quick tip: falling asleep while holding a running chainsaw is not good
updated 2/23/24 with formatting, fixes, info updates, a pic, and seo
still more ice sculpting quick tips
This is the third archive from the old quick tips section. (Although it looks like I restored #4 before this one đ€·ââïž) Each time I added ten tips to the old quick tips page, they were archived to make room for more. Here are links to quick tips archive #1, quick tips archive #2, and quick tips archive #4.
ice needle
Ice Crafters sells the Ice needle which has turned out to be great for engraving small letters. The tapered tip lets it travel through the ice quickly and cleanly. Some video of the ice needle in action can be found here. (11/25/07)
UPDATE: Icecrafters has a new version of the ice needle, since the old manufacturer stopped making it. I’ll have to see how well it works as soon as I get a chance.
straight detail lines
Many carving designs require long, straight lines. By using your chainsaw to cut the lines, you have a better chance of keeping the lines straight. After youâve made a shallow guide line with your saw, you can go back over the line with another tool to remove the rough chainsaw edge. (11/25/07) (**After the fact, I realized this was a duplicate tip; see Cutting Straight from 9/20 in Quick tips archive 2**)
welding technique
Sometimes vertical welds are difficult, especially when an added piece is large or aluminum isnât available to perfect the surfaces. However, if youâre able to turn the sculpture on its side, you can make a vertical weld into a much easier horizontal weld. (11/25/07)
digital camera features
In the quick tip from 10/10 below (the last one), I mentioned getting an inexpensive digital camera for getting photos of your sculptures. Some useful features to look for in a camera include image stabilization (allows you to take flashless photos more easily), an easy to use timer, and weatherproofing (so it can get a little wet or spend time in the freezer). Also, a camera that uses AA alkaline batteries is a good choice, making it less likely that youâll be stuck with a dead camera. Finally, make sure that your memory card or cards have ample room for photos. (11/25/07)
UPDATE: Now while mobile phones have taken over most casual photography, it’s not a terrible idea to have a decent, battery operated, digital camera as well, especially if you’re taking pics in harsh environments, like in freezers or at outdoor ice sculpture events.Â
foam for protecting carvings and tools
Closed-cell foam sheets work great for protecting carvings and tools. Ethafoam (formerly from Dow) is largely ideal and is available from various distributors. Ethafoam is expensive, however, and is sometimes overkill. When thinner and more flexible is okay, you can use foam pads used for camping. Wal-Mart carries a brand of camping pad, Ozark Trail, thatâs inexpensive and works well for many ice carving applications. (10/30/07)
UPDATE: as micro and nanoplastics become a bigger concern, keep in mind, that while Ethafoam is great for protection, cutting into any foam creates microplastics.
splitting blocks with an Alaskan mill
Many carvers use an Alaskan mill to split blocks into thinner slabs. An Alaskan mill is an attachment for your extra-long chainsaw bar that keeps you cutting straight and results in a slab of more or less uniform thickness. If you split blocks standing upright, however, the saw wonât cut all the way to the bottom of the block because the mill gets in the way.
The solution to this is to build a small platform, slightly smaller than the base of the block (about 9.5â x 19.5â) and tall enough so that you can cut all the way to the bottom of the block. Even better, you can measure the distance between your cutting chain and the bottom of the mill and build a platform thatâs half an inch shorter in height. That way, the mill stops you from cutting into the platform and you can still cut virtually all the way through the block. If I remember correctly, Aaron Costic shared this idea with me. (10/12/07)
freezing beer bottles into blocks
You can freeze almost anything thatâs waterproof and small enough into a block of ice with a Clinebell ice block machine. Items containing liquids, however, can present special problems. David Van Camp of Ice Visions in St. Louis advises that when youâre freezing glass beer bottles into blocks, the beer should be emptied from the bottles or theyâll burst when the beer inside freezes and expands.
He suggests that the beer be replaced with denatured alcohol and the tops resealed with silicone. Many carvers will remember that hard liquor doesnât present the same problem, as high alcohol content liquids such as vodka wonât freeze as easily as beer. Also, so that slick glass bottles freeze more quickly into the blocks, Van Camp suggests putting a strip of cloth tape on the unseen back of the bottle. (10/11/07)
freezing aluminum beer bottles into blocks
David Van Camp has different advice for freezing the newer aluminum beer bottles into blocks. Because theyâre opaque, the bottles donât need to be refilled after theyâre emptied. He suggests drilling a nickel-size hole in the bottom of the bottles and, as an additional measure to help prevent block fracturing and/or damage to the bottles, pack the bottles with chunks of foam. (I used shipping peanuts (not the water soluble kind) for a recent ice bar project) The foam takes up space and might help absorb any stress caused by ice expansion inside the bottles. (10/11/07)
TyvekÂź as a block positioning template:
Carvers and âice farmersâ get all sorts of requests to freeze different things into Clinebell ice blocks. Sometimes these items need to be precisely positioned. Placing a paper template under the plastic block liner is a great help. According to Dave Van Camp, templates drawn on TyvekÂź material work even better. TyvekÂź is bright white, water resistant, and wonât easily tear, so the templates are reusable. (10/10/07)
photographic record of your sculptures
So you did a fantastic carving the other day? Did you get a photo? The answer is, surprisingly, often ânoâ. When you finish a carving, put it in front of a decent background and take a picture. One of your âtoolsâ should be an inexpensive digital camera that takes decent photos (or a mobile phone with a good camera). Waiting to take a photo after the sculpture is set up can be a bad idea because thereâs often a lot of stress surrounding the start of an event and sometimes thereâs just not enough time to get a decent photo before there are people in the way.
So taking a photo in advance will enable you to get the picture you want. Even if you think the carving is awful, you should still take a picture because you can use it as a learning experience later on. If you can get a photo at the event though, by all means do so. At the very least, your photo can demonstrate that the carving was properly set up and looked good, something thatâs harder to do when your sculpture has become a bucket of water. (10/10/07)
links and stuff
Wasn’t that awesome?! Yes, I KNOW, you have to have more quick tips! đ€Ł In case you missed it up at the top, here are links to quick tip archives #1,  #2, and #4. Also, there will be links to the other quick tip archives (5 & 6) as soon as my lazy and tired ass gets around to restoring them to the site. Or, they could already be here and I just forgot to update this page đ€·ââïž You should search and check if you’d like to feed your quick tip addiction đ
You could also find photos and info from this entry on the ice sculpting secrets Instagram account or the facebook page. ice sculpting secrets is also on TikTok, although videos there aren’t really tied to posts as much. You can comment on IG and fb as well as below. And if it won’t LET you comment below (which is possible or even probable at the moment), then definitely comment on fb and/or IG. Thanks!
