Thanks for this. I just started and was having a hard time understanding how basswood was supposed to be so easy to carve. Apparently the stuff I got on Amazon either wasn't basswood or was kiln dried super quickly and had too much ( or too little?) moisture in it. It was harder to carve than oak, birch, pine and any other wood I had lying around. Then I got some non-kiln dried wood and it was so much easier to carve. I wish more people would talk about the difference in density and carving between kiln dried and non-kiln, natural dried basswood. Yes, it was a bit more expensive, but it was so worth the three or four more dollars.

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

That stuff on Amazon is super hard! Same with anything I have found at my local craft stores. It seems like they remove almost all of the moisture, making them super hard to carve and rough on your knives. Going out of your way to find the air dried wood always makes for a more enjoyable experience :)

@johnmarston9853

2 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun Hi Brian, okay so I'm new to wood carving but not wood working, my thoughts on this is straight forward, why not use a plant humidifier? They sell them on Amazon using that along with a 10 gallon aquarium turned upside down over the wood along with the humidifier of course should work, you can even customize a internal frame using two uprights and some bamboo skewers for the pieces to lay on anyway, I was just thinking out loud.

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

Honestly never thought to use a plant humidifier!!

@johnmarston9853

2 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun Another improvement I think would be to ditch the aquarium and replace it with a clear plastic container from HD the uprights and cross pieces can be made from wooden yard sticks. Cut your uprights accordingly put them together evenly and tape the ends mark your skewer holes and drill them. Use square dowels cut 4 pieces @ width glue it on the both ends of the cross pieces then glue the uprights to the up against the dowels, buy two small plywood craft project boards @ Walmart make sure they're square cut them into 4 triangles and glue them on the 4 corners same side these are your gussets to stabilize the frame. Hope this helps, nice vids btw.

Just started carving and got some tools and your channel is hands down the best channel about carving and every expect of it

An important point that you neglected to mention, is that a knife with a relatively dull edge will often slip and cause a nasty cut on one's fingers, because one tends to put more pressure on it to make a cut, than when using a properly sharpened knife. Beginners should be told to be aware of this.

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

You are absolutely correct and I did forget to mention it!

@usernamemykel

2 жыл бұрын

Carving is Fun Good. Your sentence has been reduced to “time served”, and we will expunge the record.

@TheSnoopindaweb

2 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun I think I recall You did mention that. Yup,! 😇

My husband and I just picked up this hobby on our last camping trip. It was birthed from necessity because I wanted a wooden weaving bobbin for friendship bracelets. They don't actually exist so we carved one out of some dried red cedar we found on our hike. My husband is an arborist so he's really good at finding great pieces. We are quite fortunate to have black walnut, red ceder, and and some linden wood trees in our area.

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

I'm super jealous right now, I would love to have such a nice selection of wood near by me!

@babablackiesheep

2 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun people say kansas is flat and boring, but we have so many amazing river valleys that have incredible natural resources...plus the weather is nice and we have wonderful gardening!

Thanks for the tip of mixing alcohol with water to soften the wood. I don't carve, but I do make furniture and have softened difficult spots with water before, but the water tends to bead up like you said. I'll try mixing in some alcohol next time.

I lived in the desert and my Basswood and my other carving wood would get very Dry. I learned from Master furniture carver from Persia to use Kerosine/Paraffin/Lamp oil I get the type that says low odor. It last longer then using water and alcohol. I brush the Kerosine on my wood the day before I carve to allow it to penetrate the wood. If there is any odor it, it will soon go away. It makes a huge difference. The wood is more manageable and takes on finer detail prevents less wood fibers from splintering . Now that I posted this it is no longer secret technique used by professional/master carvers.

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

Nice! I thought about using oil but wasn't sure how that would affect the wood long term and if the oil will eventually dissipate to allow the wood to fully dry. Do you find that your method causes any issues with wood finishes or discoloration over time?

