Carving Tools

[BigPaGuy]

OK, I am in the process of gathering up (yard sales, ebay, flea markets) hand tools for my soon-to-be longrifle building bench. In regards to the carving tools you use, how would you rank them in order of either "most used" or "must have"?

I want to get the best quality tools I can afford, but to me, a $40 gouge isn't a bargain even at $20 if I never have occasion to use it. So far I have a #8sweep 7mm wide, and a #1 at 5mm.

I am also watching for files, rasps, and any other goodies I might stumble upon. I want to try to do as much as I humanly can without power tools....nothing against those who use them, but just a personal goal for me to try and attain.


Thanks for any input!


Brian

 

[vradin]

Get yourself a few old hand saws, the ones not worth resharpening for the 1000th time. You can cut them into all sorts of various scraper shapes and save a medium sized fortune over the store-bought scrapers.

A must-have for me was a comfortable, easy to hold, balanced carving mallet. If you know a woodturner nearby get one made for you- it only takes a few minutes to turn, and can be fit to your hand. Worth it's weight in saved blisters, callouses, and ruined knife handles.

If you can find one, a farrier's knife. Get a couple- with large and smaller hook ends. A hooked linoleum knife also is a handy addition. While these are not strictly "carving" tools, they're useful as general 'hogging off a bunch of wood NOW' tools. You can also use the farrier's knife as a scraper if you finish the back edge.

vic

ps- get or make the best vise you can afford. Nothing worse than spending a few days working on a piece and having it come loose and dinging up at the last tap of the chisel.

 

[bob1961]

i recommend lee valley tools if ya have a little bit of money ya can spend....

lee valley tools....

i spent just a little over 300.00 fer all this....and it looks like it's good quailty....

the box sets of carvers were bout 35.00 each if ya need just a couple right now....i got what i needed to do alot more then just build my lancaster....................bob

 

[rich pierce]

I don't think "carving" and "gunbuilding" have that much in common. I find the chisels in most carving sets to be "not right" for inletting. Carving is one thing- shaping externally. Inletting is another- precise square work internally. Most of the carving chisels are good for carving, and are neither suitable for the heavy work of roughing out the inlets of barrels and locks, nor making precise, flat surfaces required for the final inlets.

I make almost all my own chisels, or modify old ones.
I like heavy chisels with fine angles for all mallet work, and few commercial chisels are heavy and fine. I like light wide fine chisels for closer work and push work, and wide commercial chisels are usually heavy. I buy wide sweep gouges and veiners, but lately have taken to making my own veiners.

 

[F.G. Ford]

Hey Guys,
An old wooden bowling pin ( the smaller ones, 5 pin bowling ) make a fine mallet as they are usually made of maple, and bowling alleys are glad to part with them, when they no longer serve a purpose to them.
I've had mine for years and would not part with it!

Best Regards
The " Old Ford "

 

[mikee51848]

how would you rank them in order of either "most used" or "must have"?

For me, it was a good mill file (from Sears) and 2 small wood chisels. You'll need good drill bits too, 1/16, 1/8, 5/32, and 9/64. And a tap set for either 8/32 or 10/32.
And don't forget band-aids and Betadine! :shocking: