How to wood carve a ball in a box part 1 

You remind me of my grandpa, We use to live in Vietnam, We would cut down trees, And I would watch him carve

I love this, I was wondering if you'd be able to list all the tools you have used to make this. I have never tried wood carving but you have really inspired me to take it up as a hobby. I'd like to start buying bits and bobs to start soon Thanks!

Awesome step-by-step tutorial, with very clear instructions. Thank you! :)

Great video, clear, informative and well structured. Wish you had more projects to watch!!!! Subscribed and liked...please put more on! Thanks Mr Splinters.

Excellent tutorial. Very comprehensive and organized.

Hi Joe, it's the first time I came across your video for this. I love the templates you use, especially the ones for the curve of the ball. I started a ball in the cage years ago but never got it finished. I'll have to get it out one of these days and finish it. Great video. Thanks for sharing.

Hi Ben-welcome to w.carving ! Its important that the grain runs the length of the block (4") if the grain is running across the 1.75 or 1.5 part then the carving will be fragile.I would recommend that you carve 1/4" off the 1.75 high part of the block so the block measures 1.5 X 1.5 X 4. Plus this will give you practice in using a carving knife.When you get the block down to 1.5 X1.5 X 4 size, just follow the you tube video. Having a block that's 4" gives you more room to carve the ball.

Very nice job and excellent instruction. Thank you for doing this.

Hi - The wood that I like is Basswood. Its reasonably priced and easy to carve. Most arts and craft stores and hobby shops would carry it. Safe Carving - joe

You sound like Chris Angel with a New York accent. Great video by the way.

Excellent video presentation. I always wondered how they did it.

Hi Rick - Thanks for the nice comment. I got so many requests to teach a chain and how to sharpen a knife. Due to work and family I have so little time to wood carve, but will try to make those videos next- safe carving - joe

great...looking forward to more tutorials...thank you...

Hi again - I never heard of carrot soap so I looked it up - It looks like a cool product ! Not sure if you can carve it but it doesn't hurt to try - just be careful, think about each cut and wear a carving glove. The soap might break apart in your hand so please be careful - safe carving-joe

thanks for the nice compliments-when time permits I plan on making more videos but currently swamped with work and family.Im hoping soon I will have another video-how to woodcarve a snowman ornament.Ive been promising you tubers for months!Im happy to hear that your dad will be able to help.I think woodcraft will deliver world wide -just be careful with ebay - some people really over price the woodcarving tools. A flex cut brand woodcarving knife should cost around $20 to $25- dollars. Thanks

Hi MisterSplinters love your projects. If possible, I'd like you to show who to do a chain next. I think with your careful instruction it would come out great. Thank you. //Rick//

Very cool - what subjects did he enjoy carving? how many tools did he use? Did he purchase the tools or were they hand made? Thanks !

Thanks for the comment - and thanks for the cool socialmediabar link ! Safe carving-joe

Nice tutorial.Thank you. Sharp knife! How do you sharpened them ?

Hi another you tube viewer helped translate your question. The carving glove that i use in the video cost around $25.00 (USA) Hope this helps.

you can do a search on the internet for woodcarving supply stores. wood carvers supply in Florida should have the size I use. Also can try wood craft stores or the wood craft shop. You can ask them to cut the wood to the size. It doesn't have to be the exact measurements that I use. Just make sure the ball is bigger then the border so it doesn't fall out of the box. Hope this helps -Joe

Hi - thanks for the comments. I didn't design this carving. Carving a ball in a box(or cage) has been around for years. As far as I'm aware the way I show viewers how to carve this project in this video (using circle templates, etc) was my idea. In wood carving illustrated winter 2013 issue (comes out next month) I show how to carve a ball in cage in another cage (I designed that one)! safe carving - joe

Your welcome- Looking forward to hearing what your mentor suggests. Safe carving - Joe

Hi - You can purchase all supplies that I used for my videos at any woodcarving supply store. There's stores all around the USA called WOOD CRAFT. If you go to their website you can look up the store address in your area. If you live out of the USA you can always shop online. They have great customer/technical support. Also there's a great mom and pop carving store called wood carving supply(its in Florida). Hope this helps - Happy holidays and safe carving -joe

Hope you still get a chance to answer these.. but i was wondering which type of wood is best to use for those specific carvings? where can i get information about which standard sizes of raw materials that i can buy?

