Best Wood Carving Tools

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Stupid Simple Wood Burning Designs For Beginners

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If you’re unfamiliar about where to start after getting your wood burning tools then try to just focus on starting something to get you familiar with your tools.

Here are some wood burning designs that are great pyrography patterns to begin with (some of these examples are first time attempts at wood burning!).

Animals

 
  
   
   

Animals are very popular to do and are surprisingly simple wood carving ideas once you get the texture of their fur, feather, scales, etc. right.

Start off small, analyze what could be improved, then find out how to do it better.

See how the owl example above doesn’t have any realistic details on its feathers but, aesthetically, looks good? Great idea. [Read more…] about Stupid Simple Wood Burning Designs For Beginners

Best Leather Strop For A Mirror Polish Edge

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Using a sharpening stone can be a little overkill if all you really need is a little touch up before your knife is ready to go again. Which is why the best leather strop will allow you to fix anything from blemishes to rolled edges in seconds.

Frequently used with compound, these fine abrasives are what can give a mirror polish to an edge.

We determined the best leather strop to use for wood carving tools is the Garos Leather Paddle Strop that comes with white, green, and red compounds. 

How to use a strop

First you must apply your compound (black, white, red, or green) to the leather strop, a little bit goes a long way so there is no need to cake it on there but do make sure the strop is covered in the compound.

Lay the bevel against the surface of the best leather strop and apply light pressure and begin moving the blade away from the cutting edge. Flip the blade to the opposite side and repeat the process.

 

It’s important not to move the blade toward the cutting edge because it will cut right into the strop, which will cause dulling of the balde and ruin the best leather strop. Four to six strokes is enough to get the job done.

If you want to maintain that razor sharp edge, you will need to strop your blade before you even think your edge is dull. [Read more…] about Best Leather Strop For A Mirror Polish Edge

Best Hook Knives For Easy Spoon Carving

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Have you ever tried carving a spoon with JUST a whittling knife?

If you have then you know it practically takes a lifetime to accomplish. Granted, it CAN be done, but if you want the bowl of a spoon to have a smooth finish then I suggest getting the best spoon carving knife (a.k.a. “hook knife”) to do it.

Luckily, for a decent hook knife, it is quite affordable to purchase and even easier to maintain, but I would not advise buying just any hook knife. You have to know which one is the best spoon carving knife before you can make a decision like that.

[Read more…] about Best Hook Knives For Easy Spoon Carving

Top 6: Best Splitting Axe Reviews

By Woodcarver 2 Comments

Splitting, chopping, breaking your back to get the wood just the right size for your stove or fireplace can be a long and grueling job. What you want to make sure of though, is that it is no harder than it has to be. To do this, you need the best splitting axe for chopping wood available!

Item:Length:Weight:Blade:Head:Handle:
S.A. Wetterling30.5"5 lbsForged SteelTraditionalHickory (Wood)
Fiscars X27See All Options5.8 lbsHigh Density SteelSharply BeveledComposite
GerberSee All Options2.7 lbsHigh Carbon SteelSharply BeveledComposite
Fiscars Super Axe36"6 lbsHigh Density SteelSharply BeveledComposite
Helko36"6.7 lbsHigh Carbon SteelSharply BeveledHickory (Wood)
Estwing E45A26"3.5 lbsHigh Carbon SteelNarrow Blade/ Missing BevelCarbon Steel

That’s why I wrote this guide, to help you find the best axe for splitting wood. There are small yet crucial differences between different types, and each is made for a particular job. 

For instance, the best splitting axe is not designed to go against the grain like a felling axe, but instead, will split the wood along the grain. Even this small detail is crucial to saving you a lot of back breaking labor!

If you want to find the best axe for splitting wood, keep on reading! [Read more…] about Top 6: Best Splitting Axe Reviews

Buying Guide: The Best Carving Hatchet For Sale

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Carving hatchets have been around for several hundred years, helping ancient and modern man to make homes, bowls, spoons, cups, and beautiful works of art. The design has remained largely the same, with only minor improvements made over time.

That is not to say, however, not all of the carving hatchets for sale is of high quality. There are several essential qualities and specifications that you need to take into account before you purchase one. The most important being:

Best Carving Hatchet

Helko Rheinland Hatchet

The design of the handle lets you grip it comfortably near the head, to ensure maximum control when carving or cutting.

Though it may not be marketed as a carving hatchet, the Helko Rheinland can stand among the best carving hatchets for sale.

Check Price on Amazon

 

>> What it’s being used for

>> Blade Material

Thankfully for you, we have done all of the hard research ahead of time. Once you have read through this article, you will be prepared to go out and find the best carpenter’s hatchet you can find. [Read more…] about Buying Guide: The Best Carving Hatchet For Sale

The Adze Tool: History, Safety, and Technique

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adze tool

The adze (also spelt adz) is a wood cutting tool dating back to the Stone Age. With its broad and rectangular head, its appearance is largely axe-like. The head of the adze, however, is attached at a right angle to the handle, like that of a hoe.

What is it used for?

The adze is a versatile tool, with numerous variations of different weights, sizes, and blade shape. Different types of adze are have been specifically designed with certain tasks in mind, but generally speaking, the purpose of the adze is to shave slithers from the wood’s surface, rather than chopping out sections. It can be used for hollowing curves, or for shaping and smoothing flat pieces.