@rotex

3 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun I have had no problem at all. If your wood is dry it sucks it up like a sponge. I use General Finishes Arm-R-Seal and Linseed oil. I have not used it with stain. But my Friend who taught me this carved high-end furniture that was stained. In time, I believe it just evaporates. When using water and alcohol I found the wood fibers swell up too much. And when it dries the fibers want to separate in the finer details. With the Kerosene I only need to apply one time. As long as I don't let my project set for an extended period. Good luck, and thinks for your videos. It would be great if you could do a video on it. I have not heard of this method from anyone else but my friend. And I have taken online courses, classes, read numerous books, forums, magazines and as a member wood carving group.

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

I will have to add this to my ever growing list of things to try, thanks for the info!

Thank you again! I already have carved the fox and the rabbit 😃 I really appreciate your Tips!

Thank you. I really like your thorough teaching style!

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome! I'm glad you are finding the videos helpful

Wow, great information, thank you sir for sharing your expertise.👍👍👍

I live in the mountains and high altitude. Thank you so much for these ideas and suggestions to help me deal with the types of woods I’ll be carving and the water idea is helpful. Blessings 😊

@Films.By.Wingo_

Жыл бұрын

You sound awesome and fucking majestic

Thanks, long time prob for me. Big, big difference. Thanks for taking time to share your knowledge and experience!

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome! Glad I could help :)

I’m partway through my second carving and while sharpening and stuff isn’t somthing I can do immediately because I’m preparing to go to college and my dad already packed a lot of his supplies I’ve been using but these tips will still help me in the future

I just tried carving a 1x1x4 in half…holy sheise! I don’t know if it’s kiln dried..it’s from beavercraft 😳🤷🏻‍♀️dang can’t wait to get choice ☝🏽🤞🏽but flexcut was definitely easier to use and your stropping tutorial helped too! 🙏🏽🙋🏻‍♀️Mia

Excellent narration.👍🏼

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Great video thank you for sharing 😀

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome! Glad that you found it useful

I am extremely new to carving and your vids help a ton.

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you are finding them helpful!!!

@johndagostino2451

3 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun agreed with that very interesting too no rocket science too simple here in uk 🇬🇧 we has the heaviest hard wood is blackthorn I carved Irish shillelagh so hardness is no issue for me I been a carver for 2 years too 👍🇬🇧🇮🇹🐾🦊

I'm new to carving. Don't have Basswood where I'm at so I go with Balsawood. Your videos help a lot. Cheers!

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you are finding the videos helpful! Balsawood will get the job done :)

@rokhnroll

3 жыл бұрын

Basswood is called Lime wood in the UK if that helps

You are my hero. I am new to carving (literally I'm working on my 4th carving) and the pieces of bass wood that came with the kit are a bit rough to work with, I like the water mist idea, I'm going to have to give that try! thank you :)

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome! The alcohol/water mix does help a little, just remember to clean off your knife afterwards to prevent any rust :)

@MosnoAlMoseeki

3 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun Will do, thank you! :)

@zakwhite3863

3 жыл бұрын

@@MosnoAlMoseeki I literally just started wood carving about 4 days ago, this guy is awesome, I recommend Doug linker too

@MosnoAlMoseeki

3 жыл бұрын

@@zakwhite3863 welcome to club. Yes I've seen some of Doug's videos, he is pretty good, but I honestly enjoy the tutorials of this channel a bit better, I'm more of a visual learner, so the little images on the side really help alot, check out the cat and rabbit ones, they are super good.

@zakwhite3863

3 жыл бұрын

@@MosnoAlMoseeki yeah! I totoally agree I haven’t even started trying to do anything Doug does cos it seems complex for beginners.this channel is perfect I followed how to carve the owl from this channel step by step, it was so clear

I've used a lot of memosa wood and pecan i love pecan cuz of the colors but its hard I have to soak it sometimes if its been seasoned I've found that putting it in the oven at low Temps after im done carving helps with cracking issues

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

Thats a great tip! How long do you keep it in for?

I was trying to carve a pear in a piece of some kind of pine or fir that I had purchased from a store similar to Home Depot. The wood was dry and brittle, but when I applied WD-40 to it, and allowed it to soak in a bit, it carved like butter. I had to reapply it now and then, but I was amazed at the difference in carving, even when carving against the grain at the top and bottom edges, and will definitely use this method again, and I highly recommend it, if you don't mind the aroma. :-)

@CarvingisFun

Жыл бұрын

Yeppers! WD-40 is a great alternative but the smell can be a bit much. I've heard that WD-40 is made of oils like baby oil, but have yet to see if applying baby oil will have the same effect since it lacks the solvents.

