Wood Carving Merit Badge Overview
As with any art, wood carving involves learning the basics of design, along with material selection and tools and techniques, as well as wood-carving safety. The requirements of the Wood Carving merit badge introduce Scouts to an enjoyable hobby and that can become a lifetime activity.
Wood Carving Merit Badge Requirements
1. Do the following:
- (a) Explain to our counselor the hazards you are most likely to encounter while wood carving, and what you should do to anticipate, help prevent, mitigate, or lessen these hazards.
- (b) Show that you know first aid for injuries that could occur while wood carving, including minor cuts and scratches and splinters.
2. Do the following:
- (a) Earn the Totin’ Chip recognition.
- (b) Discuss with your merit badge counselor your understanding of the Safety Checklist for Carving.
3. Do the following:
- (a) Explain to your counselor, orally or in writing, the care and use of five types of tools that you may use in a carving project.
- (b) Tell your counselor how to care for and use several types of sharpening devices, then demonstrate that you know how to use these devices.
4. Using a piece of scrap wood or a project on which you are working, show your merit badge counselor that you know how to do the following:
- (a) Paring cut
- (b) Push cut and levering cut
- (c) “V” cut
- (d) Stop cut or score line
5. Tell why different woods are used for different projects. Explain why you chose the type of wood you did for your projects in requirements 6 and 7.
6. Plan your own or select a project from this merit badge pamphlet and complete a simple carving in the round.
7. Complete a simple low-relief OR a chip carving project.