How to Carve Wood Pliers
Wood crafting is a hobby that has been around for thousands of years, starting back in the days when cavemen fashioned crude objects from wood. Pioneers in the 1800s whittled trinkets with carving knives, and in the 20th century, the advent of power carving and engraving tools opened the doors to a wider, more productive woodworking industry. Hobby woodworkers are always looking for new subjects for their wood carvings, resulting in some odd but creative pieces. Learn how you can carve a pair of pliers from wood that will not only be a great conversational addition to your wood carving collection, but also could be a great child's toy or even a functional tool.
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Instructions
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Purchase a block of wood about 1 1/2 inches thick. The block should be a square wide enough to draw both sides of a pair of pliers on twice, with room to spare. You can use any type of wood, but a piece of smooth unfinished oak would be ideal.
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2
Use a pair of pliers as a pattern. Use a pencil and sketch the pliers onto the wood. It may be easier to disassemble the pliers, because you'll need to draw each half of the pliers separately.
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3
Cut the two halves of your pliers from the wood block with a band saw. A band saw is used for cutting irregular shapes and is the best method for removing your pieces. You will also use the band saw to cut a replication of the stepped channel in each half of the pliers. This is the part of the pliers that makes it possible to resize the grip of the pliers for use with different hardware.
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4
Cut a dowel pin from a piece of the remaining wood to match the size of the metal channel insert holding your original pliers together. Use your band saw to cut the rough shape and 70- or 80-grit sandpaper to perfect the design.
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5
Use 100-grit sandpaper to polish your wooden pliers to a smooth finish, then add a coat of varnish for the final coloring. When the varnish is dry, assemble the two halves of your wooden pliers with the dowel and the pliers are ready to display or use.
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Tips & Warnings
Always wear eye protection when using power tools.
