I get it; all the prep work in the world isn’t as exciting as seeing the carved details. That’s why, after several weeks of presenting the foundational steps to carving a scallop shell, I’m offering the final segment in the series. If you’re a details person, this post is for you. And if you’ve been[…]

Like many other types of carvings, you need to establish a topography by excavating the scallop shell. In other words, you’ve got to form the blank to a general shell shape before you can carve the details. I use bench chisels for the vast majority of this excavation, but you could certainly use larger, flatter-sweep[…]

There are a handful of carving tool cuts every budding woodcarver needs to know. They’re essential because they help you remain in control during the cut, ensuring your carving turns out as planned. It’s all about control. Learning the fundamental cuts (push, pull, slice and chop) combined with an understanding grain direction puts you in[…]