Thanks for the comment ! Hope you get a chance to carve these projects - happy holidays - Joe

Hi. how many hours did it take you to make this and how long would it take for a beginner. It looks really cool and I would like to have a go. Thanks

hi - good question! Yes, but you just have to be very careful with your cuts-especially when trying to carve the box or cage - you can easily slip and cut into it. Make sure the knife is razor sharp because carving the boxes sides which is the woods end grain is tough. And last but not least , try to use a pocket knife that locks the blade into position so the blade doesn't accidentally close on you while trying to carve. Safe carving -Joe

hi i was wondering if you could send me a list of all the tools you used, it would be very helpfull, thanks.

Cool - thanks for the comment!

It doesn't matter how you make the large, medium and small templates. As long as they fit in the box so you can check different areas of the ball. For example if you want to check 180 degrees of the balls curve make a large template that will cover 180" of the ball. hope this is coming across clear. Safe carving-joe

With no distractions and all tools razor sharp about 2 -3 hours to make the project. Making the video took A LOT longer:-) I would say at least 10 hours and plenty of mistakes making the video. We included a bloopers reel. - safe carving - joe

@cekinxxx Thanks for watching and for the comment. - Joe

What's the wood that you use for this kind of project?

Im new to this, what wood is the best to use?

Hi - Not at all. Just be careful when drilling out excess wood. Think before using the drill and or dremel. Ask yourself what will the drill bit (or dremel bit) hit if you slip or drill too deep into the piece. Also many carvers prefer power carving 90% of their carvings and then only use carving tools for small details (like eyes). Safe carving -Joe

Thanks for taking the time to watch and for the comment !

You should link to the second part on the end screen.

where do you get the wood from? store... online...?

Hi - I used basswood for this project. You can get at any wood carving supply store or most arts and craft stores. safe carving - joe

Cool - would like to see your latest pieces. Do you have a digital camera? if so I can try to walk you through loading the pictures to your computer and then sending them via your email account.

subscribed awesome video!

Ran out of characters (you tube only gives me 500 characters). when you carve the block down to 1.5" I would use a combination square (like the one in the video) to check to see if the block has 90 degree corners. I hope I came across clear, let me know if you have any more questions. Have fun and please wear a carving glove. Safe carving - Joe

Did u make up this? Just wondering

I'm really struggling to carve into the end grain on reach side of rectangle cage, any suggestions??

Cool thanks for the translation

very cool - Feel free to email me if you have any further questions - Safe carving and happy holidays

Hi again - I tried to translate using software but I had no luck using the software. Sorry. Joe

I would recommend Basswood (Also named lime or linden wood) its readily available at online woodcarving supply companies. They come in all different sizes. I used a block that's 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches by 3 inches in length for this project. Hope this info helps ! safe carving - joe

Unable to do this project cause my hands just wont do what their told Inspiational +++ ....I wanna carve something though!!!!!!

Oh-ok I thought you lived in the US.It amazes me that I receive emails from around the globe! You can try to contact woodcraft (google)and purchase a richard butz carving knife through them. I think they cost around $15.00 and if I remember correctly they include instructions on how to sharpen the knife. If your able to order and the price is within your budget then ask woodcraft if they include the sharpening instructions and also ask if they can sharpen for u.(I think they charge $5-)

where do you buy your gouging tools?

it translates to "How much is this glove?" (russian)

@dyegear999 Thats funny ! Actually if you watch the credits at the end of the video we give Cup Cake(the puppy) credit for the sound bite:-) Safe Carving - Joe

what wood quality are you using?

To think about four years ago I did this with just a knife. 🤷‍♂️

Thats cool [•]

1-3 / 16 of an inch... WTF... Greetings from Germany...

Great the second video is gone.

This ball in the box could make an excellent valve for machines that has pumps in it or needs mechanism for one way fluid movement! 🤔 In fact it's exactly what I need to make right now, I'm doing some plumbing works, Thanks for the video ! 😃👍

Very good tutorial, it really covers all the steps well and you provided a lot of great shots to show the details!

