Wood Carver

Related Careers

• Cabinet Maker

• Carpenter

• Wood Machinist

• Wood technologist

• Furniture Polisher

The Wood Carver has natural and acquired skills to carve artistic designs onto or out of wood. Although very few Wood Carvers in South Africa have had formal art training, most of them have an abundance of natural talent, enabling them to produce work of exceptional artistic quality.

Although machines are used more and more nowadays to assist the Wood Carver in his or her craft, most of the carving is still done by hand. Different techniques are used for different types of wood. The Wood Carver may also sometimes work with ivory or bone. The wood used has to be checked to ascertain the run of the grain and to detect possible flaws. Once the Carver is satisfied and the wood is prepared, he or she starts cutting away the excess wood to get the required shape of the object. Alternatively, he or she will cut into a flat surface to create something artistic.

 Once the cutting is completed the Wood Cutter finishes the wood surface with finer tools or sandpaper. The object is then sealed with wood oil, polish or varnish.