For a faster way to carve pumpkins this October, look no further than your workshop. Dust off these seven power tools to get the job done right.
Use Your Jigsaw to Cut the Top of the Pumpkin
Get at the guts of the pumpkin. Cut out the top opening with your jigsaw. You’ll be surprised at how quickly this goes if you’ve ever fumbled with an inferior pumpkin carving knife. We didn’t test using different kinds of blades – apparently a pumpkin is easier to cut through than both wood AND metal.
Drywall Saws are Better Than Knives
Use your trusty drywall saw to remove pumpkin guts and seeds. The aggressive teeth make quick work of this sloppy task – just make sure your knife is clean if you plan on saving the pumpkin seeds to roast for a snack later.
Use a Hole Saw
The perfect tool for making large, circular holes for the eyes is, you guessed it, a hole saw. Let the weight of the drill and teeth of the hole saw make the cut for you. Don’t press too hard, or you may end up with a smashed pumpkin.
Drill Out the Rest of the Pattern
Using a large-diameter drill bit, cut out the facemask holes. Again, don’t put too much pressure on the drill. You’ll be surprised how crisp and clean these holes come out – much faster than trying to cut them by hand with a knife.
Embellish with a Rotary Tool
We further embellished the face mask pattern with a rotary tool. The small grinding attachment works well for removing just the first layer of the pumpkin skin. This allows light to shine through, but not nearly as much as a full on hole through the pumpkin. Then we carefully cut through the outlines of the mask, leaving enough solid pumpkin to hold it in place.
Sander
A sander can be a great tool to remove the skin of a pumpkin, though it might require a delicate touch. If you'd rather do your decorating unplugged, check out how a zigzag pattern can make a pumpkin pop.
Chisels
Chisels can provide a more accurate way of peeling a pumpkin to form a design. You've got to see these outstanding pumpkin designs you can do.