What do you consider the best books/videos for carving

[Sam Yerardi]

I'd like to know what resources you guys like.

[Daniel Heine]

Sam,

It depends upon what kind of carving you want to do. If you are interested in caricature carving, then anything from Marv Kaisersatt. If you are interested in relief carving, then a book or video from Ivan Whillock. If chip carving is your preference, then turn to Wayne Barton.

MY first step would be to http://www.carverscompanion.com. Check out the online magazine, and the archives, the instruction documents, and the vendors.

Finally, there is no substitute for hands on learning. I do not know where you are from, but there are "roundups" all ocver the country during the summer. Most last 3 days to a week, and may have 10-50 instructors available for classes. Most of the classes are NC or a small fee to cover the inctructors expense.

Dan Heine

[Sam Yerardi]

Thanks Daniel. I like to do period furniture carving (see the photos below). I also love Grinling Gibbons.

[Garry McKinney]

Sam ,
When I started carving information was hard to find, now it seems to come from everywhere but these are a few resourses.

Rick Butz How to carve wood .
Lora Irish Books , site
Ian Nobury Books
Chris Pye Books and site
David Sabol Just released a DVD which is reported to be outstanding.
Bill Judt site
Vic Hood and Jack Williams Carving found wood
Shawn Chipa
Jeff Phares carving the human face

Dang so many so little time !

Garry

[Corey Hallagan]

I am a beginner and love the caricature animal and figure stuff. I have a growing collection of books from many. I did get a great new book and DVD set from David Stabool. Nice and he covers everything in the DVD from chip carving, power carving, figure carving to relief carving and lettering.

Also for those wanting to learn small carving in the round... this is a great place to learn. Gene Messer has done a large amount of You Tube beginner videos and I have done several of his projects. Very well done and worth the time. Almost 70 videos to date. Check him out at the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/whittler0507

[Dave McGeehan]

This a a very good magazine covering all types of carving techniques, classes, woodcarvings clubs, events, design, sharpening, wood sources, and many photos of carvings done by both hobbiests and professionals.

http://www.chipchats.org/

[Sam Yerardi]

I agree. And they're in my neck of the woods.

[Corey Hallagan]

As my collection of caricature carving books grow I have really grown to like my Harold Enslow books. They are some of the oldest and cheapest you can get and in black and white but the projects are neat and Harold has a neat way of teaching what he has learned.

Corey

[Sam Yerardi]

Corey,

I'll check them out. Personally, I love the older books. Especially the period furniture books.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Surprised no one mentioned Nora Hall

[Sam Yerardi]

I have her DVD's and books on my list for this year.

[Tony Augruso]

Allan Breed offers classes in carving for furniture that I have been thinking of going to.
http://www.allanbreed.com/

[Jim Kountz]

Thought Id revive an old thread here. What about carving for period furniture only?? Shells, fans, vines and leaves etc?? Any good reading recommended for this type of carving??

[David Keller NC]

"What about carving for period furniture only?? Shells, fans, vines and leaves etc?? Any good reading recommended for this type of carving??"

Jim - Yeah, the books by Frederick Wilbur - Carving Architechtural Detail in Wood - The Classical Tradition, and "Carving Classical Styles in Wood". Though the titles are similar, the content of these books is complementary - someone interested in carving for furniture would like both.

The title of the first is, in some ways, a bit misleading - why would someone interested in carving for furniture want to know how to carve parts for a building? Wilbur does explain (and does a pretty good job of it), that furniture in the 18th century was mostly architectural in nature. A great deal of the same design and ornamentation criteria that went into 18th century houses also determined the design of furniture.

Lonnie Bird's Taunton book, Period Furniture Details, is also worth having (and if one of the blizzard of marketing e-mails from Taunton is correct, it's 50% for the next week).

[Mike Henderson]

I'll second that recommendation from David. I have both of those Wilbur books (and one other, I think) and have used them as references for carving certain things. Good books.

Mike