The Wood Carving Process

Depending on the wood shape and size, I use a combination of chainsaws, bandsaws and angle grinders to make the initial shape of the animal/bird that I am carving.  

Once I have it roughed out, I switch to a Foredom handheld power carving tool using tungsten burs, bits and cutters to create the final carving.  The finishing work is done by carving knives, hand gouges and either sanding drums or hand sanded.

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Depending on the wood, the final finish is applied with 15 to 20 hand rubbed coats of Watco Danish Oil or a Minwax Polyurethane finish.  

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When making my live edge tables I utilize angle grinders to shape the edges where needed.  Should there be splitting in the slab, I insert handmade bow ties to prevent further splitting.  For accents, I fill cracks and knot holes with epoxy resins of various colors.  Final finish is typically 3-4 coats of Tried and True Original Wood Finish, which is 50% polymerized linseed oil and 50% beeswax.