Now its time to start carving with the chainsaw. It is not intended to be used as a guide for manufacturing processes or other commercial purposes. The final cut: Lay the chair down on the side and cut straight in, aim precisely for the previous cut and you are done! I felt that I needed to talk to someone who had actually carved with a chainsaw. This is vitally important as most injuries from chainsaws occur on the left leg. The content in this article is provided by Husqvarna for your personal information and inspiration only. I began sketching out basic designs of scraps of wood, made a couple of wood signs, Christmas ornaments, and etched designs on walking sticks. Some great patterns can be found, Step 6 How to Stabilize Your Wood for Cutting, My favorite tool for this purpose is called the. . Often times they have stockpiles of wood or they can direct you to their next project where there is free wood to be had. For a while my favorite medium was paper and I would just doodle. Chainsaw carving is inherently dangerous and its in a carvers best interest to acknowledge the risk and respect the tools. Once you get your hands on some wood, take the time to remove the bark from the wood. This work makes small details such as the talons and individual feathers look particularly delicate and realistic. I dont cut down trees for a living. Find a fallen log or obtain a full log from a firewood supplier. If Im doing extra dusty work, Ill add a face mask/respirator to keep the sawdust out of my lungs. Ive worked through the kinks, found my groove, and techniques that works for me. While you probably think the most important gear for using a chainsaw would be the chainsaw, in actuality the most important piece of equipment when using a chainsaw is the chainsaw safety equipment which I outlined up above. If I wanted to learn, I just needed to jump in there and start carving!
The love for woodworking grew and so did my power tool collection. Starting with small carvings has its advantages, and you dont feel so defeated and wasteful when the first ones dont turn out as anticipated.
When working with larger, heavier pieces, theyre not likely to move with the pressure of the saw, so anchoring may not be needed during the carving process. When I stopped the chainsaw and looked back, I realized that I had been a little overzealous with my fun. Some of my hobbies where a bulk of my knowledge came from the internet include woodworking, cartooning, blogging, website design, writing and publishing ebooks, skiing, camping, basketball (both playing and coaching), and playing instruments like the ukulele, guitar, and piano. This sets the thickness of the legs. Then set the log with the plywood on top of a larger log which is firm and stable on the ground. Leave it for a few days after applying the wax. A good beginner size for a log is less than three feet in length and 14 inches in diameter. Make plunge cuts to make narrow grooves, like the space between legs, for example. I was surprised how difficult it was for me to make the leap and to actually perform that first cut into the wood. My name is James and I love to build and create wood art in my garage. Get yourself a nice fire pit for all your mistakes, learn from your mistakes, enjoy the fruits of your errors, and roast a marshmallow. Oftentimes, you can find crowds enthralled by live chainsaw carving demonstrations at functions such as county fairs and rodeos. This is determined by where the two initial leaning cuts meet. The most vital tool to maintain for a carver is their own body. Id encourage anyone intrigued by the artform to at least give it a try. Dont spend too much money on wood at this point if you can. Use light movements to guide your chainsaw along the marked lines and carve away all the corners and edges this approach will give your wooden figure an appealing, natural shape. This is best achieved by starting your carving from the middle of the heart (or back of the owl) and working outward. Im a man of many hobbies, many of which I learned simply from researching the internet and watching YouTube videos. After doing my research, and a little bit of trial and error I came to the conclusion that the best fit for me would be an electric chainsaw. But it didnt just start with a chainsaw. Once you have all your materials prepared and your personal protective equipment in place, you can get to work on creating an elegant owl sculpture to practice carving with your chainsaw. Take the time to understand how to properly use a chainsaw. Almost done! It is a time tested technique that replaces the need for different chemical finishes and varnishes. Another benefit to the electric chainsaw is if you have a good power source and extension cord, you wont have to worry about keeping gasoline on hand, making trips to the gas station, and mixing fuel. All parts for Grass Trimmers and Brushcutters, Professional landscaping, garden & tree care. Depending on the season, other great beginner projects are pumpkins and Christmas trees. But hey, you have to start somewhere and if you mess up, its only wood! But the learning doesnt end chainsaw carving is an ongoing journey of experimentation, creative problem-solving, and personal development as an artist. Burning also add great color to the wood and helps to protect the wood. Now, with all the pieces ready, I still felt pretty insecure about operating a chainsaw. But until that day, I think it is best to stick with gasoline or an electric corded chainsaw. Electric chainsaws produce much less noise so bothering the neighbors is less of a concern but you will need to make sure that you have a nearby power source and an extension cord long enough to power your chainsaw. While a healthy dose of fear and respect is needed when operating such a powerful tool, the chainsaw is a tool of more than just destruction. Add the details last. I decided that saving money would be a good idea when my wife would inevitably ask me about why we were getting another big box with a smiley face delivered to our front door. If you dont feel like taking off the bark from the tree, the least you can do is make sure to clean off any dirt on the wood that may dull your chainsaw. My favorite way to finish wood is to use a small torch and to burn the wood.
