BEGINNER WOODCARVING | How to Hand Carve a Wooden Sphere

Continuing our beginner woodcarving series, in this video we dive deep into how to carve a sphere by hand out of a cube of basswood. Learning how to carved curved surfaces is a key skill that can be applied to all areas of your woodcarving! Here I go over how to do this with both a simple chisel and a woodcarving knife, and give tricks on how to visualise your 3D shapes while carving and practical advice on grain direction.
Guide to Beginner Tools: • BEGINNER WOODCARVING |...
------------------------
Links to some of the tools that I use: (Please note some of these are affiliate links)
WOOD:
First look locally for basswood at hardwood suppliers/sawmills
amzn.to/2QgIif7
amzn.to/34T5wuS
SAWS:
Ryoba: amzn.to/2OcqPlh
Dozuki: amzn.to/30tf6S3
Coping Saw: amzn.to/30vo4ho
KNIFE:
Flexcut: bit.ly/2lTYnIY
amzn.to/2O6MBH1
amzn.to/30rKpwt
Mora 120: amzn.to/32MSyNx
Interchangeable Blades: amzn.to/31zATsr
Whittlers Kit: amzn.to/2O7YpZN
CHISELS:
My favourite: bit.ly/2kFryiM
Pfeil #3 gouge (I like a 25mm): bit.ly/2kSgWwX
Pfeil Chisel: bit.ly/2kGyJHt
Stubai: amzn.to/30pe5dH
FINGER PROTECTION:
Friction Guard Tape: amzn.to/2LCwtM4
bit.ly/2mn69eB
Carving gloves: amzn.to/32ORIzS
bit.ly/2kRwJMi
------------------------
Please like this video if you enjoyed it, comment below and I'll try answer any questions, and subscribe for more woodcarving content!
------------------------
Website: www.symanwoodc...
Instagram: / symanwoodcarving
Facebook: / symanwoodcarving
Twitter: / seansyman

[@COEYRN]

Thank you so much for posting. I just made my son's friend very happy. I made a machine with the basketball Internet but I use your video to make the ball. I want you to know that you managed to put a smile on a teenager's face. That's what I have to do nowadays

[@McBernes]

This is the single most useful carving tutorial I've seen, thank you!

[@sethbrandjord9409]

Hell yes to the no lathe action! This is wondrously helpful and exactly what I was looking for for a project. Thank you!

[@HBThingy]

Thank you for tutorial! This makes me feel less intimidated about carving!

[@SymanWoodcarving]

Awesome to hear!

[@kartorrent7496]

@@SymanWoodcarving I once stabbed myself with the tool you held in the intro. It hit the exact same spot on my finger that was currently healing from a previous injury. Also, I'm planning to make a wooden animal as a product for my school to sell (It's for a Mock Job {A pretend job to teach about workplaces.}). It looks kind of like an Amiibo because it has a small disc that holds the animal in place while it's in a pose. Any tips on how to do this?

[@rockjock32492]

Thank you! It is really satisfying for me to use knife/chisel as opposed to lathe. Something relaxing about it.

[@cozmicrain]

I’ve watched three of your videos now and I’m sold on trying a chisel!

[@earthangel8596]

Thanks 🤙🏽from Santa Barbara California🌴🌊 received my Helvie knives in the mail last night so I’m browsing the Internet for projects today,.. exciting times!

[@DreadX10]

Thank for this video. Was asked to carve some wooden balls and spoons for a children's bare-foot-obstacle-course. The course has to been navigated with the spoon in hand while keeping the ball on the spoon the whole time. Spoons, I make all the time but a round ball was my first. Went the geometric route instead of the cylinder and i think the cylinder is easier to keep track of where you are (as in how much is there still to cut away). The technique for feeling the high-points and knocking them down works very well. Made three knife-handles with it by starting with a rectangular piece; holding it in your hand like you would use it as a handle; noticing the sharp corners and everything that didn't feel comfortable to my hand and cut that bit off; rinse repeat. After a few thousand fittings and cuttings, ended up with knife-handles that perfectly fit my left hand.

[@chakykong1621]

Thank you for that! Fundamentals so important and often overlooked. I also loved that you explained your process!

[@bradleygray4515]

Thank you for sharing you knowledge and technique for carving a sphere. I had an old newel post the needed repair, and was missing the small ball on top. I couldn't find anyone that sells oak balls in the craft stores, or woodworking supply shops, so I decided to make my own, but I don't have a lathe. Using for advice I carved on, and it matches the others beautifully.

[@antoniosoto7045]

Very nicely instructed. And patient. Excellent job.

[@billybonez4293]

This is awesome. The basic techniques are what help build on larger projects. Thank you.

