New guy with a basic question.

[iammarkjones]

Any of you guys here forge your own carving tools? Also if you do how did you decide on the various blade shapes? I want to learn to do some carving but since I have no tools for that I see no reason not to just make em. I have some skill as a smith. Thanks in advance for any advise.

 

[matt denison]

What came first, the chicken or the egg. You kinda gotta know what you want to carve before creating the tools. Wide sweeps, tight scrolls, flat or fishtail. One suggestion I could make is to go to some of the online woodworking catalogs and look at the various sweep diagrams, pick a couple that you think will work for what you want to do, practice doing those. I have a dozen or so quality (read expensive) chisels and a few cheap ones. Depending on what I am doing at the moment sometimes the cheap or homemade ones work as well as the expensive ones. Regardless, I don't always have the "one" that I need so I make one up - I have even used nails for one-time-only cuts. I do more inletting than carving so the ones that I use the most are usually pretty simple.

 

[MSW]

what laffindog said... now, just to be 'up front' about it, you're gonna head down a long road of both pain and pleasure here, and it's a road from which there's no return. you will feel the frustration and the sense of accomplishment about which most just read and wonder, but you are among the few who will actually make a took with their own hands.

it's an addiction- probably more so than cocaine (don't know- never tried the stuff and i don't care to)

BUT- yo will go through a box or two of cut nails (i got mine at the local Leader Home Center), and then you'll be off and running, a regular cognoscenti of tool makers.

it's way cool... remember, the best tools are the ones you make yourself.

good luck, stick with it- the result is worth the journey, and post pictures when you can.

 

[TARL01]

Glad to meet you. Welcome to the forum. I am an amature smith myself and have only made a few tools. I am sure I know less than you do and would surely like to learn more. There are guys on this forum that can certainly help.
Woody

 

[ohio ramrod]

I make most of my tools from Stressproof steel. I have several bar ends around and could mail you a flat rate box with a dozen or so if you are interested. For the cost of the flat rate box.