The history of the adze is long and geographically far-reaching; it’s actually one of the earliest-dated tools in archaeological record. Examples of the adze dating back to the Stone Age have been discovered across Europe, and there’s evidence of it having also been used by the Maori tribes of Australia and the native people of the Northwest American coast. Depictions of the adze have even been found in Ancient Egyptian Art, from the Old Kingdom onward. [Read more…] about The Adze Tool: History, Safety, and Technique

The Best Small Circular Saw

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Whether you are wanting to commit to some woodworking DIY projects or need the best small circular saw for your job, we have all the top suggestions that are diligently reviewed and the information you need to know before purchasing the best compact circular saw.

Now you know why you want the best small circular saw, but you don’t want to go to the hardware store and just grab the first thing you see with “small circular saw for sale” on it. You will need to know what attributes to look for to assure you are receiving a high quality product, safety steps, and proper maintenance.

 The first thing you check for is the blade size. The blade size is entirely dependent on the task you are doing. It would take you hours to cut a 2×4 with the best handheld saw, and a large circular saw would rip backboard to pieces. When looking for small blades, remember they are 3 1/4  or 4 1/4.

Top Rated Compact Circular Saw

Rockwell RK3441K

Makita top rated best compact circular saw is widely recognized for its impression made among all mini circular saw reviews. Check out prices on Amazon or read our review below!

Here are blades that fit on Amazon
[Read more…] about The Best Small Circular Saw

The Best Skill Saw

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Whether you’re a construction worker, a professional carpenter, or just someone who’s serious about DIY projects in the home, you’ll know that a power tool like the best skill saw isn’t just a purchase. It’s a long-term investment. When you’re shopping for a new skill saw, you’re shopping for the best.

 There are a lot of tool brands out there. But for most of us, it’s pretty hard to hear the words ‘circular saw’ or ‘skill saw’ without thinking Skilsaw. In fact, the Skil brand has grown so much that you could wander on to pretty much any construction site in America and see their products in action.But where has this level of success come from? How has the name Skilsaw become synonymous not only with the skill saw itself, but quality power tools in general?

Best Skill Saw?

The top skill saw for sale is the 7-1/4 In. Magnesium SIDEWINDER™ Circular Saw. Read our skill saw reviews below or check prices on Amazon.

Skil SawPowerVoltageIncluded FeaturesRating
SKILSAW SPT67WM-22Corded-electric120 VoltsDual Field Motor,
45° Auto Lock,
Dust Blower,
24 Tooth Diablo Carbide Blade		★★★★★
[Read more…] about The Best Skill Saw

The Best Electric Chainsaw

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These days the best battery chainsaw has come a long way. No longer is it considered the lightweight cousin of the gas-powered version, now it holds its own and is the preferred tool of choice for many.

So now you’re here to find the best of the best. Well, here is what our team has researched and found for you:

Our top recommendation for the best electric chainsaw, through many hours of review, first hand knowledge, and customer feedback, we suggest WORX 18-Inch 15.0 Amp Electric – WG304.1.

Just because these tools are electrically powered doesn’t mean it’s the best cordless chainsaw, so for the best battery powered chainsaw with optimal battery life and enough kick to not know the difference, we recommend the GreenWorks 20312 G-Max 40V 16-Inch Cordless Chainsaw

Top 4 Available Best Electric Chainsaw

ChainsawReviewBar LengthWeightRating
GreenWorks G-Max 40VRead The Review16 Inches6.9 Pounds★★★★★
BLACK+DECKER LCS1240 40VRead The Review12 Inches10.4 Pounds★★★★★
OREGON CS1500Read The Review18 Inches13 Pounds★★★★☆
WORX 15.0 Amp - WG304.1Read The Review18 Inches11.3 Pounds★★★★★
[Read more…] about The Best Electric Chainsaw

The Best Wood Burning Tool For Pyrography

By Woodcarver 2 Comments

I like to fancy myself as the Bob Ross of pyrography, not because I’m so good at it but because the 60W Wood burning Detailer by TRUArt makes it THAT effortless. If pricing is able to stretch then I highly recommend it, the temperature control and the fact that the wire tips don’t snag onto the wood surface make it so that now when people are looking at my pyrography art they don’t ask me if I have Parkinson’s. Worth every dollar!

Best Wood Burning Kit

Professional Wood Burning Detailer 60W
The best pyrography kit features a 60W wood burner with near instant heat response, a digital precise voltage control, and 20 different best wood burning tips!

Check Price on Amazon

You can practice your pyrography art on unfinished wood from Amazon.

Just starting out?

Walnut Hollow Vera Tool is the best choice for beginners or anyone looking to make your girlfriend that last minute anniversary plaque that has both your names on it + “4ever”. On top of being incredibly affordable, this is a great learning kit which actually lasts (I still have mine after 2 years), but because it is a solid point tool it has a longer heat-up and cool-down time and also more likely to snag on parts of raised wood (see first paragraph for why that’s no bueno). If that’s not a deal breaker for you then I’d definitely recommend starting with this tool.

[Read more…] about The Best Wood Burning Tool For Pyrography