Useful Chainsaw Woodcarving Tips

The art of chainsaw woodcarving has been around for almost 70 years – the earliest records of it date all the way back to the 1950s. It started gaining popularity as a sport somewhere in the 1980s, and ever since then, the number of people interested in it has been growing each day. Today, there are hundreds of chainsaw wood carvings on the internet, coming from all over the world.

People versed in this hobby are capable of producing true works of art, and they often participate in the chainsaw woodcarving competitions that usually attract thousands of visitors. Some people make a living out of it, while for some it’s just a hobby. Many of these people also use other tools to complete their carvings, but the chainsaw itself always stays as the most important tool in the whole of this business.

If you’re a complete beginner who’d like to try his hand at chainsaw woodcarving, you are probably looking for some useful tips and tricks. You came to the right place – take a look at our list of chainsaw carving tips that will help you get better in this craft and that will finally allow you to create beautiful things with your faithful chainsaw.

• To be able to even begin with the chainsaw woodcarving, you’ll have to make yourself familiar with the operating fundamentals and the maintenance requirements of chainsaws. Learn how they work and what needs to be done to keep them in the usable state.
• Like many other similar tools, the chainsaws can be extremely dangerous. Don’t even think about using one of them without wearing the appropriate safety equipment – you don’t want to end up without a finger or even an entire limb.
• To make carving easier, your chainsaw will have to be sharp, and not dull. One important thing to keep in mind here is the fact that a dull chainsaw is always far more dangerous than a sharp one, which is precisely why it’s of crucial importance to keep it as sharp as possible. One can sharpen it by himself or simply take it to the nearest saw shop.
• Before you begin the project, make sure to prepare a variety of different saws. Almost every project starts with cutting away the larger chunks, and this operation requires a bigger saw. The smaller saw, on the other hand, is the one that will help you with the more detailed work.
• It’s of crucial importance to get comfortable with a noisy, loud, and a heavy chainsaw. Don’t panic or work under stress – thing can take a wrong turn very quickly in that state.
• Your dominant hand is the one that you should hold the saw with. It’s also important to find out your own best positions for the carving, as that will help you minimize the bad habits.
• To get the general idea of how the whole chainsaw woodcarving works, take a look at the books with the woodcarving as the main theme. They are full of useful information and should help you get better and become more efficient. There are also several excellent websites that can be used for the same purpose.
• If you’re unable to design your own carving plans, you’ll easily find some in the craft stores and bookstores, as well as on the Internet.
• Another way to improve your carving skills would be to pay a visit to the local carving events. Seeing the professionals do it live is a much faster way to learn something about this craft than to learn it slowly by yourself in the old-fashioned trial & error method. Attend these events whenever you can and don’t forget to ask questions that will help you gain experience.
• Before you start with the serious woodcarving, try to practice on the smaller pieces of wood. If you’re a complete beginner, you should practice with logs that are no larger than 15 inches in the diameter. Don’t forget to use some sandbags to hold these pieces of wood in place as you’re carving.

Although this craft might seem very hard or even impossible in the beginning, everyone can eventually get skilled at it with time and practice. Just don’t forget that a chainsaw can be extremely dangerous and always handle it with care and 100% concentration.