Is it worth trying without carving bar and chain?

[weedkilla]

I'm pretty comfortable with a saw - and have a selection of smaller saws that would be appropriate - but they are equipped with 3/8lp or 325 chain and standard bars.
My question is whether or not I will be wasting my time trying to learn anything without the correct bar and chain? Tight**se logic suggests I should have a play before I invest money - sensible logic suggests that having the right tools will shorten the learning process.
I've had some half hearted tries and the saw seems too aggressive to make it easy, is there anything I can do with my current setup to help? A 3/8lp chain just for carving is something I am happy to create if I knew which direction to head with my sharpening.

 

[ultimate buzz]

Weedkilla, No a specialized carving is not necessary get the hang of chainsaw carving. For years I was a saw beech for Loghoggers, out of Quincy, Illinois, with the specific intent to be exposed to some of the best carvers in the United States. I helped move logs and carvings in and out of their work spaces, and kept their work areas clean of the scraps and sawdust they generated while watching them carve up close. The majority of the pros did 80% of their carving with stock saws and conventional bars and chains. A lot of them finished their carvings with 3/8 chain on a quarter tip bar. I noticed that a dime tip bar was primarily to do minimal finish detail if at all.

There are a lot of videos of chainsaw carving on you tube. A lot of them are pretty bad, a lot of them are very good . A few good carvers that have some educational videos titled under their names are: Richard Kuefler, Kris Conners and Edgard Diaz. Edgards videos on you tube are very easy to follow and he is a really good carver. You can learn a lot by studying their videos and watching the type of saws they use and how they block out and finish details with them.

A really important part of carving is keeping your work secure and at a comfortable level. Try to avoid having you face in line with the bar and chain in case of kickback.-ken

 

[lumberjackchef]

Weedkilla, No a specialized carving is not necessary get the hang of chainsaw carving. For years I was a saw beech for Loghoggers, out of Quincy, Illinois, with the specific intent to be exposed to some of the best carvers in the United States. I helped move logs and carvings in and out of their work spaces, and kept their work areas clean of the scraps and sawdust they generated while watching them carve up close. The majority of the pros did 80% of their carving with stock saws and conventional bars and chains. A lot of them finished their carvings with 3/8 chain on a quarter tip bar. I noticed that a dime tip bar was primarily to do minimal finish detail if at all.

There are a lot of videos of chainsaw carving on you tube. A lot of them are pretty bad, a lot of them are very good . A few good carvers that have some educational videos titled under their names are: Richard Kuefler, Kris Conners and Edgard Diaz. Edgards videos on you tube are very easy to follow and he is a really good carver. You can learn a lot by studying their videos and watching the type of saws they use and how they block out and finish details with them.

A really important part of carving is keeping your work secure and at a comfortable level. Try to avoid having you face in line with the bar and chain in case of kickback.-ken

Great post, I wish i would have had access to that kinda info when I started playing around about 8 years ago. Probably would have saved me a couple of years!!!i use a heavy hard wood stump with large spikes on it for securing my medium pieces and use a side notched block to screw down small chunks from the bottom. I use my ms250 setup with a mini picco, that i really like, to do a majority of my blocking with.

You are about right on with the 80% of everything is done with a normal b/c setup. I prefer a dime tip and 1/4" chain for my detail saw but its just because i learned on that setup and prefer it to the quarter with 3/8".

so by all means watch lots of vids and play,play,play...

good point about the kickback. i will generally grab my detail saw if i have to be operating in a spot where the saw has to be very close to my face or odd angles and such. Much less likely to have a chance of kickback using a dime tip with the 1/4" chain. so much so that I have never experienced it yet! I have had some close calls with the 3/8" mini bars though!~

 

[weedkilla]

Thanks guys, I picked up a 3/8 bar with a small roller tip by mistake on fleabay so I'm half way there. It's a cheap consumer type, so I don't expect it to last long, but it was about $20 so I won't cry.

I can at least have a play before I invest in a 1/4 setup.

 

[lumberjackchef]

Keep us posted on your progress and don't be afraid to post up some pics of your work now!

 

[Aber28]

Carved with a 362. Impressive, I know.... lol

 

[Wagnerwerks]

Your skill level is quickly approaching mine. I'm impressed.