MTW Wood Carving
Materials Technology Wood
About this Site:
The aim of this website is to act as an aid to someone who has little or no experience of carving and it was designed as a resource for students and teachers of second level education. The main benefit of the site are the video tutorials taking a beginner carver through the basics principles of using the tools and the various styles of carving.
Through the explanations and demonstrations of key principles students will be equipped with the knowledge and understanding to design and make there own creations...
​Sharpening Tools
Before starting any of the activities on this site or those of your own it is very important to be able to maintain and sharpen the tools you will be using...
Sharp edges, whether on knives, chisels or gouges greatly enhance carving pleasure and provide more satisfying results. Woodcarving tools are sharpened on both sides of the cutting edge (unlike standard chisels) and regular sharpening on an oilstone, a diamond whetstone, or a leather strop, keeps tools sharp thereby making carving easier, and ensuring a cleaner cut. This section will give you the information and demonstrations to understand the sharpening process.
Chisels/Gouges/Parting Tools
Preparing The Cutting Edge of Gouges:
Cleaning: Brand new tools and tools that you having been using will probably not need to be cleaned up before sharpening. Some brand new tools will have their blades coated with lacquer which will need to be removed. You can do this with some sand paper or a wire brush. Carving tools are easiest to use when the blades are smooth without specs of rust.
Sharpening:
The first thing that needs to be done with carving tools that have worn or chipped edges is to straighten up the edges. This is not an operation that has to be done too often, but if a chunk gets taken out of an edge then the edge will have to be straightened out before any other sharpening operation is performed. The edge can be straightened up by simply dragging it back and forth over a stone.
The next of the process is to grind your blade on a sharpening stone. Firstly fill the water try with sufficent water to ensure the base of the wheel maintains constant contact with it. A fine sheet of water will be carried up from the water tray to dissipate heat and keep the grinding wheel clean and efficient. A multi-positional tool rest and universal holder accepts a variety of cutting tools for precise grinding. Align the Chisel/Gouges in the appropriate jig so the angle matches that of the stone. Be sure to use each side of the stone equally as shown in the video guide.
​Honing:
Now for the stropping process. An effective and inexpensive carvers' strop can easily be made from a piece of old belt.
Alternatively, the leather stropping wheel of the Grinder/Sharpener can be used; it removes fine burrs and polishes the cutting edge. If honing by hand, ensure the cutting edge of the Chisel/Gouge is dragged back across the leather to avoid damaging the strop.
Chip Carving Knife
Preparing The Cutting Edge of Chip Carving Knives:
Sharpening:
A coarse ceramic stone is used to create the bevel of the cutting edge as show in the video to the left.
The fine grit ceramic stone (not shown) sharpens this edge. When working either stone lay your knife low against the stone’s surface, next raise the back of the blade maintaining a 10degree angle. Pull the knife’s edge across the stone a number of times, lift, turn, then pull along the opposite side of the knife an equal number of times.
​Honing:
Now for the stropping process. An effective and inexpensive carvers' strop can easily be made from a piece of old belt. Alternatively, the leather stropping wheel of the Grinder/Sharpener can be used to remove fine burrs and polishes the cutting edge.
Coat the leather strop with honing compound. Holding the knife to the strop, pull the blade across the honing compound. Repeat is process for both sides of the blade.