DIY file cutters

One of the most pressing topics for any carver is where to get a good wood tool? High-quality, well-sharpened wood cutters can help out even a less experienced craftsman. The cuts are smooth, clean, and working with such a tool is much easier! Having tried different options for the source material for making woodworking tools, from scalpels to razors, I settled on metal cutters.

They are quite fragile and strong at the same time. Carbon steel allows you to keep the edge of the blade sharp for a long time; it does not dull even on hard wood. So, first we cut the cutter on a metal cutter according to a pre-applied drawing of the future cutter.

In our case, this is a small cutter knife, which is the main tool of the carver.

The presence of such an abundance of sparks during cutting indicates that the steel is good, carbon, and therefore suitable for wood carving.

It turns out to be such a preparation.

It is desirable that the part that will be in the handle be larger than the blade. This is for durability. We polish the knife blade, constantly dipping it in cold water to prevent it from overheating.

Now you need to make a handle for the knife. To do this, we take slats made of durable wood. In one part we draw the outline of the knife, the other as an overlay.

We cut a hole in the wood in the shape of a knife so that it is flush, coat both parts with PVA glue.

We glue the knife in a vice. Gluing takes about 12 hours or a day.

After gluing, we sand the handle and sharpen the knife to the desired sharpness. Using this principle, you can make a knife with your own hands. By the way, excellent wood chisels are made from metal drills.

And semicircular chisels made from punches.

A knife-jamb can be made from a rapite saw.

Here are some more wood cutters that I made with my own hands from a metal cutter.

Wood drills. Types and description
Wood cutters for hand router
How to make a circular with your own hands. Video

« Previous entry

Carving tools

General principles

Wood carving is a fairly popular technique for decorating various products.

As a rule, the process itself follows this scheme:

First, a blank is made from wood, be it a flat board, a block or a figured blank.

Note! Sometimes undisturbed parts of trees are decorated with carvings. In this case, a fragment is selected whose shape has maximum decorative potential.

Then a rough leveling of the surface of the workpiece is performed, during which all defects are removed from it.

A variety of tools are used for figured carving

After this, the surface is processed with special cutters, with the help of which a part of the wood is selected. Due to this, a decorative relief is formed.
After the actual carving is completed, finishing is carried out - grinding the cut areas, impregnation with protective compounds, full or partial painting, varnishing, etc.

The most important tools in this process are the wood carving cutters. In addition to the skill of the carver himself, it is the quality and correct selection of the cutter that determines how clean the ornament or plot image on the wood will be.

That is why below we will look at the main types of such tools and describe where and how they are used.

Main types of incisors

To create three-dimensional images, craftsmen use a variety of types of wood cutters. In principle, if you have the skill, you can do without some of the products listed below, but to achieve the best result, it is better to collect as extensive a set as possible and use each device for its intended purpose.

Cranberries with blades of different shapes

The main types of cutters are presented in the table below:

Variety	Application at work
Blunt knives	They are knives with short blades in the shape of a triangle with different bevel angles. They are a universal tool, therefore they can be used to form a wide variety of relief objects, ranging from straight lines to small indentations. When working with a blunt knife, three functional zones are used: toe, blade and heel.
Chisels	The most common type of incisors. A typical chisel is a long rod with a cutting edge formed at the end.

Depending on the shape of the chisel edge, there are:

Flat – used to form straight lines and recesses. Flat chisels with a wide blade are also used for roughing to cut or chip away surface defects.
Angle - used for cutting V-shaped grooves and notches, as well as for forming shaped elements. The smaller the angle of closure of the planes of such a chisel, the deeper the relief it forms.
Semicircular ones are one of the most common in figured carving. The rounded shape of the end blade allows you to effectively remove wood from the solid wood, forming a recess. Small semicircular chisels are also used for texturing and scoring smooth surfaces.
Bracket - functionally similar to semicircular, but when wood is removed, a groove is formed with clearly defined internal edges.
Reverse (round and bracket) - used to form semicircular and rectangular protruding parts, as well as to draw parallel lines.

Wood chisels of most varieties can be produced with both straight and curved shafts. In the first case, the design of the tool allows it to be used together with a mallet, in the second, the carving is carried out solely by muscular force.

Read also: How to make an even cut with a jigsaw

Clukarza is usually used for finishing carvings with strong penetration, which allows the formation of a clear relief.

Generally, these tools are classified by blade shape:

Direct.
Semicircular.
Oblique (distinguish between left and right incisors).
"Swallowtails".
Stapled.
Reverse.
Corner ones.

The main function of this device is to remove wood cleanly and in large volumes.

Spoon cutters of different shapes

Additional accessories

However, a master carver, in addition to chisels and knives of various shapes and sizes, also requires other tools.

The required minimum additional equipment includes:

Wood saws (hacksaw or reciprocating saw for rough work, bow saw for finishing work).
Jigsaws.
Drills and rotators.
Planers for leveling planes.
Set of wood files (rasps).
Mallet for processing hard wood with cutters.
Devices for sanding wood.

