chainsaw carving

[MattyF]

Couple of questions

Is the stihl carving bar any good do i need any special chain for it.

Any recomened sites for parts and bits?

How do i get a smooth finish or a cheap way getting one that doesnt involve hand sanding!

 

Had a go at this with my 200t on sunday and got pretty in to it! ended up trying to make a leaping salmon out some thuja.

Thinking about burning the eyes in with a poker as they are only in pencil and the mouth was done with a silky! normal 200t bar and chain not to refined!

 

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[base]

i have a stihl carving bar, but would personally go with a cannon bar, as they seem more durable from what i have heard, you need a chain and sprocket to match,

 

http://www.ed-robinson.co.uk/cannon_bars.html from what i can see this chap is selling the cheapest bits and pieces,

 

as for sanding get yourself a angle grinder dust kills grinders if you have to buy one silverline do a cheap one for £13.40.......115mm is the size i find prefrible, then get some flap discs link below is the cheapest i have found them

 

http://www.abtec4abrasives.com/flap-discs-114-c.asp

 

they appear not to be showing the Aluminium oxide discs but they do, do them they are much cheaper than Zirconia,

 

i sand with a grinder most of the time unless i want a really really good finish then i move to less aggressive sanders,

 

http://www.transtools.co.uk/store/prod_2127/corded-power-tools/sanders/black-decker-ka293e-350w-powerfile-belt-sander.html

 

you may well know this already but if you dont, charcoal is good for marking out on carvings.

 

its a nice carving, two things in carving are a PITA eyes and feet! let me know how you get on burning eyes in with a poker have tried with a blow torch but it splays out i just paint on usually

[Paul Barton]

Fantastic effort Matt - you have obviously got some natural talent for that.

[Andy Collins]

Nice one matty, Steve has a good book on carving tips, sure he'll pipe up when he's home. I have the Cannon carving bar too.

[Steve Bullman]

fantastic first effort matty! did you do it from memory or copy a picture?

and yes i use canon also.

[MattyF]

bit of both steve drew it on using a photo for ref to get the fins in the right places then the rest was from memory to get the 3 d effect that i wanted, didnt really work as some of the fins are out of proportion and the mouths a bit over hooked but hey what i wasnt expecting it to come out to refined or at all!

 

looks like the cannon bar is the way forward then.

glad i didnt order the stihl one in the shop today.

 

really got in to this it started out twice the size and after 3 hours past and would of gone on for longer untill there was nothing left!

got a nice long fat peice of thuja i was saving for a crocodile i wanna do next but looks like i spend the weekend clearing timber from a site clearance im on:thumbsdown:

[madmatt]

Thats great for a first attempt.

 

There is a crocodile at the country park I used to work at, I'll try and find a pic.

 

I'll probably get shot for saying this but I prefer chainsaw carvings that are exactly that, chainsaw carved, not the ones that are sanded up with all manner of tackle, perhaps I'm just rough. I like carving but I'm pretty rubbish at it.

[skyhuck]

WOW!

 

Wish i thought i could do that!

 

You should defiantly keep carving,i think you most have a natural aptitude.

[MattyF]

WOW!

 

Wish i thought i could do that!

 

You should defiantly keep carving,i think you most have a natural aptitude.

 

cheers fella,usually my aptitude is down the pub on a sunday afternoon......

give it a go mate its pretty easy.

 

would love to se that crocodile mat,saw one at a show a few years ago and always fancied a go but could not find any croc pics only fishing mag ones!

[madmatt]

If all else fails matt I'll go and take another pic at the weekend.