[@scottmarshall6766]

And we could have done a topo map of the earth if only we had a cnc machine, and a satellite survey..... BUT we still wouldn't have learned to make a sphere by hand. Now we havea good start on it. Thanks for that. I'm a beginner to hand carving who has some of the high tech in the shop. I really enjoy my knives and chisels, and there's absolutely no temptation to fire up a machine while I'm carving. I really enjoy the process, and learning the tricks (like this one) to making a carving look real. It's a very satisfying hobby, and I'm really hooked. I find myself doing even the prep work by hand like cutting out the blanks and flattening the back of a hanging piece. I do a lot of largish fridge magnets right now, and block sand the backs lately where the 1st couple went on the belt sander. Thanks for the video, I'm going to so a piece with spherical elements in it now, just to try my hand at the technique.

[@rossgebert9422]

So glad I found your channel. Thanks.

[@ConstanceMarkiewicz]

This was so helpful! Thanks, I'm trying to make a vintage wooden doll. Will let you know how I get on

[@SymanWoodcarving]

Awesome, thanks!

[@mattpg9042]

Great video. Your Instagram page has inspired me to start having a go. Sharpening video is very informative too!

[@vinnsumcraftist3247]

Thanks for Tips . Amazing Work by you always

[@joeydafishy1713]

this e cuts are sooooooooo smooth

[@harrycordes400]

So excited to start carving. Please post more tutorials! Maybe how to carve some more 3D objects like animals?

[@SymanWoodcarving]

Will do!

[@ijessup]

well, that was fantastic

[@SymanWoodcarving]

Going to give it a go then?

[@SarahM-lw2gd]

Thank you! I've just started wood carving, and I don't have a lathe. I want to make a ball and cup toy as a part of my project to slow down and entertain myself the old fashioned way this fall and Christmas 😃.

[@Stevelemontrudy]

I want to make a table where the legs protrude through the top and are roughly rounded on top. This was helpful. Thanks.

[@fedtmu]

Love it thank u❤❤❤

[@chrisvanwalsum9056]

im working on a horse leg! well only its bones so this will be very helpful! thank you. I subscribed :))

[@CostasLampropoulos]

Thank you so much for the content you bring out. It's an inspiration :)

[@SymanWoodcarving]

Glad to help! Hoping to be bringing more regular content out starting soon

[@banatibor83]

I carve wooden balls as a hobby. I make 45mm diameter balls, two fit nicely into my palm to use as qi gong balls. I use a metal ring to guide me, and it has 46mm hole, so I have enough material for sanding, and I bring it down to 45mm by sanding. I use a similar process, first carve a cylinder, then I carve another from the side then a 3rd one from he side perpendicular to the 2nd one, so I end up with a somewhat spherical object with 8 peaks. Carve down the peaks, then I fine tune the ball till it does fit through my ring any way.

[@yobabybubba]

I must say, that was very interesting. Thank you for the tips. I've done a bunch of ball in cage puzzle type carvings, but all of them I had to just do by eye.

[@Shakillyou]

awesome video man! i enjoyed it :)

[@docolemnsx]

Awesome! I've been researching jigs for power tools for the last couple days, as I don't have a lathe and desperately need to create a wooden tes... sphere for my project. This is by far the simplest way I can go about it, and while watching the video I realised I also have a chisel :D I'm about half way through the cylinder now!

[@wynfrithnichtwo8423]

Thank you! I had a dream last night that asked this question. It was part of my mind trying to figure out how to make a really nice stave (also know as a pen/nib holder.) I would like to make my own fancy stave for my pen & ink and calligraphy efforts someday.

[@joeydafishy1713]

man this guy is good

[@shannonamell7102]

Thank you so much for showing that. Although I will be using a dremel to do it. I had tried a couple of years ago and gave up. I gave up too soon, if I had kept going the way I was going with it, I would have had a ball :) I couldn't find anything at time on it other then using a lathe which I don't have. Thanks again!

[@Ivy_Woodz]

I would love to see you do an amorphous shape out of wood :) you got all the skills necessary to do it idk seems like a cool idea

[@ThePlayatawin]

Thank you for such a simple yet effective explanation! Quick question - could you share how you sharpen your tools?

[@SymanWoodcarving]

I'll definitely make a video on this soon, but quickly: I use a leather strop and honing compund very regularly whilst carving, and use waterstones at 1000 and 8000 grit when the blades are getting dull

[@halflingcarvings]

@@SymanWoodcarving How do you keep a consistent angle while sharpening? I never can tell if I'm applying the blade to the stone/strop at the same angle each time.

[@SymanWoodcarving]

@@halflingcarvings I just put out a video detailing my sharpening process, check it out for more detail!

[@JoelEZ1]

Good on ya

[@rainbow1292]

nice its very helpfull

[@markallen351]

21.45 , thanks enjoyed your video 👍

[@moonstarlight3940]

Hey i have a question. I just made mine and on the ingrain it is still super flat and i dont know how to make it any more round than it already is. Do you have any advice?

[@fastnoc]

nice tutorial! I'm wondering, how often do you strop your tools during a carving like this? I ask because they're clearly sharp, and I can't see that happening without stropping at least every 40-45 minutes since you are using two tools.

