hebsta Chain Saw Art Events

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Welcome to

hebsta's chain saw carving s web site.

please hit the link for our Event:

http://hebsta.webs.com/apps/calendar/

Should we start with just a little bit of chain saw histroy

The oldest chainsaw artist records go back to the 1950s. In 1952 Ray Murphy used his father's chainsaw to carve his name into a piece of wood. In 1961 Ken Kaiser created 50 carvings for the Trees of Mystery.Many new artists began to experiment with chainsaw carving. At this time chainsaw carvers started loading up their carvings in the back of their trucks, functioning as traveling galleries.

In the 1980s the art form really began to grow with Art Moe getting much exposure for the craft at the Lumberjack World Championships held in Hayward Wisconson.

The first chainsaw caving World Championships was held in 1987 and won by then 24 year old Barre Pinske. The growth of the Internet helped the craft take off in the USA. There are now several hundred, if not thousand, carvers in the USA.The UK has followed. This has also been mirrored in Germany and other European countries, Japan, Australia and Africa. It is now becoming a bit of a worldwide phenomenon mainly due to the Internet. Although the general impression of the public is that it is largely "performance art" (because of the noise, sawdust, and very fast carving results)Although many carvers continue to use other tools alongside the chainsaw as an art creating tool, the term can be broadly defined in layman's terms as being "chainsaw carving", as this is the primary tool of use.

So if you are on this Site/Page I’m hoping that you have acquired on of my bespoke chain saw carvings. If so I would like to thank you for your purchase this means more to me than just the money. Its nice to know that other people like what I do with my chain saws.

On This page you will find tips and suggestions on how to best care for your chainsaw carving.

First and foremost, keep your chainsaw sculpture out of direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can dry a chainsaw carving out too fast causing excessive cracking. The sun also has harmful UV rays that will damage the finish on any chainsaw carving and also bleach and discolour the wood, if the outer-layer of the wood is

damaged than water (rain) will add to this damage.

It is my belief that some of the best finishes for chainsaw sculptures is with oils, there aremany types of oils that are suitable and can give a different effect, there are

Tung oils ,
Danish oils ,
Linseed oils ,
Rosewood oils ,

It has been my experience that several coats over several days or even weeks can greatly reduce cracking if not prevent it altogether.

Another important concern with any Chainsaw Carving is, ground contact. Carvings should not be left on the bare ground for extended periods as the wood sculptures will "wick" moisture from the ground and cause softening and decay to the wood fibres ultimately leading to rot. Preferably carvings will be supported above whatever surface they are resting on so that air can circulate underneath the carving and allow the chainsaw sculpture to dry from the inside out, helping to prevent mold, decay and rot

After care for your Chain Saw Carvings

Green wood is wood which has not been treated or seasoned, it retains high moisture content. Typically, wood is considered green when it has been harvested recently, and when the moisture content is between 25% and 30%, depending on the tree. There are a number of characteristics associated with unseasoned wood which are important to consider when making a choice between green and seasoned wood.

When trees are alive, they have high moisture content. Once a tree has been cut down, the circulation stops, but the wood remains very moist for months or even years,

The wood may be air-dried, or it may be dried in kilns,

Wood which has not yet been subjected to the drying process is known as green wood. This type of wood is much softer than seasoned wood, and less prone to splitting. Some people prefer working with green wood, because it is much more forgiving, and it is not as hard on tools as seasoned wood. However, there are some disadvantages to using wood which has not yet been dried.

The primary issue with green wood is that as wood dries, it shrinks and warps. If unseasoned wood is used in something like a structure, it will deform as it shrinks, potentially causing structural instability or reducing the airtight nature of the structure. Drying allows this process to happen before the wood is used, ensuring that the wood will remain straight and smooth.