During one of our sale events I decided I wanted to try chainsaw carving, and Matt was happy to teach me. Even though I love my sewing and quilting, I find myself wanting to dabble in his crafts on occasion. And he is always a good sport about it, but I think it’s because he knows that he will ultimately end up with more tools for his collection!
Let me start with the fact I have never picked up a chainsaw in my life. I will discuss this a little more below, but my suggestion for anyone interested in this hobby is instead of just jumping right into carving, practice just cutting a piece of wood or log to get a feel for the chainsaw. I however have no patience and dove in head first.
What to Carve?
Last summer I finally decided I wanted a break from my sewing and wanted to learn how to hand carve so I could hang out with Matt on the porch. He taught me how to use the knives and gouges, and I tackled a dozen or so projects before I returned to my sewing room.
I love gnomes, mushrooms, and forestry things. During the holidays I wanted something quick and fun to carve so I decided on a gnome inspired penguin. Penguins have always been my favorite decoration for Christmas. Just this month I asked Matt to make a couple chainsaw carvings that looked like the penguin I hand carved. I took those two items and decided I wanted to try a relief carving using the chainsaw.
Getting a Lesson
Before we started it was decided that I would watch Matt do his own chainsaw relief penguin so I could see how he approached it. We chose a nice slab of Basswood and each drew out our designs. Matt then started carving his. During the process he stopped at each phase and explained where he was going to cut, the angle he held the chainsaw, what part of the blade he was going to use and why, and what could happen if I used the incorrect one.
Even though I said I wanted to jump right in, I want to emphasize that I did have the advantage of knowing the basics of hand carving and some of the cuts are similar in concept. Also, I have watched Matt carve a few of his other chainsaw projects. However, this time I watched with great intensity and eagerness to learn. Now it was time to begin.
Making the Cuts
We discussed each step of the process before I would make the cut. Then I would stop (or he would stop me!) and we would talk about the next step. This continued for each section. I used two different chainsaws during the process. The main one I used was the Stihl battery operated MSA 160c chainsaw purchased through from Homeworth Sales and Service in Homeworth, OH. For the texturing he allowed me to switch over to his Stihl MS170 with an 8″ carving bar attached. Oh boy, was that fun! I cannot wait to play with that one some more.
The main cuts I used were the stop cut, v-cut and plunge cut, which I learned from my hand carving lessons. I also learned how to shave and texture with the edge of the bar. You can see an overview of the process in the pictures and videos below.
Finishing the Carving
The last step was to finish the carving. I burned the surface using his propane torch. This helped remove the fuzzies as I call them. Then we used the flapper sander just briefly to get some of the soot and loose pieces off. I chose spray paint for the coloring, and I will finish it with a polyurethane coating to keep it protected.
Matt had more issues watching me use spray paint than he did with me using a chainsaw. He actually left the room and said I was stressing him out. I still do not understand why, but I found this quite comical! In the end I took my painted penguin in for his examination and he said it actually turned out pretty good, once I completed all my touch ups.
After Thoughts On My First Chainsaw Carving Process
I really enjoyed this activity and will definitely try it again. I think before I tackle my next one I am going to head out back and help him cut some (smaller) logs just to become more familiar with handling a chainsaw. I started to get the feel of the tool towards the end of my carving, but I know I need the practice. Oh, and I think a YouTube video or two on how to spray paint may also be helpful, even though I didn’t think there was anything wrong with my technique.
My thoughts to you are if you want to try something, do not let fear of the unknown stop you. Just make sure you have someone around to keep you safe and guide you if needed. You never know what you are capable of unless you try it. And if it doesn’t work out you are no worse off. My first carving could have easily ended up as a time consuming piece of firewood.
However, I am happy with what I created and will cherish it every Christmas. It will bring back memories of this day, and all the fun we had doing it together. Plus all the jokes and laughs we got from the process.
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Disclaimer: we are not part of an affiliation program with Stihl or Homeworth Sales and Service. We included these links only as a reference for readers. This is where we shop for and service our chainsaws. Thank you!
