard angle grinder with an abrasive disc to be quite usefull when shaping timber P40 is good for rough shaping then P80 to clean up. Can be very dusty though and quite hard to extract the dust efficiently. I have heard good things about the flex cut but have never had the need to do any detail work.

Jon

 

[Richard Findley]

Hi Steve,

I've done a bit of carving, although nothing on this scale!! As you say, a few gouges will see you right with this. Power tools will obviously get through the project much quicker but it depends on what sort of experience you want while making it: Noisey and dusty or quiet and covered in slivers of timber!!

I would think a mallet, a couple of large-ish gouges, not too round, for roughing, I like a No6, perhaps 3/4 to an inch wide.

Remember, the bigger the tool the more effort it is to push through the wood!!

Depending on the detail you intend to go into, eyes for example, you will probably need a couple of smaller gouges of different curves. At most 4 or 5 gouges should do most of the work I would think.

Sorry this probably isn't mush help at all, as I said, I have really only played at carving for a while. Sharpness is the key, so a fine stone and a good strop are important too!

Cheers,

Richard

 

[dickm]

Strongly recommend the B&D powerfile as used by Judy Ferguson for rocking horse shaping. I tried an Arbortech when making mine, and it was just too fierce, but the powerfile was controllable and small enough to get into nooks and crannies.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thank you guys.

I know I'm not exactly renowned for being a Neanderthal, but I rather fancy doing this the hard way!

Shultzy - that's an excellent pointer, thanks, I'll give Paul a PM, I think. If mine comes out looking that good I'll be delighted, although by the sound of it, this was not his first.

You know, the more examples I look at, the more I think that what separates the men from the buys is not the quality of the woodwork, it's the quality of the art - just how much character you can get into the beast.

When we were kids, we used to visit a retired work mate of my Dad's. We enjoyed going there because the house had two staircases and went up and up 3 floors plus an attic IIRC. There was a big rocker there. At least it seemed big to us and I remember my dad saying that this guy Les had carved it out of a single piece of wood, having found part of the tree where the grain bent very severely.

The ears were made of leather so that you didn't get poked in the eye.

That must be 40-odd years ago, it's astonishing what one remembers, isn't it?

S

 

[PAC1]

Steve

I did one a few (12) years ago.

If you intend doing it all by hand then you need a couple of large gouges say No 2 and No 7 sweep and 35 to 50mm wide and a good round mallet. Alternatively the grunt can be done with an arbotech.

For the detail you will need a variety of carving chisels. I already had the Pfiel boxed set that I used. In fact I now have a spare boxed set if you are interested in taking them of my hands!

If I knew how to upload pictures I would add some pics

 

[Gower]

My dear wife is a long time carver and swears by 'Swiss Made' gouges that she bought over time from Tilgear. She has a number of other makes including Ashley Isles, Henry Taylor but her preference is 'Swiss Made'.
Hope this helps.
Jim

 

[Steve Maskery]

PAC
You might find this helpful:
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1991
Cheers
Steve

 

[PAC1]

Steve

Thanks I will have a proper read when I am not up to my neck in work!

 

[Woody Alan]

When I was first looking at doing a rocking horse (small and medium size Anthony dew, it's been posted before https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... king+horse) I agonised about what tools and as usual over thought it. I rang Margaret Spencer http://www.margaret-spencer.co.uk/index.html who was actually making horses herself at that time (and maybe still does). She told me that she only ever used standard straight bench chisels, so I thought I would minimise my kit. I used an old half round gouge about an inch across for heavy removal a fairly flat gouge about 5/8 to 3/4 a 3/8 half round and a 1/4. Nothing more fancy than that and I didn't feel at anytime I needed any other tools. If you are further interested Steve I'll make a point of lining them up and take a photo.
I had never carved anything and was very concerned about how hamfisted I would be, so made the small one first as a trial. Anthony Dews book was essential for me as a reference to work to.

Alan

 

[Steve Maskery]

Yes, I would be interested, Alan.
I have books by Dew and Spencer. The latter is prettier but appalling proof-read. IIRC it came with a slip of paper listing errata, and even that wasn't complete. It is a pity, as otherwise it is quite nicely produced.
I get the impression that the Dew book is more hands-on, but the photos are poor.

Incidentally, I did tell Wilfie (currently 18 months old) about his treat-to-be. The conversation went something like this:

"Hey Wilfie, guess what?"

"Gurgle?"

"I've got plans to make make a rocking horse! Yes I ha-ave."

"Gurgle!"

"Yes, it's going to have beautiful hair, and a lovely dappled coat, and it will be great fun to ride. Yes it wi-il"

"Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle!"

"Yes, and do you know what? You are a bit young for it yet, but it will probably take me a little while to make it..."

"Gurgle?"

"..so.."

"Gurgle?"

"...if I start now..."

"Gurgle?"

"...it should be finished by the time you've got children of your own!"

At this point Wilfie's mum and dad laughed, Wilfie burst into tears and SWMBO turned up the corners of her mouth and said, "Many a true word spoken in jest".

Cheers
Steve

 

[Paul.J]

Hello Steve.
Just been catching up on this post :roll:
The main hand tools i use are a crank handled paring gouge,round bed wooden spokeshave,round and curved surforms,and small swan neck gouges.Various other chisels and gouges.
I use the crank handle as this i find doesn't catch/scrape your knuckles as much as a flat type.
The surforms are used to start the final shaping and are really useful,and the smaller gouges are for the more detailed bits,eyes,ears,nostrils.
Steve i have the Anthony Dew S,M,L,and the Little Red Rocker plans,which is for younger children and you are welcome to borrow them if you wish.
Again if you would like a piccy of the tools i use let me know.
I'm hopless at explaining.
Also i am not a carver.I made my first horse for my daughters first birthday sixteen years ago when the plans for the LRR were free in one of the WW mags back then.
All i can say is just take your time and get the shape in your mind and how you are going to start the carving,and keep looking at what you are doing.But be warned it is another very addictive hobby

 

[Woody Alan]

Hi Steve,

Sorry for the delay, I always find hosting and displaying pictures a long drawn out affaair

Cheers Alan

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thank you very mch
S

 

[Benchwayze]

Good luck on that one Steve.

If memory serves me, wasn't there a firm who produced an angle-grinder type tool, designed for carving? I think it was called an Arbor-tech' or something similar. Haven't seen it advertised for years, so I guess they went out of business.

:?

 

[wizer]

heheh nope John. I got one for xmas :lol:

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks Wiz...

Do I suss a 'gloat! Nice going ! Now it's time to make that horse then?

:lol: