Am I getting a bit crazy trying all sorts of things?! From 30 years behind computer screens to big workshop machinery, and now sitting quietly with a miniature gouge—my brain is officially going through a full-blown craft crisis!
The carving bug actually bit me while I was on a trip to Chennai, India, in June 2026. While exploring local woodworking capabilities—hunting for timber specialists and seeing what the local scene was like—I quite accidentally stumbled upon a master woodcarver named Mr. Dhananjayan. He spends his time traveling between Chennai and other cities, taking on intricate commissioned projects.
Mr. Dhananjayan holding his stunning hand-carved works—a detailed wall shrine of Lord Ganesha and an ornate elephant relief panel in Mahogany wood.
Mr. Dhananjayan was kind enough to showcase his work and give me a tour of his workshop and toolset. Quite frankly, I was completely blown away—and humbled. There were no multi-thousand-pound walls of gleaming chisels like you see on YouTube. His toolkit was shockingly simple, basic, and raw. Yet, with those humble tools, he produced breathtaking art. It was a massive revelation: you don’t need a massive budget or fancy gear to create something incredible—just drive, patience, and pure perseverance.
Getting Hands-On Back in the UK
While still in India, I heard from the SFWW team that a workshop was being cleared out and they had a Proxxon MOS Carving Kit up for grabs. After a quick chat with Tim (SFWW), I decided to buy it and give carving a proper go.
Once back in the UK, I gathered my new Proxxon kit, and dove headfirst into my very first relief carving project. Tim very generously gifted me couple of blocks of lime wood (one small and one large) to play with and I also borrowed a Flexcut Power Gouge handle from him. I used the smaller bit for my initial experiment but still scratching my head over what to make with that bigger piece, so wish me luck for the next project and blog!.
The Proxxon MOS kit and Flexcut handle—ready for action.
The Results: Trial, Error, and Timber Revenge
I sketched an eight-petaled flower onto a block of soft lime wood and set to work clearing out the background.
Well, the results speak for themselves… and let’s just say Michelangelo’s reputation is completely safe for now!
From a hopeful pencil sketch to a background that looks like it survived a minor badger attack, plus a split petal courtesy of me ignoring the grain direction.
Lessons Learnt
Since this was only my very first attempt at carving, calling this a full ‘Lessons Learnt’ list feels a bit ambitious—so let’s just call it a few upfront findings (and scars) from my first fight with the grain!
Grain Rules Everything: Push the gouge the wrong way, and the wood will happily snap off just to teach you a lesson.
Depth is Tricky: Getting a smooth, level background with hand gouges takes way more control than it looks.
Passion Over Precision: It may be rough around the edges, but taking a block of wood and turning it into a 3D shape by hand is addictive.
Now, to stare at Tim’s gifted block of lime wood until inspiration strikes… Wish me luck for the next experiment!
