Carving PVC
Carving projects vary widely and can encompass the practical and the fanciful. While wood is the preferred medium for many traditional carvers, polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is also a viable material that doesn't require a lot of money or effort to acquire. Whether you're an experienced carver or just getting started, PVC can be a great carving material.
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PVC
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Polyvinyl chloride is a plastic made from a petroleum feedstock. PVC comes in a variety of colors, depending on the manufacturer and the dyes used. It can be purchased as a pipe, a sheet or formed into a given shape like a block or a sphere, depending on what you need for your carving project.
Tools
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You can work PVC with the same tools that you would use for basic wood carving. Carving knives and hand tools, such as saws and files, also work well on PVC, which is less resistive than wood. Power tools should be used with caution as the excessive heat could cause the PVC to start melting. Always use lubrication applied directly to the PVC when using power tools.
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Benefits
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PVC has a number of benefits for carvers. It's softer than wood, and certainly softer than metal, an advantage for those who are new to carving or are physically limited in how much carving force they can apply. PVC also comes in pre-made forms, which can be convenient for carvers. If a carver is making a tobacco pipe, for example, then a PVC pipe that requires only a little additional carving and decoration is perfect for the project. If a carver is cutting flat pieces with a jigsaw, then a sheet of PVC will get the job done nicely. Larger, bulkier forms of PVC, such as blocks, can be carved like traditional blocks of wood or stone into statues. PVC is also recyclable. Once you're done carving, all you have to do is bag up the slivers and remnants and toss them into the recycling bin.
Drawbacks
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While PVC can be a great carving material, it may not be right for all projects. A material as soft or yielding as PVC may not be suited for a project where you need to have a carving that is strong and upright. PVC remnants can also get into the grooves of your tools, requiring strenuous scrubbing and cleaning. PVC is also plastic, and if you don't want your finished piece to look like plastic, then you'll have to get creative with your coatings and details to change the appearance.
Potential Projects
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Generally, you can make anything out of PVC that you can make from wood or stone, provided that the plastic is strong enough to hold up its own weight. You could carve statues, or make gargoyles for a drain spout. PVC is great for carving woodwind instruments or a tobacco pipe. You could make fishing lures or charms. PVC can be decorated and accepts paints and stickers gracefully. So, once you're done carving and smoothing your finished PVC piece, it doesn't even have to look like plastic.
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References
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