John White Woodcarving

Here on our Tips page you will find useful ideas, advice and comments.

Tips will be updated regularly.

If you have any useful Tips you would like to share let us know! And maybe you could be our guest Tipper.

TIP on tools.

I would advise beginners against buying boxed sets of tools, there might only be a couple in the set that you will use and the rest are likely to end up gathering dust.

Find a reliable carver or teacher and ask them to suggest a starter kit, (or contact us to find out what we recommend) then add to your collection when you need to.

TIP on books.

There are plenty of good books on woodcarving, but don't read them all at once or you will end up totally confused about who's method is right.

Every author will have their own way of doing things and this sometimes contradicts another carver; pick one book you are comfortable with to start, and familiarise yourself with those techniques.

Then when you are more confident you can cross reference what you have learned with other author's ideas.

TIP the carving formula.

A colleague of mine came up with a formula for carving which I think is very appropriate.

Basic cuts + time = anything.

Happy carving.

John