Wood carving is the process of creating objects of different kinds from wood by carving using a variety of tools such as chisel, mallet. The wood carvings can be functional or ornamental. 

There are various types of wood that are considered best for carving. They can either be softwood or hardwood. 

SOFTWOOD 

  1. Lime wood (basswood). This a unique type of wood that can be used by both professional wood carvers and also beginners. It is cheap compared to other types of wood used in carvings.
  2. Balsa. This type of wood is very porous and light in weight. Soaking the wood in water enables you to bend the wood easily as it flexes. 
  3. Butternut. This is harder compared to basswood and balsa but it is attacked by insects and you may find wormholes in the wood.

HARDWOOD

  1. Walnut. This is good quality wood for carving kitchen utensils as they will last for a while.
  2. Maple. This is mostly use to create wood art as it changes its form when it comes into contact with moisture.
  3. Red Oak. This is mainly used to create artifacts that last for centuries as long as they do not come into contact with water.

Wood carvers earn a lot from wood carving as the field is not flooded as others. The salary range of wood carvers in the US is between $19,000 to $51,000 and a median of $29,000. There are a number of websites that offer free wood carving courses.

Carving for Everyone.com 

Offers free online wood carving classes and they offer step to step tutorials on how to achieve these tasks for example carving of a nose. One has to register or contact the administrator on their website to be able to access these resources.

Xp Course.com 

Gives free wood carving tutorial videos and classes by professional lecturers who offer the very best teaching techniques and up to date modules on wood carving.

Skill share.com

 Allocates free online carving classes which are then later on upgraded to premium at a fee. This is according to the interest of the individual.

Lora Irish.com

Offers free online wood carving classes which involve how to prepare wood, the type wood to use, the best tools to use and how to trace patterns.

Ron Baileys Wood Carvings.com 

They hold out free step-by-step wood carving classes. The classes are inclusive of advice of types of wood to be used and the types that meet certain requirements.

 Digital wood carver.com

 Offers CNC wood carving courses (virtual training of the use of the CNC machine). Having acquired the best knowledge of wood carving, it is best to advance your skills to the next level by acquiring knowledge of use of CNC Machine which is used in wood carving Individuals who have zero knowledge of wood carving are also taken care of as there are several websites that offer training for beginners. 

Udemy.com 

Allocates classes for beginners who are venturing into wood carving inclusive of free classes of the course.

Carving For Everyone.com 

Offers free training for beginners as well as sourced materials required for wood carving such as Gimar carbon steel wood carving tools.

Mary May’s School of Traditional Woodcarving.com 

This website has free membership which is a whole package which includes 6+ hours of beginner lessons, guides to getting started which includes tools sharpening and suppliers, and also weekly and monthly updates of the available lessons.

Wood Carving Workshop.com 

Presents beginner classes and even tutorial videos on how to start your wood carving journey for free.

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