(Part 2) Best wood craft supplies according to redditors
We found 481 Reddit comments discussing the best wood craft supplies. We ranked the 197 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
Better tool than the one shown in his video, comes with variable temperature knob and flat end and other tips.
http://www.amazon.com/Walnut-Hollow-Versa-Temp-Temperature-Woodburning/dp/B005P1TRAS
Would suggest adding this bits kit to give more hot end shape versatility.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0024JMIPA/ref=pd_aw_fbt_21_img_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=139FHWPPGW5KYRDHVAQA#immersive-view_1456844011167
The Creative Woodburner from Walnut Hollow is what I started with and it's the one I use the most. It's very versatile, has temp control, and you can change the points very quickly. I also have the Versa Tool that was mentioned below; it's cheaper and comes with a case, which makes it a sweet starter tool.
Additionally, get her lots of patterns! (Amazon has many books on pyrography but "grownup" coloring books are fantastic resources, too.) Carbon paper is a must as well for easily transferring those designs onto the wood.
Right now, Walnut Hollow is also having a 40% off sale w/code WBCVIP40 in case you want to get her planks or rounds to burn on. They may or may not get here on time for V-Day so try Michaels or Amazon.
And because by the time she gets the goodies Feb won't be over, have her follow the hashtag #BurntFebruary on Instagram: It's a challenge where every other day pyrographers all over create/share their projects inspired by a particular word (Love, Animal, First Project, etc.). It's a great source for inspiration and ideas.
(Random but also along those lines: For more inspiration to gift her, look up the hashtag #BurntOctober [same concept as above but different prompts] and maybe try making a book with the projects from that hashtag like with Chatbooks, which I think may do it automatically.)
You're not crazy: Producing quality miniatures is a huge PITA. There's a reason professional models sell for thousands of dollars.
My wife worked on some blockbuster sci-fi movies, some stop motion films, and commercials as a model-maker. There's a lot to unpack in your post! It depends on your budget, resources, time, kind of shot, skillset, scale, desired realism, tools, etc. Some simplified options:
If you're just wondering what are the basic construction materials, good ol' basswood and foamcore and an X-acto knife with lots and lots of sharp replacement blades are the cheap workhorses. Sheet styrene and styrene rods and other shapes. Oh, and sanding blocks and sandpaper. So much sanding. If you are cutting lots of beams, stairs, and other thin pieces, the Chopper II is a big timesaver.
If you have access to a machine, lasercut acrylic is another common approach. Foamed PVC is another material that you can use similarly - draw your designs in CAD, print them out on paper, spraymount onto the foam and then cut out by hand.
Whenever possible, premade models or patterns are used to save time. My wife's old shop had a huge collection of model toys, hobby railroad parts, and patterned sheet styrene that they would raid for every project. The latter might be a big time saver for you (sculpting/etching bricks by hand suuuuuucks).
And yes, sculpting and casting. If you're just casting shallow details, Oyumaru/Blue Stuff is pretty handy, cheap, and non-toxic. Depending on your scale, casting from hobbyist molds might work.
Hope that helps. Good luck!
I have this:
Flexcut Tri-Jack Pro
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A2B9U1C?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00
i know its a little more expensive than you said but it is well worth the price.
it has all 3 of those blades but its still a "pocket knife" i absolutely love mine
If what you're looking for is something to put under the character, instead of on:
I've read of people using wooden discs to stack under characters, and gluing labels like these to the disks.
While mine aren't meant for this, I'm sure with minimal changes, you could get it to work. What I would do is cut out each marker with as much extra color as possible, glue the marker to the wooden disk, and then trim the marker to the disk.
The links disks say that they are actually the same thickness as the size of my markers, so you should be good.
I use a Flexcut folding knife with 2 blades. You'll also need a strop to keep it sharp. I have a piece of an old belt nailed to a chunk of wood that works great. You just rub some of this on it and draw the blade along it a few times. It's a small enough kit that I can take it anywhere (except on a plane!).
Here you go!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07652XL34/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
A woodcarving knife.
Mind you I have only used this stuff to carve this one tiny thing but I figure I can always upgrade to different tools if I stick with it for a while and decide these things need an upgrade. Next time I buy supplies, I’m definitely finding another retailer for larger pieces of Basswood though. The selection on Amazon sucks a bit.
Glove:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IVM1TKO/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_BN5WCbEJ88Z77
Blades:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P578XFV/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_zN5WCbWR8JJJA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0037MI3K2/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_mN5WCb9TNQ5A5
Sharpening Tools:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FX9MHIG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_iN5WCbFRFMWSY
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0023W6RS2/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_lN5WCbSTS92ZX
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G2WY7WG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_qN5WCbZ70WC0J
Basswood:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L91JK9J/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_UQ5WCbSS09KD7
How about a hot knife?
https://smile.amazon.com/SE-WP28-28-Piece-Professional-Burning/dp/B0024JMIPA
Might melt the plastic too much or make a clean cut, not sure. I have something like this too in the closet, probably should get around to seeing what it can do!
not mine, but it looks like a Flexcut Whittling Jack. Flexcut have a series of whittling pocket knives actually. I've had my eye on one for a long time now, but i just can't justify the cost as I have a few fixed blade carving knives. And they are more expensive in Norway (25% tax and international shipping).
​
https://www.amazon.com/Flexcut-Whittlin-Detail-Roughing-Walnut/dp/B005V400AA/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2AEQO9CYNCYH9&keywords=flexcut+whittling+jack&qid=1570774888&sprefix=flexcut+wittling+%2Caps%2C223&sr=8-2
If you would like another option here is the Mora if the set.
I got some wooden tokens on Amazon and then made a template in Photoshop to drop artwork into. Then I print off a full sheet on card stock, punch them out, and glue them onto the tokens. They're relatively cheap and thick enough that I can easily pick them up without them sliding around. All of the tokens also have a number on them which helps me keep track of health and when my players tell me which they're attacking.
1" Tokens here for Small/Medium Monsters
2" Tokens for Large Monsters
I haven't had my party fight anything larger yet but I like the idea of butter/yogurt tubs for the larger enemies.
Really, I learned by trial-and-error. Get a good set with adjustable heat and plenty of tips. For leather burning you wanna use the brass tips rather than the steel soldering ones. Practice with your tips and see how they burn and move across the leather.
I recently purchased this kit and used it to make the sling.
Edit: here’s the proper link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07MKM3ZXF?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
If I had the money I would already have a colwood superpro 2, or one if the Razertip brand. This is the burner I currently use and it is great. Not what I want, but definitely worth more than 75 bucks.
Hope this helps.
The Chopper II (better than the original, and only a few bucks more).
Plaplate should be found in any hobby shop, especially if they have a railroad section (The Chopper was originally made for their needs), or online through Amazon or a hobby store.
For a cheaper kit from the same company, here are a couple of options. You can always buy more individual blades and gouges as you need them and can afford them.
https://www.amazon.com/Warren-Deluxe-Wood-Carving-Knives/dp/B0020LOY7C
https://www.amazon.com/Warren-Cutlery-Basic-Carving-Kit/dp/B00NWORRPC
When I upgraded from a beginner burner, I got this. It's definitely an upgrade, but it's still a good "beginner" level tool in terms of price. Great as you learn to control a wire burner.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D56VN8F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_M7AYDb8CJDZY4
What do you think about this
https://www.amazon.ca/Morakniv-Woodworking-Knife-Wood-Carving/dp/B075TB4B2H/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?keywords=mora+120&qid=1569935660&sr=8-14
I’m in Canada so ordering from UK isn’t ideal
As others have said, for knives you really do get what you pay for.
That said, as a starter whittling knife I got this one, and have found it to be pretty great as an all-around knife - from roughing all the way to small details in tight spaces. Comes with a good edge, solid edge retention with regular stropping, comfortable handle. There's no play between blade and handle, but I wouldn't be surprised if some developed over time.
1- Get a bag or two of these guys.
2- Age the wood. It's cheap and easy.
3- Paint or carve different cool designs. You know the stuff. Make them look like game pieces from a board game inside dungeons and dragons. Have some distinct to any other and a couple of groupings. You can use desaturated or dark colors in the aging and colorcode creatures. Use colors that let the good grain visible for better effect.
3.2- You can have some of them color coded or personalized for your party. You can tie stuff to them: a leather stripe, wire, glue glass beads for the sorcerer, a feather for the druid. You can carve or paint symbols: a holy symbol for the cleric, something runic for the dwarf, the dragonborn's initials in draconic, whatever.
3.3- You also have different sizes for bigger or smaller creatures.
