5 Tips to Make Better Chip Carving Chips!
These 5 tips will help you become a better chip carver, have less chip out and carve work you will be proud of!
1. Complete a Course!
Several Courses are available that are SURE to help you out! Whether you are just starting out or have been chip carving for years, these Courses are for you!
Click on the links to the right for a preview.
Then CLICK HERE for more Course info and to sign up. ALL Courses are included with your Platinum Membership!
2. Build Some Muscle…Muscle memory that is!!
Concentrate on your technique as you hold your knife and position your board. Is your knife consistently forming a 55-65 degree angle with the wood?
As you chip carve regularly with the same grip and good technique, you will build muscle memory so the muscles in your hand will tell you when the knife is being held correctly. You’ll be able to pick up your knife and your thumb will automatically fall into the thumb notch and form a consistent angle.
When muscle memory kicks in you won’t even need to check it. It will just plain feel right, and you’ll know it! Come on now…Build some MUSCLE!!
3. Get Scary Sharp!!
Do you know if your knife is Scary Sharp?
If you’re not sure, take this tip seriously. Carving with a knife that is really, seriously, wickednessly (not a word), frighteningly Scary Sharp will turn your chip carving world upside down. Or more likely…right side up!!
Watch this video to put this Tip into action. If you’ve tried the Scary Sharp Sharpening Kit and still are having trouble, send me your knife (with return postage) and I will sharpen your knife for you for FREE. (51654 164th St. Garden City, MN 56034) You gotta get Scary Sharp!
4. Challenge Yourself with Something NEW!!
- Old World Style Chip Carving – With OWS chips the shadows are formed along the edges of chips because two cuts are made at a very steep angle. Don’t worry, I’ve got lessons showing you how to do this!
2. Texturing – create added interest in the background of your chip carving by texturing the surface. You can use a center punch, nail, gouge, nail set, or anything you can think of the take a flat surface and make it rough and interesting.
3. Relief carve around your chip carving – use a chisel and gouges to lower the background that surrounds your carving to make it stand out. At the time of this post I don’t have videos showing you how to do this. But I guarantee you it won’t be long. Search for “relief” in the white search bar in the Video tab.
4. Scroll saw out the background – With a scroll saw you can cut out parts of the background completely to give super depth and contrast to your chip carving. Search “scroll” in the white search bar in the Video tab.
5. Teach someone how to chip carve!
If you’ve watched any of my videos to the end, you know that each one concludes with, “Introduce a Kid to Chip Carving!”
Passing on what you’ve learned to someone else is exciting and important. It’s exciting for you when you see their eyes light up when they remove their first chip. It’s important because we need to pass on this great craft to others so it doesn’t fade away into our ever-growing digital world.
Teaching someone else to chip carve is the sole purpose why I created the Certified Chip Carving Instructor Program (CCCI).
As a classroom and online teacher and chip carver for 30+ years, I pass on both of these skills to you as a student in this program. In 15 lessons you’ll learn how to become a better chip carver and a qualified and confident instructor. You’ll get direct feedback, assessment and encouragement from me as you work through each lesson. It’s really true…the teacher often learns more than the students when teaching a class! I hope you’ll join the other successful graduates of the CCCI Program.
Get more information here – Certified Chip Carving Instructor Program
“Hi – I am Todd. I just completed the CCCI program and have to say it was excellent. I was new to Chip Carving and wanted to learn as well as learn how to teach Chip Carving to others. This is an excellent program that teaches you how to teach others while learning and improving your skills at the same time. CHECK IT OUT. You will not be disappointed. One tip for all the other newbees – PRACTICE. 10 minutes a day makes a difference.”
