Figures made of wood. Tips for Beginners

Skillful hands can work miracles. Those who have not yet taken the first steps in this direction, but really want to try, are encouraged to start with simpler options. Uncomplicated figures of wood will help to acquire the initial skills of handling such an interesting and pliable kind of material.

Preparatory stage

Before you cut a tree from a tree, you need to decide on its appearance. Ideas can be different. Sometimes the image arises after reading an interesting book, a trip to a film or an exhibition, and a large amount of information can lead to the creation of an original idea of its own. The option of full copying of works already created by masters is taken into account.

The idea requires a sketch. It can be implemented on paper in the form of simple sketches. It is recommended to consider the dimensions and clearly outline the details. This will greatly simplify the process and will make it step-by-step. Already experienced masters begin work with the direct processing of wood, a product with simple forms requires minimal detail and is much simpler.

Selection of material

In accordance with the plan, it is necessary to select a tree for work. From its quality depends entirely on the final result, so immediately exclude materials with loose structures and give preference to the following options:

• Linden - one of the best options for beginners, the figures of the wood of this breed are made easier, thanks to the soft structure of the material, can be perfectly processed, often used for small plastics and ornaments;
• Aspen - similar in basic characteristics with linden, another good option for making small figures;
• Pine - can be laminated, but if you arrange its annual rings correctly, the product will look especially impressive;
• Maple - it differs in good density, it is a little more difficult to process such wood, but miniature animal figures are especially well-made from it; from the tree of this breed, chess is often made;
• Oak - especially good, dense wood is difficult to process, but it is highly polished and lacquered looks attractive, products from this material are of high value.

All these types of wood are soft in processing, they will not blunt the tool and will allow to make a product of any shape. The main thing that should be considered when choosing a material is its quality, it must be whole, dry, not damaged by rot and beetles.

Required Tools

Before you cut a tree from a tree, you need to pick a quality tool. This material, if desired, can also be processed with a conventional penknife. But it is much easier and more pleasant to work with a number of specialized devices.

• The cutter is the main tool for all work, it features a chamfered short blade (36 degrees) and is used for initial rough machining.
• The jamb helps to form the desired kind of ornament, suitable for work on planes, the blade usually beveled by 60 degrees.
• Chisels - there are several options, they can be angular, semi-circular and flat, allow you to qualitatively process figurines from wood, creating a deeper relief on them.
• Klepiki - an important tool for hard-to-reach places, is marked by a sharp ending, allowing to work even the smallest details.

In addition to the basic set, it is necessary to stock up a grinding machine, rasps, drills, a drill with a number of nozzles and a saw. All these tools will greatly facilitate the work and will make it possible to realize even the most convoluted idea.

The working process

Having prepared everything you need, you can start such a responsible occupation as woodcarving. Figures begin to make from the manufacture of rough workpiece, using a pencil, mark the main parts of the future product, trim the excess, leaving only a small stock of wood at the edges. Experienced masters do not remove all the excess at once, it is more convenient to keep the figure in the desired position.

1. In the resulting simple figure, we make small cuts, this is a note for subsequent work (trunk, limbs, head).
2. Using the cutter, we begin to form the necessary parts of the blanks, smoothly cutting off the corners and each time removing the shavings all thinner.
3. Additional cutters form all the small details, seeking a complete resemblance to the sketch.
4. We proceed to a fine thread, we make contours of future elements, we work qualitatively all the depressions. The smaller the figures made of wood, the more difficult it will be to work on small details, so for the initial work it is necessary to select larger and simple sketches.

Pay special attention to the processing stage, it is from it will depend on the durability of the product. Carefully sand the craft with fine sandpaper, trying not to lubricate the relief, apply stain or other wood treatment. On top of the figure is covered with a varnish, protecting it from moisture.