Teslas of different sizes

If the master works with fairly large structures, then in addition to simple cutters he may also need figured hatchets - the so-called adzes. According to the principle of operation, they are similar to cutters (naturally, adjusted for the scale and purity of the work).

Tips for choosing

If you are planning to master the technique of wood carving with your own hands, then you need to start by selecting the appropriate tool. And here we are faced with a dilemma: really high-quality cutters are quite expensive, but if you buy a set for beginners “on the cheap,” then working with inconvenient and constantly losing sharpness devices will discourage you from engaging in this type of creativity for a long time.

Ready set of tools

The optimal solution would be to buy several good cutters, and then, if necessary, expand your toolkit. To begin with, we will need at least one medium-sized blunt knife, as well as four to five chisels: one flat, several corner and semicircular ones with different blade curves.

High-quality products from a foreign manufacturer

As for specific instances, you need to pay attention to the following features:

The blade must be durable and well-hardened, free from rust and other defects.
The cutting part must be securely, without play, fixed in the handle.

Note! This does not apply to knives with replaceable blades - in any case, they will have minimal play that you will have to put up with.

Handle material: wood or durable plastic. However, the second option is still somewhat worse, since the wooden handle fits much more comfortably in a sweaty hand.
Naturally, the handle should be even and smooth, without burrs or cracks.

If we talk about the shape of the handle, the most common are cylindrical options (suitable for impact carving with a mallet), conical and mushroom-shaped models.
Some manufacturers produce chisels and jambs with anatomically shaped handles equipped with finger grips, but many novice craftsmen have complaints about their convenience.
The manufacturing company also plays an important role: today on the market you can find both domestic and foreign forms that produce products of quite decent quality. But what you should refuse are the frankly cheap Chinese and some domestic cutters: yes, you will save on the purchase, but even if you cut these products, they won’t last long.

A little history

The preparation of logs for the winter, or products for everyday life, were widespread not only in Rus'. But time passed and people who had a desire for beauty in their souls and hearts quickly realized.

That wood is an excellent material on which you can depict your feelings or the events surrounding them. Each nation had its own special techniques for processing wood, which was related to the culture, worldview and worldview of the people themselves. The higher the cultural heritage, the better and higher quality the work of the masters.

In Rus', elements of carving were present in everyday life, which carried a ritual component. Household and kitchen utensils were always decorated with carved elements.

The patterns that were applied to the hut had the meaning of elements and natural phenomena. Or to attract light forces that were a symbol of fertility and longevity.

Today this craft continues to live, perhaps the tools have become a little more convenient and modern. Knives for wood carving were and are now quite diverse. Let's try to take a closer look at a modern woodworking workshop of a master.

Manufacturing and service

Making the cutter yourself

Many craftsmen, either wanting to save money or not trusting third-party manufacturers, prefer to use homemade carving tools. In principle, making a knife or chisel is quite simple, the main thing is to choose the right material.

The photo shows a hacksaw blade and a simple jamb knife made from it

The raw materials for our design can be used:

A saw blade for wood or metal is an almost ideal blank for a jamb knife. During the manufacturing process, we cut off a piece of blade on a machine or simply break it off at the angle we need, and then form a cutting edge.
The wood saw blade also has acceptable characteristics. The carbon steel used to produce such saws holds an edge well, which means that the cutter will not become dull even when working with hard wood.
Before making a semicircular chisel, you can look “in the bins” for an unnecessary punch. To make a tool, we will only need to cut off part of the wall diagonally - and we will get a very convenient device for sampling wood.

An important part of any cutter is the handle.

The instructions for its manufacture are also not complicated:

We take a block of hardwood and cut a handle out of it.
We make a hole at the end of the handle, the shape of which corresponds to the shape of the shank of the metal part.

Gluing the blade into the handle

We glue the cutting part into the handle, and then clamp the structure with a metal ring.

Note! Sometimes the handle is made of two halves. In this case, the blade can be additionally secured with screws or rivets, and gluing should be done in a vice or clamps.

Sharpening cutters

You can only get a decent result if you work with a perfectly sharp tool. And since even the softest wood dulls the blade quite quickly, sharpening wood cutters is definitely included in the “minimum program” of training for a novice carver.

To perform this operation we will need:

Bars of different grain sizes - from coarse to fine.
Old leather belt for straightening.
GOI paste (or similar composition).

We do the work like this:

First, we moisten a coarse-grained block, place the cutter on it at the selected angle and sharpen it using pressure from ourselves.
We switch to a block with medium abrasive grain and repeat the operations until a clearly defined sharpened edge appears.
We carry out the finishing on a diamond stone, removing the metal chamfer that appears on the tip of the cutter.
Then we apply a layer of GOI paste (a composition based on chromium oxide) to the belt and polish the working part to a mirror shine.