Not sure what type of wood is best for chainsaw carving? Use your chainsaw to remove the bark and sapwood from your trunk; this ensures that your finished owl sculpture will be weather-resistant and robust, as the heartwood is the densest part of a tree. Ive always enjoyed art. If you get this project done in time, this can be a great display in front of your home ready for Halloween and Christmas. A bit of online research and watching videos on safe chainsaw operation were part of my self-imposed pre-use safety training. Subsequent cuts were much easier and pretty soon I was rocking and rolling. 
Thats when I started eyeing up my husbands chainsaw. For safetys sake, maintaining a level of physical fitness, stretching, rehydrating, and taking breaks are key to avoiding injury and ensuring long-term sustainability. Sand any rough areas that you want smoothed down using an angle grinder with a sanding disc. The chainsaw work starts with rough blocking out, then refining, and finally the adding of key details with a light touch. If you are able to, steel-toed boots are recommended. Make sure you have a good clean and clear area to work. You can also call local tree cutting businesses. If you are interested in learning to carve, make sure you are fully versed in the technical and safety practices of using a chainsaw before embarking on a project. But without a teacher to guide me, I procrastinated. You will also need protection for your ears in the form of disposable ear plugs, noise cancelling earphones or headphones, or full-on hearing protection earmuffs. Flip the chair over and make a tilted incision to get the desired backrest angle. thank you to Marcus Heys and his son Ben for the fantastic photos. It provides a great way to hold your piece of wood in a stable manner and is very easy to use. Where can we find free wood? While the chainsaw may seem like the most dangerous tool in a carvers collection, precautions are also necessary with other power tools that a carver may use. I think of the Chainsaw as the tool I was looking for many years ago to help me complete my woodworking art projects in a quicker and more efficient manner. 
Apply a thin layer of wood-sealing wax to help prevent the carved wood from developing cracks. Use of the information contained in this article is at your sole risk. Another benefit of Chainsaw carving is the medium which is used to create art. I print off a couple photos to look at throughout the carving process. Howard's work has been published in the "Creative Quarterly Journal of Art & Design" and "New American Paintings." Carve out the front outline with a chainsaw. Where did this crazy interest come from?
A cutting stump is a large, flat-top stump planted on the ground and used as a surface for chopping or sawing wood. Heres a tip for when youre preparing to carve out the wings: the owls two wings together form a heart shape. Not going to lie, it scared the crap out of me. We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. There are a whole host of other woodworking tools that you can purchase to get the finishing detail just right. Finishing sanding, cleaning the carving with compressed air, optional paint/stain/propane torch burning, and of course a topcoat sealer thats ideally UV and water protectant. You can also carve marks to give the impression of feathers on the wings and tail, as well as plumage on the body. While I was a little disappointed that my first carving was not a masterpiece, I was excited that my career as a chainsaw carving hobbyist had officially begun. I quickly grew impatient working with the small scale and wanted to work on larger projects, but lacked the necessary tools for the increased size. Cut off the top and bottom of the log so they are flat and level. Dont cut too deep, just create small accents using the tip of your chainsaw. If you are using a gas chainsaw, considerations will have to be made about noise pollution that your neighbors may find irritating.
Electric chainsaws are also lighter than gasoline chainsaws and because they have fewer moving parts, there is hardly any maintenance.
So when I got home from that road trip vacation I watched just about every YouTube video on chainsaw carving that I could find. After the Dremel I got a circular saw followed by a jig saw, then a miter saw, orbital sander, table saw, planer the list goes on. I love this thing so much I will be making a separate post just for this handy device. Kick back is when the tip of your chainsaw hits a snag which forces the chainsaw to kick up, usually towards your face. Insert the blade of a bark spud or a pry bar under and pry off the bark from the log. In the winter, depending on where you live, you may even be able to consider chainsaw ice carving as a crossover hobby. That was it! To ensure that your chainsaw work goes smoothly, contact your STIHL dealer to have your chain sharpened or do it yourself. However, if you are just starting off and do not want to buy yet another piece of equipment, there are quick and easy ways to stabilize your wood for when you are working. Dont skimp on safety gear. Fueled by passion for innovation since 1689, Husqvarna provides professional forest, park and garden products. You will not cut below this line. I have yet to have a chainsaw accident (thankfully), but its the angle grinder Ive had a few knicks and near misses with. Secure the trunk onto a sturdy subsurface using a ratchet strap, or by firmly screwing it in place. The risk for injury was intimidating, so I soaked up as much info to start to feel comfortable with the idea.
Starting out on free wood gives you more liberties to just start carving with the chainsaw. Here are a few tips that I learned from bumbling my way through beginning chainsaw carving. Your markings should indicate clear cutting lines for your later carving work with the chainsaw, and mean you can see which large areas can be quickly blocked out first. 
