Tools of the Trade

Do you have a special way to carve a pumpkin?
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jadewik
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Tools of the Trade

Post by jadewik » Sun Sep 18, 2011 2:59 am

Since people frequently ask what tools I use to carve, I thought I'd take a photo of all my wonderful carving toys... err.. tools. So here is what I use to carve.

To cut lids, I just use a BFK... that's "really Big Knife"... *coff *

Below are the scoopers I use to "gut" my pkins... as well as the numerous knives I use to do the carving. I prefer Pumpkin Master's knives because they are thinner, straight, easy to work with... and I get new knives every danged time I buy a pattern book (which is when I see a pattern I like... so a lot). That pic also has 2 sculpting tools from a sculpting kit I bought-- it came with 4, but I broke 2 of them carving Darkness....

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For sculpting, I use a set of small wood gouges my husband bought at the hobby shop for me. =)

Pkin Masters also has that 4-in-1 tool that's kinda good for sculpting. I bought two because it's plastic and I'll probably break it and not be able to find another one. I've also heard of people using clay-sculpting tools to carve pumpkins... I haven't bought any... yet...

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Gouge tips:
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Some not-oft-used-tools-- a saw and a dremel. I've never used the saw... because I'm worried about losing detail in my carvings and sawing off a leg or something... used the dremel once and wasn't a huge fan, but I keep it around just in case.

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Some Pumpkin Pattern books I've collected over the years-- don't really use 'em all that much to be honest.

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... as for definitions of carving... I use the following to describe different types of carvings:

Traditional Carving - Pumpkins carved all-the-way through
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"Shading" Carving - When Pumpkins are carved through in some places and partially carved in others.
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Sculpting - When the pumpkin shell is shaped to look like something else.
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Jack Skellington
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Re: Tools of the Trade

Post by Jack Skellington » Sun Sep 18, 2011 4:08 am

Currently my wife & I use a big knife for the lid, a scooper for the insides & a little hole puncher thing that puts tiny holes along the stencil, so that the little saw knife we use can carve it easier.

We're looking around for some better tools at the moment. Although just using those we have made some awesome Jack O'Lanterns! :D
Yours in haunting;

The Pumpkin King of Hallowe'en Town

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Pumpkin56
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Re: Tools of the Trade

Post by Pumpkin56 » Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:36 pm

I have that pumpkin masters "power saw" too and I personally think it sucks. I can definitely carve faster and more precisely without it. I'll be trying out a dremel this year though. I'm using it for a shaded design so hopefully it helps more than it hinders.

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jadewik
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Re: Tools of the Trade

Post by jadewik » Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:42 pm

Pumpkin56 wrote:I have that pumpkin masters "power saw" too and I personally think it sucks. I can definitely carve faster and more precisely without it. I'll be trying out a dremel this year though. I'm using it for a shaded design so hopefully it helps more than it hinders.
I've never used the power saw... bought it at an after-Halloween sale a couple years ago, but I've been doing too much detail work to use it. If I ever do just a traditional scary pumpkin face, I might bust it out.

For shading, I like the wood gouges... dremel can slice through pumpkin like butter and it gets everywhere. (I'd carve outside if I were using a dremel.)

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Pumpkin56
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Re: Tools of the Trade

Post by Pumpkin56 » Mon Sep 19, 2011 1:54 pm

Yeah I have heard the Dremel tends to make a mess. Already got my goggles and my face mask ready. I've stopped using the real pumpkins since those little punks tend to collapse on me. Now I'm strictly artificial so maybe they can handle the Dremel a little better? Who knows. It's kind of makes giggle to think that my pumpkins have gotten so serious that power tools are now involved 8)

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Jack Skellington
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Re: Tools of the Trade

Post by Jack Skellington » Tue Sep 20, 2011 4:42 am

I mentioned in another thread that I was thinking about getting a Dremel. I don't like the sound of all the mess they make though!
Yours in haunting;

The Pumpkin King of Hallowe'en Town

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Pumpkin56
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Re: Tools of the Trade

Post by Pumpkin56 » Tue Sep 20, 2011 9:11 am

We work in a messy business though so it's all good 8)

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