[@ryanb8580]

Thanks for uploading this video. How would you go about getting a completely smooth finish on the sphere? Would you use sandpaper or just keep going with the knife/chisel

[@SymanWoodcarving]

I'd get it at smooth as I could with the chisel, and then switch to sandpaper. Start with something like 100 grit and then work up the grits taking out the scratches

[@COEYRN]

Can you show what you carved, it looked adorable I used butternut wood that was given to me by a man that carved birds. Is that a good type of wood. It seems to be but it gets kind of furry

[@Stringman1950]

Nice.

[@shrikalikadeviwoodfurnitur]

Super

[@curiousgeorge555]

good

[@tylerruckh4687]

“This could be a head body a tail” me making a bong 😄

[@jeetray11]

can you apply these techniques on hardwood such as maple? If not, what tools are needed?

[@SymanWoodcarving]

Definitely, and I do so more often that I use basswood to be honest. I tend to lean more towards the chisel for the harder woods

[@jeetray11]

@@SymanWoodcarving I bought a chisel set (1" to 1/4") from Amazon. They struggle to shave wood from soft maple wood (slightly less hard than hard maple). Do chisels need to be sharpened when you buy them new? I wasn't looking for carving sculptures out of softwood but your video inspired me to try some woodcarving for that purpose.

[@SymanWoodcarving]

They do need to be sharpened yes, it's rare that they come ready to go (especially those amazon ones). Side note: although it is soft, basswood is technically a hardwood by structure.

[@jeetray11]

@@SymanWoodcarving - I am working on soft maple. yes my chisels are not razor sharp. but I can't even get them to cut with a big mallet. the maple is that hard. let's say the chisels are as sharp as they can be, are you suggesting you can slice small chunks simply with hand pressure on wood such as maple, cherry, mahogany, rosewood etc.?

[@CashTheRealest]

I’m a new sub. Any advice or videos on carving a plaque

[@wj2414]

Impressive! What’s this wood called again?

[@SymanWoodcarving]

Basswood

[@rodney73991]

cool man went clounbuses to woodcraft store learn how turn circle on lath. think what did knife and chisel way easer and less scarry then that.

[@teddy8123]

Take it to the next level with this Marvelous book; Woodcarving Magic by Bjarne Jespersen. Amazon has it. I'm talkin 5levels of spheres within spheres. It is truly amazing, with great step by step guides. I mention this because you probably have experience that is similar to our Swedish fiend in the book. I promise, just look at the cover art, I've gotten to level 3. Many hours. Genesis

[@javierdevega2489]

Would sand paper be a good thing to use to make it smoother or would you recommend otherwise?

[@SymanWoodcarving]

Sandpaper would be good! Make sure not to skip any grits and once you get up to around 200 grit start wetting the surface to raise the grain between grits to get the best finish

[@javierdevega2489]

@@SymanWoodcarving Thanks so much! Keep up the good work!

[@Tonal236]

Why not a small plane to take the corners down?

[@varshajindal2391]

can spheres be made out of MDF?

[@SymanWoodcarving]

I guess they could with enough tenacity, but I wouldn't recommend mdf as a carving material

[@varshajindal2391]

Thanks a lot for replying, then which material do you suggest which is affordable when it comes to pricing? Want to start my business relating to unique show pieces

[@SymanWoodcarving]

Find local hardwoods that are readily available in your area. For the size of spheres that are easily hand carved, the wood required will not be cost prohibitive, rather the time taken to hand carve them

[@Altrdcarb1n]

now i must make a large one (abt the size of a bball)

[@Alex_W1308]

Wanna make a little wooden Jackolantern

[@garyteague4480]

Make that bigger and you’ll have a pumpkin for fall or a Melon for summer craft

[@lindamorgey6736]

Thousands of lifetime projects with Woodglut plans.

[@COEYRN]

My dad always said ,"blade always away from body, unless you like to sit in the ER for 6 hours"

[@SnowyJane]

There are many exceptions

[@warlandpaint]

My challenge : carve 3cm realistic bird miniature with one hand * Miniature craving suggestions for one hand person's... Please

[@SymanWoodcarving]

That's definitely a challenge! I would suggest maybe using a dremel/rotary tool with carving burrs, and clamping the piece securely. You can also put a carvers screw into the bottom of the piece to make it easier to secure in place. It is likely easier to get one handed precision with a power carver than knives and chisels

[@warlandpaint]

@@SymanWoodcarving thanks for reply ..

[@EDUARDOPEREIRA-pz4qh]

Desculpa,mas pra mim você fez do jeito mais difícil.rsrsrs.

[@sionmagee33]

You call that a knife?..

[@svtirefire]

Lol very good

[@FadedCobe]

I came down here just to find this comment. Thank you!

[@physicalgrafitti4684]

I literally thought that in my head and then look down and see this