Whittling On the Go E-Book

David Young

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 149

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Whether experienced or new to woodcarving, you are sure to appreciate the in-depth knowledge of the art form from author David Young. The book begins with information on what you need to know to start whittling including tools, materials, knife sharpening, and techniques. Next, David covers finishing your project with instructions for his simple painting technique to achieve professional-looking results. Using these techniques, you'll then be ready to start whittling the 13 beautifully illustrated projects which range in difficulty, building on the skills and techniques used in each. You'll start with projects that build upon each other, adding a new technique and skill for each. You are then ready to start the next set of simple projects, further refining your whittling skills. You're now ready for the step-up projects that include a pineapple, a vase with a rose, and a wood spirit. Each project uses a 1" x 1" x 'varying length' block and can be completed in less than an hour. The scale of the projects and the use of minimal tools and supplies make carving the projects possible in virtually any space or location.

Leseprobe

© 2025 by David Young and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc.

Whittling on the Go is an original work, first published in 2025 by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc. The patterns contained herein are copyrighted by the author. Readers may make copies of these patterns for personal use. The patterns themselves, however, are not to be duplicated for resale or distribution under any circumstances. Any such copying is a violation of copyright law.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holders.

ISBN 978-1-4971-0476-1

eISBN 978-1-63741-379-1

The Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.

Managing Editor: Gretchen Bacon

Acquisitions Editor: Kaylee J. Schofield

Editor: Joseph Borden

Designer: Freire SL

Proofreader: Kelly Umenhofer

To learn more about the other great books from Fox Chapel Publishing, or to find a retailer near you, call toll-free at 800-457-9112 or visit us at

www.FoxChapelPublishing.com.

You can also send mail to:

Fox Chapel Publishing

903 Square Street

Mount Joy, PA 17552

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

Because working with knives and other tools inherently includes the risk of injury and damage, this book cannot guarantee that creating the projects in this book is safe for everyone. For this reason, this book is sold without warranties or guarantees of any kind, expressed or implied, and the publisher and the author disclaim any liability for any injuries, losses, or damages caused in any way by the content of this book or the reader’s use of the tools needed to complete the projects presented here. The publisher and the author urge all readers to thoroughly review each project and to understand the use of all tools before beginning any project.

For a printable PDF of the templates used in this book, please contact Fox Chapel Publishing at [email protected], with Whittling on the Go 978-1-4971-0476-1 in the subject line.

Introduction

The idea of whittling as a hobby first occurred to me while on a family vacation in the summer of 2018. I spent an afternoon sitting by a campfire, whittling personalized marshmallow sticks for my kids. When I got home, I realized that had been one of the most relaxing and enjoyable parts of the trip. Hoping to recapture that moment, I bought a block of carving wood from a local hardware store.

It sat in my garage untouched for six months until, one night, I stumbled upon a Doug Linker video on YouTube. Inspired, I grabbed a knife—that was definitely not intended for carving—and stayed up late into the night working on the largest five-minute wizard you have ever seen, cutting my finger pretty badly in the process. The carving wasn’t pretty (and neither was my finger), but I was hooked.

I remember those early days of carving well. After quickly acquiring a carving glove and a dedicated whittling knife, I started digging into whatever resources I could find—online videos, magazines, books—and learning everything I could about woodcarving. As a beginner, I quickly came to two realizations. First, in order to get better at whittling, I was going to need to learn some additional skills I hadn’t initially considered, namely, sharpening, painting, and finishing. Second, there are about as many opinions on how to carve, sharpen, paint, and finish as there are carvers.

To some extent, every new carver needs to wade through different approaches and opinions, try different things, and learn what works for them. This applies to everything, from choosing a knife to sharpening, painting, and even developing your own carving style. Even so, I think there is something to be said for keeping things as simple as possible for beginners. What you will find in this book is not a comprehensive guide to woodcarving, but the basic information and advice that worked for me and that I believe will be helpful for a beginner to get started. That said, I encourage you to supplement my advice and recommendations with a healthy dose of your own experience and other resources to find what works for you.

My focus in this book is on what I would call “hobby whittling” or “craft whittling,” which I define as using knives that are specifically made for whittling and wood that is specifically intended for carving. While there are all kinds of approaches to woodcarving, the complete beginner will benefit from the simplicity of starting with a nice sharp knife and a good soft piece of wood.

With all of this in mind, I have three goals that I hope to accomplish in this book.

1. I want to introduce whittling to complete beginners. I will assume that you are completely new to woodcarving and explain all of the terms and techniques that you need to get started. The first four projects, in particular, are specifically designed to gradually introduce cuts and develop basic skills, preparing you to take on the projects in the rest of the book. Additionally, all of the projects use small blocks of wood in easy-to-find sizes, with no need for power saws or other special equipment.