4- Profit. Now you have a varied, abstract, easy to follow, customized set of pawns for all your needs, dirt cheap and that doubles as props because they look medieval fantasy AF.
4.2- Extra points if you get a parchment battle mat. Double that if you get those dice that look like bone, gems or any other cool medieval fantasy look.
5- Send pictures to r/DnDIY
Here ya go
Wooden Clothespins are a great thing you can use. Super cheap, disposable, easy to mark with pens/markers. Take an afternoon to draw characters on them, monsters, important NPC's. Even if you just use a simple Minimalist style like this you can easily tell characters apart.
You can get about 100 of em for $15 or so. Its what one of my old DM's used, and they worked pretty fine. These were also in the related items, and could work just as well, though they are clearly less disposable, being almost 50% more expensive.
That's some awesome work.
In-the-round carving is definitely what I am looking to do then.
How are beavercraft knifes I saw this kit and figured 3 knifes, strop, and tool roll it's not a bad deal.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P578XFV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ig0mDbF36FHK4
I have heard bamboo are the best. This might fit the bill for $19.95
www.amazon.com/BamPaddle-Bamboo-Spanking-Paddle-Beautiful/dp/B075WFC9MR/
So I see lots of good suggestions so far.
For knives I like my Carving Jack from Flex cut but if I had to do it again I would get the cheaper Whittlin Jack It has a good blade like the carving jack and I just don't use the other tools to justify the extra cost. I also like the Flex cut chisels.
Others have pointed out Mora knives for another good deal
For carving chisels and gouges I like my Ashley Iles not the cheapest but worth it.
for handsaws I like the Japanese style saws
They are hard to beat for the price and quality.
Keeping all of the tools sharp could be entire other thread.
The DMT Dia-sharp plates are great in the course to extra-fine grades. I have the extra-extra fine and would recommend something like a 6000 or 8000 grit Shapton stone instead.
Mhm, also, it doesn't have a saw, but if people do want to buy a knife that they're going to keep for carving, the Flexcut Tri-Jack Pro is unbelievably comfortable.
Several (hand) tools:
North West Short Line "the Chopper II" (not uncommonly used by architecture students and model railroaders)
https://www.amazon.com/Northwest-Short-Line-Chopper-II/dp/B004P3SRI0
Aluminum cutting rail: http://www.dickblick.com/products/alumicutter-rulers/
Miter box:
https://www.amazon.com/Xacto-X75320-Small-Mitre-Box/dp/B0000DD1O4
What you need is a hook knife
Thanks for taking the time to answer! Is this the pen you're talking about? I was looking at this one. The reviews seem mostly okay, but I wanted to ask around here before jumping in.
Wood Burning Machine Kit 20 Tips, Dual Pen 110V 50W Pyrography Machine, Digital Temperature Adjustment and Electric Wood Burning Detailer for Wood/Leather/Gourd, Red https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D56VN8F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_81FkDbCV53ADG
https://www.amazon.com/Woodburner-Adjustable-Temperature-Pyrography-Woodburning/dp/B079FRS2JM/ref=zg_bs_262717011_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=22BY3DC9GG1TVWMT3EHH heres one that looks good , but honestly i'd get it just for the tips and even then ... it doesnt seem to have very precise heat control like some other more professional ones like https://www.amazon.com/BURNMASTER-Burner-2-Pens-10-TIPS-leather/dp/B01MQQQ0BG/ref=zg_bs_262717011_14?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=42AQ73AT9ZFWJ933GWBN
I got this:
Flexcut Pocket Jack for Carvin', Carving Specific Jackknife Style Tool, 3 Ounce, 4-1/4 Inch Closed Length, 4 Blades Included (JKN89) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049C736E
And I love it.
In order of purchase, here's where I started:
BeaverCraft Carving knife
Strop
Detail knives
Flexcut Cutting knife
Flexcut Detail knife
Mora 106 carving knife (upgrade from the beavercraft)
Hey there!
No harm in trying things out. Unfortunately, X-Acto knife blades are just too thin to work properly on Bass wood.
One of the charms of Whittling is that you can do it with pretty much any sort of pocket knife. If you've got one lying around that you're not using, then you can use it.
I've reccomended various knives in the past; if you've got access to Amazon, then I would urge you to browse their wares.
At the end of the day, what you're looking for is Good quality steel, a handle that looks comfortable, and a compact, safe design.
