Chainsaw Carving for Beginners: Patterns and 250 Step-by-Step Photos

INTRODUCTION

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Chainsaw carving takes a certain amount of physical and mental fitness. If there is any doubt about whether you can safely and carefully operate a chainsaw for a length of time, check with your doctor first.

Make sure to know as much as you can about your chainsaw’s cutting and safety systems, and research the subject of your carving before you get started. Then you can create quality work without jeopardizing your safety.

Step by step, we will now approach a project.

WHICH SAW IS THE RIGHT ONE?

Choose a saw that is not too large or too small for you. Your strength and ability should match the saw. Maintain your saw and other equipment as the manufacturers recommend.

It makes good sense to buy equipment at a specialty retailer in your area. There is nothing better than professional advice and competent service. My dealer offers professional help quickly when I’m having difficulty with my saw. And should later repairs be required, I save time and money by working with my local dealer.

The brand of saw you choose plays a minor role; each model has its pros and cons. Once you’ve become accustomed to your saw, its characteristics will, in most cases, be the right one for you.

In an urban or suburban area, neighbors do not want to hear a gasoline-powered chainsaw all day. In this setting, I would choose an electric chainsaw. In my workshops, I work exclusively with electric saws to avoid noise and exhaust fumes. For beginners, an electric saw with high wattage and the option of mounting a carving bar will be good enough.

If noise is not a problem in your area, I recommend a gasoline-powered saw for cutting your timber to length and blocking in your rough shape. With its high-powered torque, you can quickly do the preliminary rough cuts. In time you will likely add equipment and use both kinds of saws. I finish my work with an electric saw, using a carving bar because it minimizes the danger of injury.

CARVING BAR

This tapered carving accessory, with its narrow tip, makes working on fine details much easier. It reduces not only the weight of your saw, but also the potential for kickback. More on that later when we cover safe use measures.

When choosing a carving bar, the model purchased must be compatible with your saw. Also, don’t try to save money on this purchase if you want to enjoy using it over time. (Problems with economy models include bending, short-term wear, etc.)

With its taper and narrow radius at the tip, the carving blade requires a compatible chain and a sprocket matching the driving links. Each manufacturer will of course have their own system of accessories. Your specialty dealer will usually be able to advise you well.

THE CHAIN

Technical Details: the following are details you should know about your cutting chain. Basically, cutting chains come in three dimensions:

•⅜-inch pitch

•.325-inch pitch

•¼-inch pitch

The pitch describes the spacing of the saw teeth, which is found by measuring the space between three rivets and dividing the result by 2. The appropriate sizes for our purposes are ¼-inch and ⅜-inch pitches.

EXAMPLE: 12.70 MM DIVIDED BY 2 = 6.35 MM OR ¼"

TYPICAL LINK SPACING IS:

⅜"

.325"

¼"

ANATOMY OF A CUTTING CHAIN

Driving link, right tooth with depth limiter, connecting link with rivets, left tooth with depth limiter, connecting link without rivets, safety drive link

Typical tooth shapes:

•Full chisel tooth: Angular transition from the side to the top.

•Half chisel tooth: Rounded transition from the side to the top.

RAT TAIL FILES, VARIOUS DIAMETERS. STRAIGHT FILES. CLIP FOR SECURING THE BAR. DIVERSE GUIDES FOR TRUING THE SHARPENING ANGLE AND GRINDING THE DEPTH LIMITER.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

There is much to be aware of in the care and maintenance of your chain. If possible, have a lumberjack show you how to sharpen the teeth. It takes practice to properly file your chain. Still, every chainsaw carver should give it a try. Anyone serious about chainsaw sculpting would do well to practice sharpening. But if you only have time for your hobby one or two weekends per month, the ideal solution would be to have your dealer sharpen it with a sharpening machine.

The advantage is that your chain will be properly cared for and safe to use. The time you save can be used for carving. It is important to use a rat tail with the diameter that matches your saw teeth. Nowadays there are plenty of accessories available to make sharpening an easy task.

It is also important to sharpen the teeth in the proper angle. I recommend a 30° cutting angle. A sharper or flatter angle will lessen your cutting efficiency and increase wear and tear on your chain as well as on the bar.

The same goes for the height of the depth limiter. The depth limiter regulates how deep each tooth can bite into the wood. With the proper height your chain will cut smoothly. If the limiter is filed down too far the chain will bite deeply into the wood, which you will feel as an increase of strain and exertion (arms and back). Besides, this increases strain on the motor as well, and can sometimes result in chain breakage, which is very dangerous.

It is best to use a file gauge. If you do your sharpening without a gauge, I recommend filing a depth limit of between slightly more than 1/64 and a little less than 1/32. Recently chains with shortened teeth that are slanted back at the top have become available at specialty dealerships. These chains bring a real increase in cutting performance.

TIP: For your carving bar, I recommend a cutting chain with modified slanted teeth

WITH A NORMAL BAR, THE CHAIN HAS PROPER TENSION WHEN IT SHOWS NO SLACK ON THE UNDERSIDE, BUT CAN EASILY BE PULLED SLIGHTLY OUT OF THE CHANNEL.

PURCHASING AND INSTALLING A NEW SAW CHAIN

From time to time you will need a new chain. It is very important to exchange worn out or damaged saw chains. Of course proper care and maintenance of your chain is still quite worth your while.

When purchasing a new chain it is important that you