Editing on the belt

Advice! Finishing on the belt can be done more often than the main sharpening - this way we can correct a slightly dull blade.

It’s easy to check the quality of our work: if the cutter cuts the newspaper without effort, it means we’ve done everything correctly, and we can start working on the workpiece.

Wide selection of shapes and models

When processing wood blanks professionally, it is important to correctly select the appropriate tool for wood turning. A wide selection and large sets with diverse tips will allow you to cover a significant part of the work.

Based on functionality, wood chisels are usually divided into the following groups:

Rough peeling . The tool has a pair of working edges that meet at an acute angle. It is believed that this design is significantly safer than radius analogues.

Raiser for rough roughing

Finish turning . Similar types of cutters for a wood lathe remove a small layer of chips and are not intended to give the workpiece a shape, but their purpose is to give external smoothness to the outer surface. Metal tips are available with left or right sharpening.

Finishing tool

wood cutter They are used to work with non-standard surfaces.

Shaped can have almost any configuration

Cut-off cutter . It is currently relevant for one operation in which it is necessary to separate some part from the workpiece.

Cutting width 10 mm

Boring . With the help of such products, excess material that appears during the processing process is removed. A special ledge located in the cutting area helps in such an operation.

Boring tool to remove excess wood

Round wood turning tools They are used for processing radius workpieces. The working part can be either radius or with small technological teeth.

Reyer for turning bowls

Wood turning at the end is carried out using a conventional cutting file.
As auxiliary equipment, special stops are used on cutters that limit the depth of cut.

In addition to the standard set, professionals use homemade wood lathe cutters in their work. This approach increases productivity and helps expand the range of finished products.

If you plan to engage in wood processing for a long time, then you cannot do without high-quality tools, which are made from tool-grade steel. It is able to withstand high production intensity, which homemade products are not always capable of.

Homemade wood turning tools

The greatest difficulty in the production of each type of chisel for a lathe is the selection of blanks for the cutting part. In addition to ensuring appropriate hardness, you have to think about the possibility of installing the metal part in the holder. It will allow you to fix the cutter in the desired position for comfortable processing.

The most acceptable material for homemade cutters is tool steel (U8, U10, U12, etc.). It is worth considering that it will be problematic for processing in a garage or at home. This is due to the high initial hardness of the material.

Traditional practice is to manufacture cutters from carbon steel for a lathe and then harden it. The tool itself is made from the following raw materials:

Steel reinforcement or rods. It is preferable to select workpieces with geometric parameters as close as possible to the future cutting shapes.
File or rasp. Knives for home use are made from used files that have lost their original appearance and cutting ability. It is important to check the workpiece for cracks and severe chips in order to obtain a quality product.
Pieces of springs from cars. Such steel is problematic to process without preheating and giving it the closest possible shape. For this operation, an autogen or welding machine is used.

A good alternative is to make a basic turning body in which you can change the cutters. However, such a situation requires the presence of mounting elements in the design of the finished product. During operation, they are required to hold a significant load and not change the original position of the cutting part.

Rasps or files that have already served their useful life can be used as workpieces

When the workpiece has been bent to the required shape, it is necessary to pre-sharpen the edge. At the next stage, the working part is hardened. This is done by heating the tip over an open fire, such as with a gas burner or in a blacksmith's forge. Next, we provide rapid cooling in a large volume of machine oil.

High-alloy and high-carbon steels should not be heated in water, as the internal stresses of the material will lead to cracks, brittleness and failure of the workpiece.

Self-made wood cutting auxiliary equipment for a lathe is recommended to be tested on soft wood. This will help avoid possible negative consequences with it. After a short test, you need to check that the original sharpening and shape of the tool are intact.

VIDEO: How to make a reyer with your own hands (rough cleaning)

VIDEO: Do-it-yourself Meisel (finishing)

Chisels for a wood lathe: types and sizes

Creating wooden cylindrical products is impossible without a hand tool - a chisel for a lathe. It is from under its blade that the unnecessary amount of material is removed and the workpiece acquires an artistic decoration.

Turning chisels can be bought ready-made, but such kits are very expensive, especially high-quality ones. Cutters for wood processing are easy to make yourself, which will be discussed further.

What types of chisels are there?

For professional processing of a wooden workpiece on a lathe, various working tools are required, including a rich set of chisels. Based on their functional role, they can be divided into groups:

For rough processing. They have 2 cutting edges located at an angle to each other.
Meisel for finishing. This cutter is a blade with a flat plane and an angular sharpening on the left or right side. The angle of inclination of the cutting part may be different.
The semicircular reyer chisel is used for working with non-standard products.
The cut-off cutter is used to remove fragments of wood when forming a pattern.
A boring tool for wood turning has a shoulder to help remove excess material released during the pointing process.
Round chisel for processing round products. Its tip can be smooth or jagged.
Cutting file for processing the end sections of the workpiece.
The cutter stop is installed on the tool to adjust the turning depth.