Boats planked with wood lend themselves so beautifully to carved-in decoration that it’s surprising you don’t see more of it. Details really make a difference, and a well-executed scroll, a carved-in boat name, a star, or a cove stripe will enhance any boat’s appearance. As do cabin windows when they’re framed out and set inward a little from the surrounding surface, carved-in features indicate that the hull planking has thickness—and therefore substance. Painted-on decoration surely helps, but you can’t beat stuff that’s actually carved in.
I‘ve been wanting to decorate the bow of our Handy Billy launch ever since we acquired her, and this year it happened. My friend Reed Hayden, who is a boatbuilder as well as a skilled wood carver, agreed to doctor up the sheerstrakes with a scroll of my design. He makes it look easy and the entire process took only about an hour. As a first-timer, you’ll take longer, but the important point here is that you can learn this skill, and watching how Reed goes about it will help you get started. At first, you’ll go slowly, but with care, your results should be acceptable. Practice will increase your speed.
To get a feel for how Reed holds and manipulates his tools as he carves away at the boat’s forward end, click on the video below. Don’t miss it!
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Tom Roderick says:
Beautiful work and very nice videos. Looking forward to more. Almost 60 years ago I acquired an inexpensive set of carving tools using TV Stamps from Kroger purchases and began teaching myself how to carve wood but, alas, at about age 14 I moved to other interests. I’m making step stools for my grandchildren and carving in their names, etc. and wishing I still had those carving tools!
William Loutrel says:
Echoing others: A sharpening video would be great.
Dave Johnson says:
Great video. I started carving a couple months ago and quickly learned the value of good carving knives. It’s not as hard as you might think and a great hobby. I carved a dragons head for the little Viking ship I am building. You can take a look at nordicboats1.blogspot.com
Tom Burns says:
Reed is a natural instructor, thanks for creating this video. Name board carving would be an interesting subject.
Leslie Hewett says:
Excellent and fun! I echo David Young – would love to see Reed’s sharpening techniques and materials. Yes indeed! Keep on keeping on! Thanks, Wil.
David Young says:
Great stuff. I really could have used Reed’s pointers when I refreshed the carving on Silver Heels’s trail boards a couple of years ago. It would be interesting to see his sharpening techniques.
Lorentz Ottzen says:
It was a pleasure to watch Reed carve, and listen to him describe his tecnique while he went along. I learned a lot. Thanks!
Bill Theurkauf says:
Great video. Some tips on sharpening gouges would be really useful. I’m pretty good with the flat irons, but never get the curved stuff quite right.
Sam Temple says:
That guy is a natural teacher.
Maynard Bray says:
Hi Sam,
Yes, pretty good for no rehearsal. Details to follow on tools and sources.
Richard W. Jacks says:
Thanks so much for this. Please do more along these lines.
Sincerely,
Rick Jacks
Maynard Bray says:
Hi Rick,
Glad you liked it. We’ll keep on keeping on.