I'm finally gonna build myself a sign for the shop. Of course I want carved, gold leafed letters and the works. Time to retire my pathetic Canadian tire eensy chisels for some real tools.
I'm out here in the boonies, so I'd like to order a decent set online. I also don't know much about sharpening them, so hopefully they'll come ready to carve!
Any suggestions for a good starter set??
Suelynn
-------------------- "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor Sedor Signs Carnduff, SK Canada Posts: 2863 | From: Carnduff, SK Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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I don't own any of the Lee Valley ones, but I honestly think that anything they sell is quality. They have my vote of confidence. I'd go with their basic long handle set to start with. Then you can enhance on it with the detail set or the large set or both depending on what you find your needs are. I bought a large set a while back and find I really haven't used it much. My needs seem to focus on the smaller size tools.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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Suelynn, talk to Rodger MacMunn, he'll be able to give you advice. I bought a set of chisels from Lee Valley and like them, but I can't sharpen them as well as Rodger does. I'll need him to come and visit my place again soon...
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The Henry Taylor Tools they offer are good tools. They're English Sheffield Steel and should hold a good edge and last a lomg time. The basic relief carving set would be a good place to get started. You might want to do a little more research about tools at Chris Pye's web site, just google his name and it should come up. Good luck.
-------------------- Jon Harl 5731 Meridian Ave. San Jose,CA 95118
jonharl@comcast.net Posts: 99 | From: San Jose, California | Registered: Jan 2004
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Suelynn Joe is Right the Henry Taylor tools do not come sharpen...So if your buying tools that you can get to work straight away, the Swiss brand is the way to go. As Joe say's they come sharpened ready to use... Good luck with your project...Pat.
-------------------- Pat Welter Masterhand Signs and Designs Unity, Saskatchewan.Canada Posts: 1304 | From: Unity, Saskatchewan.Canada | Registered: May 1999
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the woodcarvingbiz guys are in Canada, and better prices for the same Swiss tools as WoodCraft Supply here in the states.
-------------------- Catharine C. Kennedy CCK Graphics 1511 Route 28 Chatham Center, NY 12184 cck1620@taconic.net "Look at me, Look at me, Look at me now! I't's fun to have fun, But you have to know how!" Posts: 2173 | From: downtown Chatham Center, NY | Registered: Feb 2004
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This is a list of tools that seem to jump into my hands the most... Straight Gouges; 20mm #5, 12mm #3, 6mm #7 Straight Chisel; 8mm #1 Fish tail Gouge; 8mm #7 Skew Chisel; 16mm #1 bevel on 2 sides. and my JW2 knife....I think you might have to get the knife from me.
Hope this helps.
Joe,
Makin Chips and Havin fun!
-------------------- Joe Cieslowski Connecticut Woodcarvers Gallery P.O.Box 368 East Canaan CT 06024 jcieslowski@snet.net 860-824-0883 Posts: 2345 | From: East Canaan CT 06024 | Registered: Nov 2001
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Joe, that info helps a lot. Since I haven't done much carving, I'm just not sure what to buy.
This project will mostly consist of rounding off the edges of cut-out hdu letters. What tool is best for that? I have a tool that looks like a small cheese grater that makes quick work of that, but am wondering what the proper chisel would be.
Does anyone use the palm tools? Are longer handles better?
Suelynn
-------------------- "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor Sedor Signs Carnduff, SK Canada Posts: 2863 | From: Carnduff, SK Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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The palm tools are ok when doing very small details....they are redundent if you have a good set of the regular size. I'm doing a bunch of letters right now that have a bevel around the edges....I'm mostly using the knife. The skew will work too.
The cheese grater will work in some situations but you might have a problem doing the inside curves of O's, G's and R's etc. I know that several of the folks that did the prismatic letters on the FKAB panel used the knife to do a teriffic job. If you search some of the old posts on the FKAB progress posts, you can see a pic or two of the knife. Terry Whynott uses it a lot and Doug Allan (or is it Allen?)used it for his.
Make Chips!
Joe,
Makin Chips and Havin Fun!
-------------------- Joe Cieslowski Connecticut Woodcarvers Gallery P.O.Box 368 East Canaan CT 06024 jcieslowski@snet.net 860-824-0883 Posts: 2345 | From: East Canaan CT 06024 | Registered: Nov 2001
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Suelynn, I bought Pheil chisels from Canandian Woodcarvers in Winnipeg quite a few years ago. Maybe they are still around - sorry I only have catalogue from them with no info. They are great chisels
Hope this helps.
-------------------- Colleen Henderson Signs Now, Thunder Bay, ON signsnow@tbaytel.net Posts: 140 | From: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jun 1999
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Suelynn, this is the set I started with some twenty years ago. The price has only gone up $100.00 from the looks of it. Great set of chisels and made me tons of money.
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Hi Sue, all my carving tools are from LeeValley and yes they come ready to use... but that's buying a car full of gas, you'll eventually have to make a trip to pump weather you like it or not !!!
They have all the stuff to sharpen the chisels, hammers, you name it... and it's all top knotch tools to me !
They also have starting kits that you can upgrade as you go.
I do realize that I will need to learn to sharpen them myself. I just thought it might be easier to receive them sharp and then I could just keep them in that condition. I have seen a couple of sharpening demos at some of the meets I've attended, but I've never had my own "real" tools to practise on.
I'm excited to learn this new skill.
Suelynn
-------------------- "It is never too late to be what you might have been." -George Eliot
Suelynn Sedor Sedor Signs Carnduff, SK Canada Posts: 2863 | From: Carnduff, SK Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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I keep a 6" bench grinder with a cotton buffing wheel and a stick of emery compound, and use this to maintain edge on sharp tools. For sharpening a chisel get a japanese water stone, and like anything else, practice!
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
What didn't realise is that there is no V shaped tool with this set. So, to complete it I'll have to buy one and also one larger straight chisel. Then I think I'd have what I need for my purposes.
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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Yuk it up Ricky, in recent article in, of all magazines for this to happen, HotRod magazine, they spelled Mike's name that way...
-------------------- Frank Magoo, Magoo's-Las Vegas; fmagoo@netzero.com "the only easy day was yesterday" Posts: 2365 | From: Las Vegas, Nv. | Registered: Jun 2003
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