Cleaning up my carving

[Smitty1]

Hi Guys - I received some flex cut knives for Christmas and a few pieces of bass wood - I have been watching lots of YouTube videos and practicing - my question is - how do you clean up the small shavings on the carving? I can’t seem to get it cleared up.
Thanks

[Smitty1]

Here’s a close up of the face - I talking about the fuzzy wood on the face

[drhandrich]

some use a scratch pad, sometimes some of that material is layered on a mandrel and can be powered with a drill to buff up the carve.

[Claude]

You could also try on old toothbrush.

Claude

[pallin]

In general we like to make smooth final cuts with very sharp tools. Sandpaper tends to destroy details and crisp edges. You might also consider getting some rifflers - fine, curved woodworking files sold in set like this:

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/10pc-smooth-cut-riffler-file-set?via=573621f469702d06760016cd%2C5764197769702d3baa0002e9

[woodburner807]

The Dollar Store usually has a set of brushes such as nylon, brass, steel. That is what I use. A tad over the size of a toothbrush.

[Smitty1]

Thanks for all the help

[joepaulbutler]

I use a fine soft brass brush

[Tom Ellis]

Smitty, If you make a stop cut under the brim of the hat, when you make your cut up to that stopcut, the chips should fall away clean. Looks like a v-tool stopped just before the brim, leaving a little chip of wood. With practice you will learn to eleminate those little chips. Keeping your tool very sharp also helps.
Doug outside is a good youtube channel to watch.

[Brian T]

I don't like the "shreddies", either. Scalpel blades, little blades, and "carving sharp".
One final cut with no second thoughts.
Most of my carvings are a lot bigger. I use a pair of 20-degree skews mostly last.

[drhandrich]

another handy tool is the flame or teardrop shaped dremmel bit, diamond or ruby, even stone. lightly scrub the wood by hand with it, twisting into the corners... nice to have it mounted in a pin vise for better more comfortable control

[Arthur C.]

After final clean-as-possible cuts with very sharp gouges, I spray lightly with shellac and then sand with fine sandpaper...the shellac stiffens the fuzzies and allows the to stand up and be sanded off instead of just bending with the sanding strokes. Another light coat of spray and then rubbing with crumpled brown-paper-bag paper. Try it, it works.

[Eddy-Smiles]

Doug Linker on YouTube used a bristled brush. You can find them just about everywhere. If you only carve small things look in the kitchen utensil section of your local supermarket. My wife has bought me two of them at our local Publix. One is circular with natural bristles around the entire perimeter and the other is a combination hard vinyl and natural bristles with a handy handle.

[DiLeon]

I live in the tropics and there are a few kinds of woods that fuzz like the darn cat because of the outrageous humidity....and basswood is one of them. Which you can hear me muttering how I hate the fuzzies!!!. I use sanding sealer and sand the things off in a finished carving and then I also sand my finish and coat a few times. I have used a wood burner and burn them off with a fast touch that kills the fuzz but does not burn the wood. Or I just make things that look good fuzzy. I can not use a brush or power rotary tool with diamond bits as it will make the wood fuzz worst in this humidity. In dry climates, a very sharp fixed blade razor is good for cutting off the fuzz.

[CW308]

I loved wood carving when in my 20's now I'm retired , and the bug bit me again . I started by first buying pocket knives , then went to the Flexcut carvin jack jor when I visit my Son in Florida . Then bought a folding saw to cut down some walking sticks . For Christmas my Daughter bought me knives from Beavercraft , I have a dremel so I guess I'm all set . Even bought a Ken Onion knife sharpener and some stones and leather. I just cut some small trees for walking sticks but as I'm reading , they need some drying time . Is it best to find wood from a tree that's down for awhile as long as it isn't rotten . Also have wood working chisels .