Wood carving is an excellent skill if you know it, it can be helpful when doing some carpentry works too. However, if you don’t know how to use wood carving chisel set, it would be a waste. A wood carving chisel set is great for woodworks, making mortises, scrape out suborn glues, and chop out corners.
In this article, I’ll teach you the basic techniques on how to use a wood carving chisel set. You will also learn the different wood carving tools for beginners that will make the most out of your chisel set. Remember that I will only teach you about the basics so you can get started on your wood carving journey. Without further ado, let’s start.
Basics of Wood Chisel Sets
Although you may not need one, the wood carving chisel set comes in handy when carving out necessary hinges for your newly built door. No one can beat a razor-sharp chisel when it comes to carving the best for your doors. We’ll be teaching you the basics of chiseling and how to sharpen them, so you’ll know how to deal with your woodcarving chisel set.
Always start with the basic ¾-inches. This is the standard size of a chisel. Be sure to buy one with an impact-resistant handle so you can pound on them with a hammer without the fear of damaging them. Luckily, a well-built and high-quality chisel doesn’t cost much, and if you have some extra cash to splurge on, buy three! The ½-in, ¾-in, and the 1-inch for good measure.
Even brand new chisel requires sharpening. If you want to carve the wood with utmost fluidity and smoothness, the key is ultra-sharpening your chisel. Now, we’ll be discussing different techniques on how to use wood carving chisel set. When sharpening, hone the first 1-in of the bevel’s face, this is the primary part wherein most carving is done.
Techniques on How to Use Wood Carving Chisel Set
Now, we’ll go to the most exciting part, which is learning the basic techniques on how to use wood carving chisel set. This part will also give you some ideas about the wood carving tools for beginners.
The Mortise Cuts
Face the bevel down facing the wood, push or tap the back portion of the chisel’s handle. How deep is the carving depends on how much force you put when tapping. Be sure that the bevel’s sharp edge is dunked right through the wood surface that needs carving.
In doing mortises cut, start by outlining the entire area or surface, it is usually done with a sharp knife to have a clear guide on where to hone your chisel cut. Be sure to carve in little increments, or else you risk chipping the entire wood, especially if it’s not thick enough. When carving, remove thin slices by gently tapping the chisel with a hammer or your hand, depending on the amount of force needed.
Paring Cut
Paring cut is like shaving the wood’s surface to make it smoother or flatter, keeping the recess straight. When doing the paring cut, lay the chisel flat on the wood and put ample pressure until the skin of the wood chips off, then pivot the chisel as you cut along the blade in an arc motion.
In general, paring cut or shaving a wood should always have the bevel face down. This is not to drive enough depth making an uneven surface. Always let the bevel’s face flat when putting pressure to shave the surface.
Chopping Cut
As the name suggests, the chisel is used for chopping! There are specific chisel sets that are intended for chopping. Usually, the bevels have a rock hard face that is great for chopping down with great force. Chopping cut is perfect for making a big cut, but in doing so, chisel should only slice small cuts until the big cut is achieved.
After driving the chisel right onto the wood, chisel at the end of the cutting to remove the piece. Be sure that your chisel is at its sharpest, or else the cut isn’t good enough and may require chiselling again.
Chop and Pare
Chop and pare is done by cutting a groove or a dado. In doing so, first should saw along the edges until the desired depth is reached. Then when the desired depth is reached, break out the wood in the middle with your chisel. It is important to space the chisel cuts ½ apart, or in a uniform pattern to make it look like a professional did it.
Chiseling out dadoes and other several precise joints with a series of shallow cuts rather than opting to drive the chisel too deeply, this may chip the entire wood leaving you with a damaged part. For rough works, a hammer or mallet is advisable to drive high force rather than hand.
Scraping
By far, the easiest technique. As the name says, you’ll just be scraping caulks, suborn glue, and many more with the use of the bevel. In doing so, hold the blade at a right angle facing you and press down the chisel towards you.
The hard part with scraping is it requires a perfectly flat and sharp edge to have a desirable outcome. This will give the chisel an easier time to scrape cleanly.
Wood Carving Chisel Set Sharpening Basics
When a chisel set is constantly used, it loses its sharpness. That’s why it is important to sharpen the chisel time and time again to give you a great cut or scrape. In doing so, the edges should very well be sanded with the use of a belt sander or grinder. In this way, you remove nicks and perfectly shape the chisel accordingly, and learning how to use wood carving chisel set is helpful. Find out more about carving chisel sets.
Conclusion
Knowing how to use wood carving chisel set is a must, especially if you are planning to do some woodworks. Chisels make your lives easier when it comes to carving and making hinges for your door.
Plus, a wood carving chisel set doesn’t cost that much and is readily available in your local hardware. Lastly, be sure to take extra precautionary measures when trying to use chisels, goggles, and gloves are highly recommended.