2. I want to provide projects that are attainable for beginners but also fun and engaging for experienced carvers. The projects in this book are generally pretty simple and fast. As you progress, you will find that the patterns and shapes remain fairly simple, but gradually increase in challenge and difficulty. More experienced carvers should find satisfaction in executing these designs cleanly and precisely, but will also find plenty of opportunities to customize and add their own variations to these designs.

3. I want to provide small, portable projects that you can take with you on the go. Part of the appeal of whittling is that you don’t need a lot of special materials or equipment. Everything you need to work on these projects can be packed in a small bag or large pocket so that you will be ready to whittle anywhere.

Whether this book marks the beginning of your journey into the world of whittling and woodcarving, or you are an experienced carver looking for some fun, simple projects, I hope you enjoy the projects and information provided in this book. Have fun and happy whittling!

For Katie, my greatest encourager and supporter.

For Ben, Joanna, and Noelle, my most avid collectors and critics.

Table of Contents

Getting Started

Introduction to Wood

Choosing a Knife

Other Materials and Tools

Sharpening

Safety

The Basic Cuts of Whittling

Painting and Finishing

Painting

Antiquing and Dry-Brushing

Finishing

Adding Accessories

Projects

Whittle People

Simple Cactus

Hatching Chicks

Simple Wood Spirit

Alligator

Goldfish

Seashell

Grumpy (or Happy) Cat

Super Simple Gnomes

Butterfly

Pineapple

Rose in Vase

Old Man in Wood

About the Author

Getting Started

One of the great things about whittling as a hobby is that it doesn’t require a lot of equipment to get started. In addition to a knife and some wood, you need just a few things to keep your knife sharp and use it safely. In this chapter, I will provide a quick summary of what you need to start whittling and prepare you to take on the projects in the remainder of the book.

It is important to have basic whittling kit that includes your carving knife, measuring tools, sharpening tools, and carving safety gear before you make your first cut.

Introduction to Wood

Let’s start by looking at what you need most to whittle: a good piece of wood.

Selecting Wood

The best wood for beginners and the wood most commonly used for carving is basswood (known as linden or limewood in Europe). Basswood is a soft hardwood with a tight, even grain that holds details well. In the US, there are two types of basswood: northern basswood and southern basswood. Northern basswood tends to be very light in color and is very easy to carve. Southern basswood tends to be darker and can sometimes be a little harder to carve, though still usable. When selecting a specific piece of wood, look for straight, even grain without any blemishes or knots.

If you can’t find any basswood, other commonly used woods include butternut, birch, ash, pine, and poplar. Woods like walnut or cherry can be desirable for their color, but they are harder, more brittle, and more difficult for a beginner to carve.

Basswood blocks of various sizes. The two blocks on the left are southern basswood and have a slightly darker color than the rest, which are northern basswood.

Understanding Wood Grain

The grain in this wood is horizontal. The pencil lines indicate the direction to make “downhill” cuts with the grain.

As you carve, it’s important to pay attention to the direction of the wood grain and understand when you are carving with, across, or against the grain.

When making cuts parallel to the direction of the grain, you are carving with the grain. When making cuts perpendicular to the grain, you are carving across/against the grain. In practice, many cuts will be made at different angles, which can be done either with or against the grain. The simplest way to identify if a cut is with or against the grain is to hold your carving so that the grain is horizontal, and then identify if the cut will be downhill or uphill. If carving downhill, you are carving with the grain, but if carving uphill, you are carving against the grain. Just remember, it’s always easier to carve downhill than uphill.

Although it is good to carve with the grain whenever you can, it is possible (and sometimes necessary) to carve across or against the grain. When carving across or against the grain, use the widest part of your blade and start with small cuts to avoid breaking the wood. If you are doing a lot of across or against the grain cuts, consider stropping before and/or after doing so (see here).

Choosing a Knife

Woodcarving knives come in all shapes and sizes that serve many different purposes. If you are just getting into whittling, choosing your first knife can be a little overwhelming. The information below is intended to provide some guidelines for beginners on what to look for in a good all-around carving knife. A knife that meets the criteria below will work well for the projects in this book and serve you well for many years to come. As you continue to carve, you will develop your own preferences and start to identify other types of knives that you may find useful.

■Length. A blade that is 1 ½" to 2" (3.8 to 5.1cm) long makes for a good all-around carving knife. Knives in this range are capable of making both roughing cuts as well as detail cuts.

■Thickness. One of the distinguishing characteristics of whittling knives is that they tend to be very thin. The thicker the blade, the more difficult it will be to push through a piece of wood, and the more likely it will be to split the wood apart rather than cutting cleanly. A blade thickness of 1/32" to 1/16" (1 to 2mm) or even less should work well for the type of whittling covered in this book.

■Cutting edge. For most beginners, a straight cutting edge is easiest to start with. While curved edges are helpful for some applications, the straight blade makes it very easy to pinpoint the location of the cutting edge and tip, allowing for greater precision and control. A straight cutting edge also makes sharpening very easy.

