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Daniel Hayes Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 178 Conroe Texas USA Gender:	Carving Your Turning Mar 11^th, 2022 at 5:42pm I have now done two pieces that I carved. I have watch a few videos and have done some research when I bought the Kutzall bits for my carver but it still seems like a lot of work. Do any of you who carve have any words of wisdom or suggestions to make the carving process a bit easier/quicker?
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chris lawrence Senior Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 380 JACKSON New Jersey USA	Re: Carving Your Turning Reply #1 - Mar 11^th, 2022 at 6:50pm I use an air saw for body work. Cut the bulk of it out then go back with bits to clean it up. You can use the blades made for it or jigsaw blades. It does require a decent size air compressor though.
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Daniel Hayes Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 178 Conroe Texas USA Gender:	Re: Carving Your Turning Reply #2 - Mar 12^th, 2022 at 10:26am I looked into air saws but my compressor won't handle it. I bought some of those saw blades for my power carver but they are a bit grabby and can jump to places you don't want them.
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chris lawrence Senior Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 380 JACKSON New Jersey USA	Re: Carving Your Turning Reply #3 - Mar 12^th, 2022 at 10:45am Maybe one of these Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to or Not as many strokes per second but might do a good job.
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Daniel Hayes

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Re: Carving Your Turning
Reply #4 - Mar 12^th, 2022 at 3:19pm

chris lawrence wrote on Mar 12^th, 2022 at 10:45am:

Maybe one of these Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to

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Not as many strokes per second but might do a good job.

That looks like it would be more grabby than what I used on this one.
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to

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I may just need to learn to control these better.

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Ed Weber

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Re: Carving Your Turning
Reply #5 - Mar 12^th, 2022 at 5:17pm

Can you tell me a few things about your piece?
How big is it?
Did you turn, then carve out the spiral?

I"m not sure exactly what you are trying to solve.
The same thing only easier or is it something else?

I certainly don't consider myself a carver but I did make something with a similar spiral cut for a finial a long time ago. see photo

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Daniel Hayes Active Member Offline WR Rocks! Posts: 178 Conroe Texas USA Gender:	Re: Carving Your Turning Reply #6 - Mar 13^th, 2022 at 11:05am The piece is 7"x3". I turn and hollow then draw the grid/pattern, then remove excess material. Basically I'm impatient and lazy so I was wondering if there was a more eficient cutting tool for the removal part.
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Ed Weber

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Re: Carving Your Turning
Reply #7 - Mar 13^th, 2022 at 1:22pm

I use a fine tooth saw while the piece is mounted on the lathe.
The spiral is really two parallel lines. I saw through one section, then rotate and repeat. I use a dremel to clean up the edges and make the bottom curve. I get the wall thickness and finish finalized before I cut out the spiral.
There are many ways to do it, just be careful not to use any cutting too with an aggressive cut, if it catches, you can easily cause a split.
Good luck

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Mike Nathal

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Re: Carving Your Turning
Reply #8 - Mar 14^th, 2022 at 9:56am

You can make a big difference with your choice of bits. It looks like you have a Foredom? If so, bits with quarter inch shafts are built for hogging out lots of wood. Something like these: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to

or

Also Kutzall and Saburtooth have carving bits with quarter inch shafts. If you don't have a Foredom there are electric die grinders, I have a Makita for about $120. These require two hands on the tool.

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Daniel Hayes

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Re: Carving Your Turning
Reply #9 - Mar 14^th, 2022 at 11:31am

Mike Nathal wrote on Mar 14^th, 2022 at 9:56am:

You can make a big difference with your choice of bits. It looks like you have a Foredom? If so, bits with quarter inch shafts are built for hogging out lots of wood. Something like these: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!! You need to

or

Also Kutzall and Saburtooth have carving bits with quarter inch shafts. If you don't have a Foredom there are electric die grinders, I have a Makita for about $120. These require two hands on the tool.

It is a Foredom hand-piece I'll have to try some 1/4" bits. Ive only used the 1/8" bits.

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