Hi sorry for the late reply - I use an index card or the cardboard from an empty tissue or cereal box. I draw three circles the same diameter that you want the ball to be carved. Next I cut the templates out with scissors or a knife (an exacto #11 knife works great). I make the templates three different arc lengths so I can check the progress of the ball from different sides of the box. I hope I came across clear - let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks safe carving -Joe

Thanks for the nice comments - If you don't feel comfortable using wood and sharp tools - you can first try using a bar of soap and a butter knife and see if you hands will listen :-) if they do - then you can move onto the Basic Owl video - Its a fun beginners project. Let me know what happens or if you have any questions. Also u can check in your area for a carving club. safe carving - Joe

PART II. When it comes to carving the ball I would recommend you using a carving knife and a #2 or #3 sweep gouge (Like I explain in the video) if you power carve the ball you might damage the box borders. If you decide to power carve the entire project, just be VERY careful. The power tool can kick back on you and you can cut yourself and/or damage the project. Hope this info helped and I didn't confuse you! - Safe carving -Joe

Oh man sorry to hear that ! Glad that your not giving up. Before you use a gouge or any woodcarving tool say to yourself if I slip where would the tool cut into. Always plan each cut very carefully. How is the cut healing? When time permits I will make a safety carving video - Thanks for the email-Joe

Hi again, I just viewed your site and really enjoyed the power carving school video that you have posted. If your a student at the school it wouldn't hurt to ask the instructor to view my video and they can recommend the power carving bits to carve the ball box project. Please let me know how it turns out . Safe power carving - Joe

@chablispark Hi - Thanks for watching and the comment. i will try to make a how to video on sharpening a carving knife as soon as possible. Theres a great book written by Richard Butz called: How to Carve Wood: A Book of Projects and Techniques (Paperback) (ISBN: 9780918804204) He explains sharpening tools in detail. Thanks -joe

Hello !! Great video : ) I am a beginner woodcarver and am working with power tools. What are some tips you can provide for methodology in doing this with power carving tools ? For example, what would be a good bur for my flexible shaft tool ? Thanks so much !!!

Hi - I'm sorry I was unable to understand your question. Would it be possible to translate to English then I will be able to answer. Thank you for watching! Joe

Thanks for the email. In the video I used the following: 1.5"X1.5"X3.5" basswood, Carving knife, Safety glasses, Carvers glove(to protect my hand), #2 or #3 sweep gouge that's anywhere from 10-16mm wide, skew chisel, circle template or drafting compass to make a 1-3/16" diameter ball. Strop and compound, combination square or ruler, index card, graph paper, pencil and sand paper. Have fun and safe carving - Joe

LOL - I don't hear my accent BUT NO MATTER WHERE I GO OUTSIDE NEW YORK I hear how I have a heavy accent - Thanks Safe carving - joe

LOL - sorry about that ! At the end of the video I gave cup cake credit for her whining. Safe carving - Joe

I have just got started in caricature carving, do carvers consider it cheating to use a drill or a dremel to remove some of the excess wood in the beginning?

LOL - Go for it ! Let me know if you have any questions or trouble carving it. Safe carving - Joe

Where did you buy your block of carving wood from? I really want to try this but I don't know where I can find it.

Mr S. It HAS to be a caving glove for my up and coming birthday (present) Since Ive discovered carving via an old pine bed Ive been carving for approx 2 weeks approx 30 hours of intense concentration (and excitement) I guess I have been really lucky eg like not gripping work piece correctly and BANG a very near miss! So far NO BAND AIDS yet I,m acutely aware of how easy it is to do damage ! I wish I knew how to upload a pic of my latest projects, a Soldier, a Cowboy, Angel Cheers Richard

Was given an unwanted pine double bed ,took the 15 lenghths of clean "batten" and good screws (often will pick up a used pine bed for good used timber) However I did not try your idea of using a bar of soap and butter knife. When cuttin the bed posts into scrap I tossed one in the bin and WOW about 8"x4x4 with around ball on top (size of a tennis ball) Head already turned I,m on my 3rd STATUE !!! Mr Splinter I,M ADDICTED ! Thanks SAFETY FIRST.sitting carving on my lap I find safer I think