@WienArtist

Жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun I agree that the odor can be a much for those who cannot tolerate it, although I am one of those weirdos who actually like the smell, enjoy the aroma of petrol too...LOL I will have try baby oil when I do my next project to see if it will have a similar affect. :-)

@timshanahan1

Жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun I heard wd40 is made with fish oil.

@CarvingisFun

Жыл бұрын

Naw, not fish oil. If so nobody would use it from the smell!!

My father-in-law (RIP) use to just pick up a random stick and start whittling away

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

Picking up a random stick sometimes brings more life onto the carving as they come in different shapes and have various characteristics that you could implement into the carving! Always a great choice if you can do it.

The knife.. he sharped is hahaha Good video I just couldn't stop myself from poking some fun here ;)

You have to turn the ring from the opinel knife to fix the lemmet.

Thanks for the videos! I’m practicing on basic pine while I find some nicer timber in my neck of the woods (Australia). How well does basswood hold detail? I understand that hard woods are harder to carve, but retain detail better

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

Basswood holds details quite nicely

Great video thanks ☺️. I live in the redwood forest on the coast of California and the fog is thick at times. Have you heard anything about using the fog to put moisture back in wood and if so how long is recommended before the wood would be to moist and have. swelling problems. I bought a 3 foot tall wooden carved bear for the front porch but have kept it in side the front door to prevent cracking and after 20 have had no problems.

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

I guess that eould depend on how long the fog lasts, but I havent heard of people using fog specifically for hydrating wood. Even with the humidity on my end, swelling is minimal and not much of a concern unless left out directly in the elements. Then it would be down to the resilience of the wood to withstand the elements.

@michaelrees5563

2 жыл бұрын

I'm in Santa Cruz right now. It's much cooler. I use a spray bottle to give the wood a little moisture it helps a lot and keep my knives really sharp. I live in a van so most of the time I carve outside. But never in the fog because I'm afraid the salt in the fog might rust my knives. Have fun and keep carving.

Thanks, looked on E-bay- the only air dried piece looked kind of poor. Guess I'll have to drive up to Minnesota someday..

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

The stuff I get on ebay looks a bit rough but it carves up really nice for me.

@lyndonreddick1888

2 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun Thanks- it's 75-dollars. I still have some good sized chunks of Basswood, probably kiln dried, call it chisel wood. Like your videos, even the beginner `whittles. Just to get back into carving again. Fun! 👍

Is that Opinel NO6? I am going to buy one to start carving and i am wondering what size i should get. I am not sure should i get 7 or 8. I have victorinox with small blade which i am going to adapt for carving, so i guess opinel 6 will be useless.

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

That one is an opinel carbon steel #7

What size of basswood do you recommend? Is 1×1×4 to small?

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

That would be completely up to you, but I use 1x1x4 and 1x1x2 for my beginner whittling tutorials and find them to be perfect for learning with.

I've just started Whittling, and the first thing i've found is that my left hand thumb gets very sore even though I wear a protective glove. After a while pushing on the back of the blade, my thumb really hurts. Any suggestions?

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

Howdy and welcome to the club!! I had the same issue and actually ended up wearing a hole into my favorite gloves over time, but I do have a solution that works very well. Since I have several rolls of the self adhering bandage wrap (ace wrap) that I use for finger guards, I just add another layer on my pushing thumb with the wrap and it makes it much more comfortable to push on the blade. Full details are in this video here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/oWapydKgcsqepbg.html

What if you have dull mouth blades and v blades how does one sharpen them? Or do you just replace them?

@CarvingisFun

Жыл бұрын

I can still take them to a sharpening stone and leather strop to hone them sharp.

Remember to spin the collar on your knife to lock the blade

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

That can help quite a bit for long term carving :)

Is beech good for whittling? My bf and i cut down some beech yesterday, and i decided to take some of the wood home for carving and whittling. Should i leave the wood to dry before i start whittling or can I start while it's still very fresh?

