Just starting up

[Jredsjeep]

I have been lurking around and I have to say some of the work here is impressive and inspiring. I decided to try my hand at it on a whim and produced a recognizable but crude turtle. I was using a 50cc Shindiawa with a full chisel blade and 20" bar so it was a bit rough. I didn’t think much of it, it was just a see what I can do thing. I left it at the ladies house I am cutting wood at and didn’t see it the next day so I asked here where it was. Turns out she liked it enough to put it in her garden out front of her house.

so I would like to try some more in depth work. do you guys use a regular semi-chisel blade and a smaller saw I assume. I quickly saw anchoring down your work is important. I also would like to know what kind of bar oil I can use to be cleaner, can I use something like vegetable oil at all? Any other important obvious tips or trick I should know?

I know these are really newbie questions and if there is a starting guide I missed I apologize. might be nice if there was a simple start up sticky at the top.
thanks
Jared

 

[jmethodrose]

I use a Husqvarna 346 with 18" bar, semi chisel for roughing out. Then I go to a Stihl MS180 for detail, it has the regular bar that comes with the 170/180/171/181 Stihl saws, this isn't a carving bar but still has a narrower nose for detail.

Pic:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CyOaDvT3ubKpcrvUw9jpMw?feat=directlink

I've not worried about bar oil before, I've never found that it marks the carving in particular! It washes off fairly soon, plus if you sand a carving off using a grinder with a sanding disc that gets rid of any oil, as well as just smoothing it off to finish with. I do this on some of my carvings, but not all - depends what type of finish I'm going for.

cheers,
Joe

 

[twoclones]

Recognizability is the most important aspect of sculpture so you're already on the right track. As for saws, I use everything from 100cc Stihl ms-660 on down to my 35cc detail saw which is the Stihl ms-200 with a Sioux dime tip and quarter pitch chain. Sioux Bars cost more than Stihl or Cannon, etc but mine is also outlasting the other brands.

Most of my saw chains are ground at the standard 30 degree angle but I grind my detail saw chains to 20 degrees and file down the depth gauges. This makes for very agressive cutting and would probably stall a less powerful saw like the ms-192/180 and so on...

You want good bar oil when running a dime tip bar. I've used Stihl in the past and am currently using Husqvarna because it's $5 per gallon cheaper for me. I avoid the veggie oil.

For excellent tips on carving basic designs with a stock saw bar, buy Mike McVays "7 EZ Pieces" DVD at http://www.whidbeystore.com/

And for inspiration, have a look at what Ken Kaiser was carving 60 years ago with huge saws and long bars.