Recommended Books and Tools
We hope you find this page helpful in your chainsaw carving adventure! Use our recommended tool list to find more accessories at your local hardware store or online suppliers. Much of what you see here is used in our chainsaw carving classes. Join one today for a complete introduction to the wonderful world of chainsaw carving. Be sure to use our affiliate links!
These books have been the most helpful in our carving journey. Just about anything from Fox chapel publishing is high quality and complete.
When selecting a how to chainsaw carve book, make sure you really like the style taught as it will most likely become your foundation. Its is hard to unlearn bad habits!
Submerse yourself in the carving world. A lot can be learned from hand carvers once you develop the ability to break down your personal process.
In our classes, we love using battery powered saws. They are very low maintenance and can be used indoors. Now everyone can learn how to chainsaw carve!
We prefer them for class since we don't have to pull the cord to start them every time instruction is given. This saves time and energy!
Having a good die grinder or Dremel along with a home made eye ball bit and Sabor Tooth bits will be highly used when detailing claws and faces.
This Dewalt sander is great for finer sanding.
When you are set up right, everything is that much easier. Most carvers have set ups that are very portable.
When the Jawhorse came out, just about every carver we know went and got one. It is such a versatile tool.
The 4" side grinder is able to get into many more tight spots than a larger version. I always have one handy and use my larger grinders as back ups. Make sure you get the correct size backer pad for your resin disks.
Put your safety and comfort first. Take note on what makes you feel overly hot and fatigued and make sure you are constantly adjusting your work wear for outside conditions.
Wearing a good pair of gloves will save your hands big time! The armor on the outside of the glove helps a lot along with good thick padding on the inside. Carve longer with the right gloves.
Along with the weather, we either use the ear plugs or muffs... or both at competitions!
That is a lot of Eye protection! When choosing your eye pro, make sure that they are comfortable and have the right coatings for the conditions.
We wear bananas when we carve, so anti fog coatings are great. Another thing to consider is if you use ear muffs. These glasses have a wider side that form to your head a little easier. Often with the slim sides they are fatter and make ear muffs hurt your head after a little while.
Check out Old Masters Finishes! This is their easiest product to apply and get your project done fast. We also are distributors of this product and can order by the 1 or 5 gallon.