Wood Tools to Make Ridges

A ridge is a protruding shelf that looks a lot like a wave above the ocean. In woodworking, there are a variety of tools that you can use to create this sort of ridge, depending on the project and the degree of skill the user has in shaping the wood.

Chisels

Perhaps one of the oldest carving tools known to man, a chisel is a metal shaft with a sharp end and a blunt end, the latter of which is struck with a hammer to drive the blade through the wood. Chisels can be for rough shaping, which means that they remove large amounts of wood. Or they can be used for fine shaping, meaning that they are meant for smaller, more detailed work.

Carving Knives

Wood carving knives come in a number of shapes and sizes, ranging from broad, heavy-bladed knives for cutting away large slices of wood to smaller, curved blades that are meant to create more delicate details. It is important that you practice with carving knives to get used to them and that you wear protective gloves so that the blades do not accidentally cut your hands.

Rasps and Files

One of the final steps for many woodcarvers is to use a rasp or a file on the wood. These long, metal bars are covered in rough patches that will tear and scrape away wood as sawdust, smoothing out the project. You can use a file or a rasp as the only tool to make a ridge, but they work better as finishing tools.

Sandpaper

Sandpaper is paper that has a layer of rough silicate laid over it. Sandpaper comes in a variety of grades, from rough to smooth, and it can be shaped around the fingers to fit into tight or awkward places. This is a major advantage over a file or a rasp, which is longer and requires room to move.

References

• Sawdust Making: Wood Chisels
• Rigid: General Purpose Hand Tools
• Primitive Ways: The Basics of Working With Stone Age Tools