Do you think this would be a good purchase for doing that?
https://www.amazon.com/BeaverCraft-S15-Whittling-Wood-Carving/dp/B07P578XFV/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2ZAKDUJVTOR82&keywords=wood%2Bcarving%2Bknife%2Bset&qid=1565441524&s=gateway&sprefix=wood%2Bcarving%2Bknife%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-3&th=1
I maybe sort of purchased the first thing for my future children today? I was looking at Grimm's peg dolls the other day on Amazon because they're so cute, they remind me of these little wooden peg dolls I played with at my grandparents house as a child and it just gave me the fuzzies. Then in the recommended products thing, I saw these: https://www.amazon.com/Koalabu-Natural-Unfinished-Wooden-Bodies/dp/B0189Y8W44/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=peg+dolls+unfinished&qid=1562985142&s=gateway&sprefix=peg+do&sr=8-5 and thought they were boring until I saw how people had painted them. I haven't stopped thinking about how I wanted to do that so today I bought them. I'm going to paint them and then save them for my future kids. And maybe one day my kids will think back on them and have the fuzzies, too.
So depending on the type of carving you want to do. Like this is a good knife for spoons like wood spoons or salad tongs. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00343VCCK/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?qid=1420451007&sr=8-14&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70
some of these no matter what. I wish idid when I started. So many wasted bandages. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002IY0IS/ref=mp_s_a_1_17?qid=1420451150&sr=8-17&pi=AC_SY200_QL40
The exacto set. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004Z2UD/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?qid=1420451349&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70 is a good starting set. Eventually if you like carving you might upgrade to something like this. I have this kit. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0020LOY7C/ref=mp_s_a_1_28?qid=1420451227&sr=8-28&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70
I think my DM would prefer more theatre of the mind, but I am absolutely bollux with it and my group is very tactically minded. So we use a mat + minis the vast majority of the time.
This mat is our go-to for pretty much every encounter. It's easy to use, easy to store, and reusable by anyone in anything we're running, from one-shots to our major campaign.
If we want to work up a dungeon in advance, then there's something more like this. I've used both ways. They're both great.
Minis, you can do in several ways.
Here are 5,000 translucent round tokens that are smaller than an inch. You can use your wet erase marker from your battle map to write numbers on them. You can also use them to denote status effects. There are tons of different colors that you can get them in and in smaller batches than this one, but this will give you an idea of what to look for.
Here are 1" wooden circles. They also come in 2" and 3" varieties. That gives you Small/medium, Large, and Huge creatures.
Oh, and here's a tutorial on how to make paper circle tokens. You can print these out on cardstock, cut them out, and use a glue stick to stick them to your wooden tokens.
And! If you don't want to cut out a shit ton of little paper tokens, you can buy paper punches that will cut them for you. I have them in 1", 2" and 3" size.
I also have Paizo minis, but the circle tokens get used a lot more because they're much more versatile. And players love being able to have their own token for their character.
What makes me feel loved is when she sleeps out on the couch with me when I don't feel well just to be close.
Link to $10
Link to $15
and thank you for expressing more love.
Affirmation
The Warren tool set is a little pricier, but a much better quality set.
There’s a really cool marker I’ve seen vids on. It’s called a scorch marker and it’s on amazon I’ve used it a few times for signatures on my pieces and it works good but I’m gonna end up investing in an iron. All you do is write whatever you need on the wood and use a torch overtop of it!
Thanks for the feedback!
So, it feels to me (I may be wrong) like we're thinking of different types of CNC. I'm talking Flat Bed, vertical tooling, to cut a single shape, punch a hole or router out a surface to a given depth. It feels to me like you're thinking of full 3D CNC, which in this application just isn't necessary for the design I've been working on. That said, if I'm mistaken, apologies!
The reason I'm looking at CNC is because I can easily do the Toolpathing myself in Vetric or V-Carve or similar & provide a local company with that & a sheet of Ply & let them at it. Sure, I'll have to pay for that, but the cost should be fairly minimal (I'm in the UK, perhaps its different elsewhere?), but the key thing is that, despite the relatively flexible tolerancing on most CNC beds, what I get out should be sufficiently accurate to ensure that the hexes tessellate sufficiently tightly.