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

100% whittle it while it is still wet. It will be softer and easier to work with compared to when it dries. You can still carve it by hand when dried, but it may be a bit harder to do.

@petramatkovic4122

2 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun Alright then. Thank you for the quick response- you're a legend!

@petramatkovic4122

2 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun Hello! I'm sorry to bother, but today i noticed the wood started cracking a lot. Is there a way to prevent this?

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

During or after carving? One downide to wetwod is that it had a higher chance to crack as it dries. Many peope will sometimes keep the wood moist while carving or let the wood partally air dry before carving. But there isnt too much you can do qbout it sometimes and is something many carvers have to deal with.

What knife do you recommend for a beginner?

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

Howdy! This can depend on where you live, but if you have them available to you Flexcut or OCC Tools are great tools to start off with as they are well priced, are not too thin to prevent damaging the blade, come to you with a proper cutting edge already applied to the blade, and use good steel with the right hardness for a long lasting edge.

@jensinejackal2205

3 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun Thank you so much for the reply! I’m a beginner at whittling and I don’t know what tools to start with, so thank you!

8

What are alterative types of wood?

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

Pine, butternut, and poplar are some good alternatives

@geniuspharmacist

2 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun thanks a lot... I just recently came across your videos and am about to start a new hobby. Have you used Paulownia wood (AKA princess, empress and foxglove)? Also beechwood is available to me now, is it a good option?

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

From my understanding, they are harder to carve but is still possible with a set of sharp hand tools. Just hone them every 20 minutes of carving and take it slow.

Hey there, just getting started as well, thanks so much for the videos! Can you give me the name(s) of your seller(s) ID on ebay? I really want some air dried basswood, but there are SO many sellers. And some say air dried, then I read further down the description and it says kiln dried??? Let me know, Thanks!

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

Howdy! I buy my air dried basswood from ChoiceCraftWoods here: ebay.to/3B8LhZM

@michaelcoccia2289

2 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun Thanks a bunch! I appreciate it!

Victorinox Swiss Army, does not make a Wood Carving knife that has two carving blades, a saw, and a large roughing blade. Blades that have 58 or better Rockwell hardness or 440 or better stainless steel. Just three slots (not sure what they are called) handles. that are rounded for comfort, with locking blades. Folded no more than 3 1/2 inches long. If all the carvers out there will unite and keep bugging Vicky about it, I am sure they will listen.

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

If they make one, I'd buy it!

If you spray your wood to soften it, how does it work with a pattern you transfer with an iron or carbon paper.

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

Spraying your wood does have the potential to alter or smudge your design, so I would be careful when doing this. Typically, I would only spray the wood if I need to make a difficult cut so be selective when and where you spray the wood.

Ojala estuviesen subtitulado a español, no entiendo mucho inglés 🥺😫😫

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

I thought KZread did this automatically. I'm sorry that it doesn't translate for you.

How about firewood?

@CarvingisFun

Жыл бұрын

It can be done, but firewood can be notoriously hard to begin with if all the way dry. I wouldn't use a knife, but maybe regular carving tools like a chisel or gouge with a mallet.

Those schrade old timers are terrible. I’ll sharpen it to a razors edge but within a few cuts it’s so dull I can drag it across my skin without even so much as a scratch.

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

Especially the newer ones, if ya can find some of the old ones that were made in the US they perform way better.

When I use basswood it's to waay to hard

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

If you dont mund me asking, what country do you live in and where do you buy your basswood?

@tombryan720

2 жыл бұрын

@@CarvingisFun eBay, mostly from Wisconsin

@CarvingisFun

2 жыл бұрын

Gotcha. The wood that I use on the channel is air dried basswood from this guy on Ebay: ebay.to/3B8LhZM The wood is quite enjoyable to whittle and is what I use for all of my tutorials. Maybe give this stuff a try?

If you would like to call me some day, I can make you, make your knife 10x sharper than razor blade

@CarvingisFun

3 жыл бұрын

You have my attention :) Send me an email at brian@carvingisfun.com

Hi! I'm cute. That's all. :>

@CarvingisFun

10 ай бұрын

Ha!! Im glad you know you're cute 😁