Preparing Wood

Even generally soft wood can sometimes become overly hard and difficult to carve. Whether it is due to age, variations between trees, overly dry climate, or some other factor, there are a couple tricks carvers will use to soften up their wood. A common approach is to spray a 50/50 mixture of water and rubbing alcohol onto the wood prior to carving. Another is to store wood in an airtight container with a damp cloth (not touching the wood) for a day or two prior to carving. Keep in mind that these are last-minute options to apply before carving. You should store your wood in a cool, dry place. If you have ongoing problems with hard wood, you might try other sources or types of wood as a point of comparison.

These knives are all different, but they are each good choices for an all-around carving knife.

■Detail tip. If you are starting with one knife, you will want to make sure the tip is shaped well for carving fine details. The tip should come down to a point at the front of the knife, and the thickness of the blade should also decrease as it nears the tip. An overly rounded or thick tip will make carving fine details more difficult.

■Grind. The grind of the blade refers to the shape of the sides of the blade as they come down to form the cutting edge. A flat-ground blade is generally recommended for beginners and makes sharpening especially easy. A flat grind means that the sides of the blade are completely flat as they come down from the spine to the cutting edge. Other grinds you may find on whittling knives include the scandi (short for Scandinavian) grind, in which the angle toward the cutting edge starts farther down on the blade, or the convex grind, in which the sides curve down to the cutting edge.

■Blade material. A good whittling knife will have a high-carbon steel blade. Many pocketknives are made from stainless steel, which is great for overall strength and corrosion resistance, but makes them more difficult to sharpen and maintain.

■Handle. Handle shape is a matter of personal preference, and it may be hard to know what you prefer as a beginner. If possible, try to hold a knife before you buy it. If that’s not possible, then you may want to start with more generic rectangular or oval handles, which tend to be usable for most people.

Depending on your carving experience and skill, you will have to decide what blade grinds (flat, scandi, or convex) work best for you when choosing whittling knives.

■Folding knives. Most pocketknives don’t have the right blade shape, grind, and/or steel to be ideal for the type of whittling taught in this book. Additionally, the handles tend to be less comfortable for longer whittling sessions. However, if you would still prefer a folding knife, it is possible to find some that meet the criteria described above, and a few manufacturers make folding blades that are specifically designed for whittling.

The Rockwell Hardness Scale for Steel

Steel hardness is commonly measured by a rating system called the Rockwell Hardness Scale. Not all manufacturers advertise the Rockwell hardness of their blades, but most of the reputable knife makers do. For whittling, you want a knife that is hard enough to hold an edge, but soft enough that you can easily sharpen it. Whittling knives generally fall in the range of 58 to 62 on the Rockwell Hardness Scale.

Other Materials and Tools

Tools, such as V-tools and U-gouges, can help add texture and detail to your carving projects.

In addition to knives, there are a few other tools and pieces of equipment that you may find helpful as you begin your carving journey.

V-Tools

After a knife, one of the first tools that most carvers acquire is a V-tool. Sometimes referred to as a V-gouge or V-parting tool, the V-tool is made up of two forward-facing cutting edges that come together in a V shape. When pushed through wood, it quickly makes clean and even V-shaped cuts. V-tools are classified based on their width and the angle of their V. For example, a ¼" (6mm) 60-degree V-tool or a ⅛" (3mm) 90-degree V-tool. The Simple Wood Spirit project in this book is specifically designed to introduce and provide lots of practice with using a V-tool.

Whittling or Woodcarving?

It’s common to hear the words “whittling” and “woodcarving” used interchangeably, which might have you wondering if there is any difference. In general, “woodcarving” is a broad term that includes a wide range of styles and methods for carving wood. Although there is no formally agreed upon definition for “whittling,” it is commonly used to refer to woodcarving with just a knife. So when you are whittling, you are woodcarving. Based on this definition, the projects in this book are almost entirely whittling projects, but we will use some extra tools on a few projects that take them into the more general realm of woodcarving.

V-tools easily make clean and even V-cuts, which is ideal for separating areas for outlining, adding detail, texturing, and undercutting.

Gouges

Gouges are a broad category of carving tools that have forward-facing edges and push directly through wood. Gouges generally have a curved cutting edge and are categorized based on the depth of their curve on a scale from 1 to 11. A #1 gouge is completely flat and is more commonly referred to as a chisel. A #3 gouge has a very shallow curve, whereas a #5 gouge has a medium depth, and a #9 gouge is deep. The #11 gouge is the deepest, making a complete U shape and is sometimes referred to as a U-gouge or a veiner. The projects in this book can generally be completed without the use of gouges, although the Goldfish project will make use of a small U-gouge to add texture.

Gouges are able to scoop out wood that is ideal for creating curves and hollows in carvings.

Purchasing Woodcarving Supplies

In general, you will have better luck finding high quality knives, wood, and other supplies from shops that specialize in woodcarving than you will at most big box retailers, hardware stores, or hobby shops. If you don’t have any local woodcarving or woodworking shops, there are several reputable online shops with a good selection of everything you may need. A good place to find these shops is in the advertising pages of