The Hexes mind you are potentially another kettle of fish. I'm looking at a yield per 1220x2400 board of around 2000 hexes. Which is a lot of CNC time. I can mitigate some of that by adjusting my approach to the holes (6mm for a more standard tool so it can just punch right through etc), but the shapes need to be pretty tight (could I make them myself? Sure, but... man. We invented mass production for a reason, I'm gonna use it if I can!). As you've said, there exists the possibility of buying them, but so far I've had no luck sourcing the right thing. I've got close, but the work required is significant (they're not suitable just as they are, though these guys would just about do it, if I could get a few thou...), combined with fairly high costs, makes it a bit non viable.
Alternatively, I do have a few contacts for machining the Hexes & this is something I'm also looking at, those guys love turning out a few thousand of anything!
Anyway, diversion aside, I'm talking local CNC companies here for the benefit of others who don't have the access I do, in my case, I'm going to speak very nicely to my MD & hope they're cool with me buying the materials, doing the programming & pushing the go button. Total cost to me; time + materials = not too shabby.
For others without that, obviously the CNC will cost more, but I don't think it need be prohibitive. Will let you know as I've put feelers out to a few companies I deal with regularly, just to see.
As for the dowel, my plan was always to buy existing & just cut it to length, reckon I need about 4-6 lengths based on my estimates (including saw thickness loss), I'm just not relishing cutting several thousand of the pegs! Can you tell I'm all about automation over here?
But we'll see, I'll get my quotes back from the local CNC firms & Engineering companies & make my call. As long as I can, I'll be using the tools I have access to, but if I can't, I can't!
Here is the knife set that I own. For this project I only used the main knife, which is the middle one.
Hey, so I've done some exploring to find the equipment you're referring to and it turns out there is a ton of subtly different things out there that fit that description. Can you confirm I'm looking at the right things here? Mainly I'm wondering about the gouge, there's all kinds of options - spoon, fishtail straight, and many others.
Chip Carving Knife
No. 5 Gouge
Blocks of basswood I can figure out.
Noob here too. I'm quite a fan of the Flexcut Pocket jack.
Its a little more of an investment, but having the gouge, scorp and v scorp with a 1 5/8" detail blade is great. Plus I am a big fan of the locking folding blade.
This is the one I have for $15, works great but have nothing to compare it too
Another option is a scorch marker and a heat gun. Makes it look like it was burned in. If you've got good handwriting it comes out looking really great. And it's terribly easy.
Wood Burning Kit Woodburning Tool with Soldering Iron Intlmate 54 PCS Woodburner Temperature Adjustable with Soldering Iron Set Pyrography Wood Burning Pen,Embossing/Carving/Soldering Tips+16 Stencils https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MKM3ZXF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_js95Cb0N2X7ZS
I cheated and bought them off Amazon. They have some that fit the board perfectly and are very good quality. From there I printed icons and then mod-podged them on and stained the tiles to create the various resources and types.
https://www.amazon.com/Hexagon-Cutout-Shapes-Unfinished-Mosaic/dp/B071QXYRFL/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1550466489&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hexagon+wood+tiles&dpPl=1&dpID=51IwUQFeqTL&ref=plSrch
I use a wooden paddle with holes like this on myself. Great for creating more impact at an an awkward angle. I'm sure it would be even more fun with a partner.
On Amazon you can get a set of Mora knives for like $50 bucks, it will have a sloyd knife as well as a hook knife. Get a decent gouge for like $20 on Amazon and you're set for the basics.
This a good set to start with...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075TB4B2H/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0fLZBbYGMME6M
Flexcut KN115 Carving Knives, Chip Carving Set, High Carbon Steel Blades, Ergonomic Ash Handle, Set of 3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057P4ARM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2dKZBbR4XBQ3Q
This and this are fairly ugly, but fit the description, though the second also has three blades all are under 2". Folded, both measure 4" or a touch more.
You can expand your selection a good deal if you allow for a shorter handle with a lanyard hole and get or make yourself a fob. With, say, a paracord fob with a fat knot or a washer at the end and a firm grip, I doubt you'll have much of an increased issue with leverage unless you're looking to do a lot of woodworking or other tough material cutting with your pocket knife, at which point you might consider a fixed blade instead.
You might also try /r/helpmefind.
Sorry I don't have any better/more stylish/whatever suggestions. Those were the best I found looking for something similar a while back, saved for a later date when I felt like spending money on something like them.