Chainsaw Carving: Where Woodworking Craft Ideas and Power Tools Meet

It’s a sad sight in springtime to see a dead tree with no leaves or buds in your garden, when everything else is blossoming.

It’s a sensible idea to engage a professional to remove a dead tree from your garden to safeguard your property and your possessions. After all, you wouldn’t want it to fall on its own. But for those who like to live a little on the wild side? Well, having a dead tree to dispose of could be an opportunity to try out some woodworking craft ideas. Or even a nudge to dip a tentative toe into the exciting, increasingly popular world of chainsaw carving!

Of course, chainsaws are one of the most dangerous tools you are ever likely to get your hands on, so let’s not throw caution completely to the wind!

A good place to start if you are interested in having a go is to find someone with a lot of experience to show you how to use a chainsaw. Why not find a carver in your area and go for some lessons or at least ask them to allow you to watch some carving in person?

Or, failing that, you could make your way to one of the major UK chainsaw carving events still to take place this year:

• Countryside Lincs: 19th April 2026 (Lincolnshire Showground) – Live carving and displays.
• English Open Chainsaw Competition: 3rd-5th May 2025 (Sandringham Craft, Wood and Food Festival) – Features international carvers.
• Bath & West Show: 30th May-1st June 2025 (Shepton Mallet, Somerset).
• Royal Three Counties Show: 13-15 June 2025 (Malvern) – Five top UK carvers competing with daily speed carving.
• West’s Wood Fair: 20th-22nd June 2025 (Chichester).
• Historical Vehicle Gathering: 12th-13th July 2025 (Powderham Castle, Devon).
• Cheshire Game and Country Fair: Aug 24-25, 2025 (August Bank Holiday) – Hosts the Cheshire Open Chainsaw Competition.
• The Oak Fair: 24-25th Aug 2025 (Stock Gaylard Estate, Dorset).
• Carve Carrbridge: 5th September 2026 (Scottish Open Championship).
• Garnock Valley Chainsaw Carving Spectacular: 12th September 2026 (Dalry, North Ayrshire).
• Lincolnshire Food and Gift: 29th-30th November 2025 (Lincolnshire Showground)

You’ll see the relative speed with which chainsaw carvers work. Unlike traditional hand-carving or stone sculpting, which can take weeks or months, a skilled artist can rough out a large sculpture in minutes and finish it in just a couple of days.

You’ll also see that chainsaw carving represents the sweet spot where woodworking craft ideas meet with a full-body workout! Finishing large pieces of work at pace requires some level of fitness.

So how do you become a chainsaw carver?

The Certificate (For Technical Competence & Safety)

In the UK, professional chainsaw carvers are not legally required to hold a specific, named “chainsaw licence” (as no official licence exists), but they are legally required under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and PUWER 98 to be adequately trained and competent.

In practice, holding a Certificate of Competence (often NPTC City & Guilds CS30/CS31) is crucial for securing public liability insurance and is a mandatory requirement for entering official competitions. These certifications verify that you can safely operate, maintain, and cross-cut wood with a chainsaw.

The Gear

Then, with a certificate under your belt (and before you start looking for a chainsaw to purchase) it is vital to invest in the right protective clothing.

Carvers must wear specialised personal protective equipment (PPE), including cut resistant chaps, steel-toed boots, and heavy-duty gloves. This is all important, as without the right protective clothing on, you could be seriously injured, or worse. 

A respirator or a dust mask needs to be worn to prevent fine sawdust and wood particles from irritating the lungs and causing long-term respiratory damage. Also, noise-cancelling headphones or ear protection are essential to prevent hearing damage. Chainsaws produce the kind of high-decibel noise that can cause permanent hearing loss over time.

The Saw

Ideal beginner saws are often electric or battery-powered (rather than their bigger, stronger, noisier petrol-powered cousins) with high-speed, low-kickback performance for carving wood. There are plenty of recommendations online from established chainsaw carvers for brands that they would recommend to beginners. Most new chainsaws sold to consumers come as a complete package that includes the power head, guide bar, and chain – so you don’t have to buy a bar (blade) separately and put it together yourself.

The Wood

Once you have your tools, you’ll need a reliable source of wood. Getting to know good, reliable tree surgeons/arborists would be helpful as the byproduct of their work can become the source of quality crafting material for you!

The Finish

Wood will last indefinitely if it’s kept dry and indoors. You can apply any finish you want to keep it from getting dirty with fingerprints, etc. that are hard to clean off.

For finishing outdoor chainsaw carvings, Spar Urethane (an oil-based wood-finishing varnish originally developed for coating the spars of sailing ships) is often cited as the best choice. It offers high durability, UV protection, and flexibility, allowing the wood to expand and contract without peeling.

The Insurance

If you intend to sell your chainsaw carvings (or any other woodworking craft ideas) you will of course need to consider insurance. Our handcrafted product protection includes public and product liability insurance which covers you for any claims of damage made against you or your products; even if it is not your fault, it covers your legal costs. It’s our sleep easy insurance as it covers you for those completely unforeseen incidents which you cannot predict or prevent, thus giving you peace of mind to throw your all into what you love doing; creating. It’s quick and easy to set up, and as a family-run firm ourselves we communicate with each of our clients directly… no call centres. So, pick up the phone or drop us a line and either Naomi or Sam will be here to find the best package of handmade product protection for your unique crafting business.

Have a look at the work of one of our wonderful UK chainsaw carvers…

https://www.facebook.com/p/Andy-Burgess-Wood-Sculptor-100063364900627