Capital City Carvers

Tips and Techniques
by Barbara Mann

I've been teaching beginning wood carvers lately, and the inevitable question is "what is the secret of wood carving?" There's no "one secret" to wood carving, just a few critical things to keep in mind.

The first is a carving knife of quality steel that will hold an edge. Then keep it sharp. Experienced carvers are not kidding when they say to stop carving every 30 minutes and strop your knife. See me for quality knives and see Robert every week for keeping an edge on your knife.

The next is learn which way the grain is running, then follow the contours with your knife cuts, and do not cut into the end of the grain. Remember it's a combination of grain direction and contours that dictate how you will cut.

Then keep some moisture in your carving-don't let the wood dry out. It dries out in a hot car, an air conditioned house, a heated house in the winter, and just from sitting around. Before you ever start carving a cutout put it in a sandwich baggie with two drops of water and put it in the refrigerator at least overnight. If it gets dry while you are carving, spray a mixture of 50% water/50% alcohol on the carving and let it soak in a few minutes. Keep the carving in the baggie when you are not carving to maintain a satisfactory moisture content.

The next point is critical: learn and use proper carving technique. Learn the three basic cuts: pull, push, and stop. Use the length of the blade to slide through the wood while making a cut. Brute strength is not necessary-the sliding technique is. See any instructor (Barbara, Robert Adelle, Lance) for improving your basic technique.

Finally, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" Practice, practice, practice! Grab a couple of the free blocks to practice the three basic cuts until they feel comfortable, until you understand the grain, and until you learn to use the grain and the contours to make your cuts. And carve more than just Monday nights -preferably 15 minutes a day. So, there are no secrets to carving-it's mostly practice and good technique with a sharp knife.

What Do Trees Do?

Besides providing us with beautiful wood for carvings, that is. Trees do so many thing that many serious carvers and woodworkers deliberately seek out wood from sustainable sources so as not to contribute to losing the world's forests.

Trees sequester carbon dioxide and in doing so help reduce the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Forests absorb about one-fifth of the world's carbon dioxide output. They also absorb sulfur dioxide (from burning of coal), hydrogen fluoride (from steel and fertilizer plants), and chlorofluorocarbons (released by refrigeration and AC units).

Trees prevent erosion and purify water. Trees act like gigantic sponges, helping regulate runoff and flooding by gradually absorbing and releasing water. When roots no longer draw water and anchor the soil, when canopies no longer soften the impact of rain and wind, erosion and other consequences are inevitable.

Trees help moderate temperatures. Three mature trees shading a house can cut air conditioning costs by up to 50%. Planted as a windbreak alongside a house, a row of trees can also reduce heating bills in colder climates by up to 20%.

Trees are a vital fuel source. Trees are literally a matter of life and death in less developed parts of the world. Wood is still the primary source of heat and cooking fuel for 2 billion people; wood shortages affect about half of these people.

Trees are supreme manufacturing plants. One source maintains that over its fifty-year life span one tree generates over $30,000 worth of oxygen, provides $62,000 worth of air pollution control, recycles $37,500 worth of water, and controls $31,250 worth of soil erosion. Another study shows that trees add an average of $9,500 to the resale value of a house. Yet another study shows that hospital patients with a view of trees out their window recovered faster and with fewer complications than those without such views.

From A Splintered History of Wood by Spike Carlsen, pages 351-352.