Carving Supplies

Bandsaw Blades

Bandsaws are one of the least understood machines that carvers use. Having the right blade can make a huge difference in the ease of cutting out your blanks. The Olson blades we sell are 3/16" deep, 4 teeth per inch (TPI), skip tooth. To demonstrate their great ability to cut curves, I routinely trace a dime on a 10" thick block of wood and then cut entirely around inside the dime profile. I would not even consider using any other blade now. They are very sharp, smooth cutting (for a 4TPI blade), and long-lasting. Each blade is precision welded and guaranteed against defective welds.

Quackwood knives

We carry Quackwood knives from Alberta because they represent the best overall knife value on today's market. Each knife is carefully hand-made from high carbon steel using traditional methods of shaping, hardening, tempering, and polishing. They are extremely sharp when purchased and they hold an edge for a long, long time. An occasional pass over a strop will keep them in tip-top shape. Handles are all made from select Cocobolo wood. A superb knife.

Optivisor

Having trouble seeing the fine detail? We have the solution! From our convenient clip-on magnifiers through economical Opti-SIGHT^™ magnifiers to the top-of-the-line OptiVISOR^™ and OptiVISOR^™ LX headband magnifiers, you'll find a magnifier to suit your needs. They are all comfortable to wear, easy on the eyes, and made from quality optical glass or acrylic. All offer a "binocular" view for accurate depth perception.

FAQ: How do I know which lens I should get?
A. Generally, the #3 lens is your best starting point. It gives the best combination of magnification and comfort. You can work around 14" away from your eyes and you still have good depth-of-field - meaning that things somewhat closer as well as further than 14" will still be easily seen. With higher magnifications the focus distance gets closer, depth-of-field drops quickly, and eye fatigue is more likely. I use a #3 visor most of the time and a #4 occasionally. I have an OptiLOUPE on my #4 visor - it's unbeatable for tiny detail and removing slivers.

Swiss Sandpaper

Swiss Burgundy Sandpaper. Probably the best sandpaper made. Cloth backed, very flexible, with very sharp grit that stays on the backing. Great for hand sanding or for use on our cushion sanders. Also works very well when wrapped around a tapered or split mandrel. An exceptional product! Supplied in 4" rolls.

Handibond CA (Cyanoacrylate) Glue

Sometimes called Super Glue, CA glue is very versatile and popular for many applications from general repair to strengthening and fabrication. We stock Handibond CA glue - made by one of the world’s largest CA glue manufacturers. Handibond CA glue is among the finest quality glues available. For most carvers, a 1/2 oz. bottle will last a long time.

Epoxy Glue, Paste and Putty

Epoxy glue and paste is great for general gluing and assembly, especially on larger projects like whale carving and on large areas where CA glue would be impractical. Epoxy putty is great for setting eyes and making feet.

Brass Rod, Tubing and Sheet

Brass rod, tubing and sheet is unmatched for making structural components on your carvings. It is great for bird feet, branches, leaves and structural support. All brass tubing and rod telescopes, allowing you to increase diameter by inserting rod or tube into the larger size (for example, a 1/16" rod or tube will fit into a 3/32" tube, which will fit in to a 1/8" tube and so forth). Square tubing works the same way and is used by many carvers for structural support because it's square profile prevents mounted items from rotating in the tube. Brass sheet is ideal for making leaves and loose bark and for webbing in duck feet. All of the brass solders easily and can be carved or ground using carbide cutters or small cut-off wheels. We recommend sealing brass brass components with White KT Super-Sealer before painting - the KT Sealer gives a supper base on which to paint with acrylics or oils or with an airbrush.

Aluminum, Copper and Tin

While brass is by the best and most popular material for making feet and habitat. Aluminum is ideal for making armatures for clay models (copper and brass can react and discolour many types of clay). Copper tube and sheet is also nice for habitat construction. Tin sheet can also be used for inlay, embossing or punching and is not as prone to tarnishing as brass or copper. Tin and aluminum are not suitable to solder.

Digital controller controls supplied digital handpiece and optional brush type (5 pin) analogue handpiece. Max 50,000rpm, Torque control system, RPM digital display. Supplied with controller, handpiece, foot control, 1/8" collet, 3/32" collet adapter, 30 piece diamond bit set and 1 year unconditional warranty.

Hawk Portrait, 2 DVD set with over 105 minutes of instruction by Sue Walters, including 20 minutes of tips and techniques. Includes 16 page booklet, 2 patterns. Complete a hawk in 10 lessons from one of the world’s best woodburning artists.

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