I hope this doesn't sound racist or something (it's not supposed to) but when I heard your voice, I could imagine what you looked like even though I have no idea what you look like. Great job I like your tutorials and am looking forward to seeing more :)

Hi Theres no formula but I did email you some helpful tips. Thanks - Joe

Can you list all the tools used in this first part of video?? thx I had trouble to listen to the knifes name, since english is not my first language sorry and great video :D

Can you do this with a regular pocket knife? I'm a newbie hoping to get into carving but have no local mentors, or mentors in general.

i agree with tommygunn, although this is impressive i would enjoy seeing this done with a harder wood, and how the techniques would change

how would you adjust your ball size and cage/edge size if you were using a different size block(a 1 x 1 x 3 for instance)?

Sure - just need a couple of days to send. Safe carving -joe

@squidskunk Thanks for watching and for the + feedback!

Lets put mutagen in it! 🐀🐢🐢🐢🐢

the dog whining in the background sounds exactly like mine i kept pausing the video to check

Great Video! what brand of wood tools did you use? also, what type of wood did you use?

were will i be able to get wood that size or will i have to cut it to size myself?

Do tell me Mr S what is that accent of yours New York cheers Richard

Very Cool - Safe Carving -Thanks - Joe

Hi - any woodcarving online store should carry it. you can even try fishing supply stores (fisherman wear when cutting fish). Look for one that is made from KEVLAR. Its a super strong material. ALSO no carving glove will stop puncture cuts they only stop regular cuts (when the blade accidentally hits the glove-NOT when the point of the blade hits the glove) safe carving - Joe

Thanks for the + comment.Good power carving question! I don't do a whole lot of pwr carving, but I would recommend the following tips.I would chuck a drill bit into the shaft tool and drill thru all the sides that need to be gutted out. Make it look like swiss cheese but be careful you don't cut the ball area!! Then use a coarse grit bit and gut out those areas (the areas left and right of the ball) Then take a very small diameter medium to fine tip bit and carefully pwr carve the borders.

Hi Merci - Thanks for the nice comment! Sure I would love to see your carving piece but I'm not sure how to send it either. Does your iphone come with an usb cable that hooks up the phone to your computer? Then maybe you can upload to your computer. Once its on your computer, you can try emailing it to my email acct: splinters85@hotmail.com or maybe you can email me the pic directly from your phone to my email acct. Thanks and safe carving !

Thanks for the comment ! I purchased my Richard Butz carving knife, PFEIL gouges and palm gouges all from woodcraft. They have many stores across the US. Just go to their website and click on store locations. The tools are A+ quality. I think for an additional $5- they will sharpen the BUTZ carving knife for you (gouges come sharpened). Good luck with your first project - please email me pics of completed piece. Also feel free to email me with any more questions. safe carving-Joe

Hi - That's a tough question, because I never timed myself. Making the video took me a while because of all my mistakes (check out the blooper reel). With no distractions I think I can carve this in 2 hours. I think someone carving this for the first time would take maybe 3-4 hours to complete. If you try it, please let me how long it took. Thanks and safe carving -Joe

LOL - No worries you didn't come across racist-I get a lot of comments about my New York accent. Glad that you liked the videos - as soon as I find the time I will have more videos posted. Safe carving & Thanks ! Joe

Hi-you can use a regular pocket knife, but it must be very sharp and the blade itself should be grind down to a steep angle so it will carve through the wood. I would recommend the blade angle to be 20-25 degrees. If you search online for a woodcarving supply store (woodcraft, wood carving supply or the woodcraftshop) they sell good quality carving pocket knifes. I believe the company Flex cut makes a ready to use razor sharp pocket knife. Happy holidays - joe

Hi - I would recommend designing it on a piece of graph paper using a pencil. For a 1"X1"X3" block I would make each border on all sides of the cage around 1/4" and the ball 3/4" in diameter. Hope I explained it clear enough - safe carving - Joe

Thanks so much for your helpful reply ! Thank you for watching my video : ) I am going back up to that bird carving school in July and will ask my mentor what he suggests. I'll let you know what he says ! Thanks again !