Basic Woodcarving Tools

Woodcarving can be as simple or as complex as the project requires or as the carver cares to make it. An amazing amount of work can be done on small basswood or butternut carvings with just a chip-carving knife or an X-Acto knife. Add a few gouges and your range of carving possibilities increases. 

   Bent gouge: the entire length of the shaft is curved.
   Spoon gouge: the final 1 1/2" of the shaft is deeply bent in a spoon shape.
   Back bent gouges: a spoon gouge with the curve reversed so the cutting edge is convex instead of concave.  These specialized tools are seldom used, but when needed, are invaluable.
 
Skewed Chisel - A skewed chisel's cutting is angled back from the leading edge at a 45 degree angle. They come in straight, bent, and spoon shapes and in varying widths.  These are specialized tools and are seldom, if ever, used.
 
Palm Tools - Most of the above tool shapes can be purchased as smaller palm tools. A chip-carving knife and an assortment of palm gouges are all that is needed for creating small carvings in basswood or other soft woods.
 
Mallet - The traditional mallet for carving is cylindrically shaped and made from a heavy, dense hardwood. I prefer using a rubber mallet. While it doesn't have the driving power of a wood mallet, it is less noisy, easier on the chisel handles, and has some spring that brings the head back up for the next swing.
 
Power Carving
 
Foredom Flexible Shaft Tool - Foredom tools have a motor (1/8 - 14 HP depending on the model), and run at up to 20,000 RPM. A flexible shaft extends from the motor to a hand piece that holds a wide variety of burs used for cutting and texturing wood. Its variable-speed capability is operated by a foot controlled pedal.

The Foredom tool is an invaluable tool that can speed up carving. It reaches into small places that chisels can't go, models wood with almost disregard for the grain direction, makes sanding quick and easy, and allows the creation of textures that can not be made in any other way.

Burs and Accessories - A wide variety of burs are available to fit the several different styles and sizes of Foredom hand pieces. Burs that may have been intended for other purposes can be used for woodcarving, such as single cut and double cut carbide burs (intended for metal work). Burs with needle-sharp points of tungsten carbide and burs coated with industrial diamonds can be used for texturing wood. Drill bits can placed in the adjustable chuck hand piece for drilling holes.  Small sanding discs and drums are also available for sanding and finishing.
 
Woodworking Machinery
 
Band Saw - A band saw has a long, thin blade welded into a loop. An electric motor powers the blade around two large wheels.  The band saw is the woodcarver's most often used large power tool. It quickly cuts off scrap wood, saving you the work of removing it by hand. To cut out a small carving, trace a pattern of the subject's front view and side view onto the block of wood. Cut out the side view. Save the two end pieces and put everything back together again. Next cut out the front view. Now that most of the scrap wood has been removed, begin rounding out the carving with chisels.
 
Drill Press - The drill press is another invaluable shop tool. It drills precise holes, but other attachments can be added, such as a sanding drum.
 
Belt Sander - A belt sander is another tool that comes in handy for doing so many things that come up during a carving project. Once you have one, it seems indispensable.

Planer and Joiner - The planer and joiner are used to surface wood, giving boards flat sides. If you plan to laminate boards into larger blocks for carving, flat surfaces are necessary.
 
Chain Saw - A chain saw is a very useful tool to rough out logs for large carvings. For shop use, most prefer an electric model.