An easy step by step guide for making a simple soap carving knife.

With only three craft sticks (popsicle type) young folks can learn how to care for carving and whittling pocket knives in a relatively safe way and have fun while doing so.

After completion, the "Soap Carver"can be used to make carvings out of bars of soap, cakes of plaster (made from a mixture of  equal parts plaster of  paris and vermiculite molded in small milk cartons,etc.) or modeling clay.

Important:  The following project should be done with adult supervision as sharp tools will be used to make your "SOAP CARVER"!
 

 Materials  for "Soap Carver"    

  • 3- standard size wooden popsicle sticks
  • 1- medium grit sandpaper
  • 1- white wood glue (not hot glue)
  • 1- pocket knife and/or saw

Recipe for Carving Plaster - What you need: 

  • Small milk carton or suitable container
  • Plaster of Paris
  • Vermiculite (from your garden department)
  • Water
  • Clear Acrylic spray or can or lacquer


-  How to make carving plaster 

  1.  Mix equal parts of plaster and vermiculite
  2.  Gently mix with water until creamy and thick. Mixing too vigorously will cause unwanted bubbles.
  3.  Pour mixture into your mold and let it dry until hard.
  4.  Remove from mold and begin carving.
  5.  When carving is finished, protect and preserve your
  6.  carving with a good coat or two or acrylic spray or lacquer.

 
 

How to make the "Soap Carver":
 
 

Step #1:      Mark one stick as shown in figure #1 and carefully cut off the corner

 

Step #2:      Next, Carefully trim or sand a tapered edge of both sides of the blade that you cut in step #1…

Step #3:      Mark two sticks a little over half way of their  lengths and cut them in two as in figure #3.

Step #4:      Looking at figure #4, cut a bevel edge on the cut end of each of the two sticks from step #3. Only do this on ONE side of each stick.
 

 Step #5:      Next, glue the handle's sides (the two sticks  from step #4) onto the longer third stick as shown in drawing #5. Set aside to completely dry.

Step #6:      Once the carver has had time to dry, you may now "sharpen" your carver blade, as shown by the dotted lines in drawing #2. Use the medium grit sandpaper as a sharpening stone and be sure to follow proper sharpening techniques and safety rules.

Step #6:      You can paint, stain or decorate your carver' and even drill a hole in the grip end  for a loop of lanyard or leather as a strap. Make a holder  for  your  carver  from any sturdy material such as scrap leather, cardboard, etc. Keep your carver in it's holder, called a sheath, when you are not using it.

REMEMBER: ALWAYS follow safety rules in handling any cutting tool. It is not a toy!
Your SOAP CARVER can be used to carve soap bars, bars of plaster, modeling clay and ... fingers if not careful!
 
D.E. Cantrell ©1997  - All rights reserved - Permission for use , unmodified and in whole, by  scouts, schools and other youth organizations  for  non-profit purposes is granted.

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