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Woodcarving Article – Chip Carving Part 2

John — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 13:03:08 +0000

Chip Carving – Part 2

You can find the first part of this article here – Chip Carving – Part 1.

Sesame Street is a great kids program. I watched it as a kid and it’s still on TV from what I hear. Every show is sponsored by a letter and a number. It was a great way to teach kids. Now I’m going to try that out on you. Today’s article is brought to you by the letter Q and the number 65. Why Q? Because its round with a cute tail. Why the number 65? Well, it’s a very important number in chip carving….

The Shadow Knows

Shadows are important in all kinds of artwork. Portraying them in painting is key, photographers are very careful to preserve them, and woodcarving is no different. Proper shadows play a big role in how our eyes interpret a carving. The design and the motifs you choose are important but if you do not execute your carving properly it will not grab the viewer’s eye.

It is very important to cut the chips consistently. This will give you a proper look over the whole project. The way to accomplish this is to always work in the same physical position and hold your knives in the same manner and position every time. As we’ve already discussed most chip carvers carve in their lap. That way they can keep a consistent position no matter where there are working.

My Slant on Angles

There is one way to produce great shadows in your chips and that is to cut your chips at the correct angle. To remove a chip you must make at least two cuts. When these cuts are made you will end up with a V shape in the wood. It’s the angle of this V that is most important.

The tendency for most folks is to make a cut that is too shallow with a cutting angle of about 45 degrees. This is understandable because it allows for a shallow cut and is therefore easier to get the chip out. The correct cutting angle is 65 degrees. This angle will cause you to go deeper to get the chip out and will result in a more desirable shadow.

Hold It!

The knife I am using has an indention on top for the index finger and an indention for the thumb closer to the blade across from the finger. Look at the picture to get an idea of how I am holding the knife. Keep your fingers and thumb in constant contact with the wood. This will give you stability while you cut and most importantly should help keep your skin intact. If you fingers are moving with the blade they can’t be cut. As soon as you use your thumb for leverage and your knife slips you’ll be reminded why seasoned woodcarvers carry Band-Aids.

Don’t forget to hold the blade at 65 degrees. If you notice that you are not holding the knife at the proper angle do not twist your hand or wrist. This would put your hand in an unnatural position and could cause fatigue. What you want to do is loosen your grip and turn the knife in your hand until you have the correct angle. Then properly grip the knife again. Dennis Moor calls this position 1 (picture on right) and says he uses it about 95% of the time.

Position 2 (picture on left) has the blade facing away from your person rather than toward you. Notice the thumb is on the back edge of the knife and the handle. The fingers should stay in contact with the wood for stability. It is more difficult to maintain the 65 degree angle with this position but position 2 is useful in certain instances: 1) when the wood starts to split on a cut you can turn the wood around and use this position to cut back to your other cut, 2) making the second cut of the triangle chip (you’ll learn about it in a later article), 3) when working in confined spaces.

Holding the Stab Knife

The stab knife can be held with the blade facing towards you are away from you. The grip is the same. It depends on how you want the cut in the wood. Once you grip it properly, position the point of the blade on the wood and push it in. This will give you an impression in the wood. Many embellishments are done with this technique. These will be discussed in a later article.

The Gripping End

In chip carving holding the blade properly is very important. Using correct grip and correct angle consistently will give you consistently good results. Chip carving is like any other endeavor – ‘perfect practice makes perfect’. If you practice sloppily your results will show it.

My goal in these articles is to give you a taste for chip carving and I hope I am doing it well. However, I do recommend finding a good book or video on the subject. Books and videos have room to give a lot more depth on the subject. My continued thanks to Dennis Moor for helping me along in this process.

Chip Carving Materials

Dennis Moor’s book is – Chip Carver’s Workbook: Teach Yourself with 7 Easy and Decorative Projects

Wayne Barton Knives – SET OF W.B. CHIP CARVING KNIVES

Two Cherries – Two Cherries 515-3303 Chip Carving Knives – 3 Piece Set

Flexcut – Flexcut Chip Carving Knife

Woodcarving Article – Chip Carving Part 1

John — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:52:42 +0000

Chip Carving – Part 1

Today I am talking about chip carving. This is something totally new for me as I have never chip carved in my life before starting this article. I thought it would be fun to start a new series about something I’m not as familiar with so we could learn together.

Since I am a beginner in this area I decided to look to the experts. I have a book called Chip Carver’s Workbook: Teach Yourself with 7 Easy and Decorative Projects by Dennis Moor. I have been reading his book and will be relating a lot of his thoughts in this article. Dennis owns Chipping Away and is considered an expert in the field of chip carving. Also, since Dennis lives in Canada this article will have some innate international flair, don’t you know.

Chip Carving – WhatIzIt?

I’m going to take the definition straight from the book: “Chip carving is a style of woodcarving in which knives are used to remove selected “chips” of wood from the project in a single piece. Patterns can be free-form style or geometrically based with figures, such as triangles, circles, simple lines, and curves.”

You’ve probably seen this style of carving on wooden plates, bowls, and boxes. While these are very popular items to chip carve I have learned that, just like other styles of carving, you cannot assume anything. Chip carving can be applied to a limitless number of mediums. To the right you can see a chip carved cross from the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum.

Wood

Basswood seems to be the wood of choice to start out with. As we’ve discussed many times before basswood is the almost perfect carving wood. It fits chip carving very well, too. Butternut is also a universally accepted carving wood and chip carvers use it quite a bit as well.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t other woods that you might want carve. Don’t let your creativity be limited. Just make sure your wood choice works for your project. Some woods split more easily than others or may not hold details as well. Be informed about what you are doing and you’ll be ok.

He’s go a knife, or two, or three

Just like other areas of carving chip carving features a lot of knife work. Actually almost all chip carving is done with a knife. While Carving Magazine has featured an article about chip carving with gouges the traditional method still uses only knives.

Originally this was just two knives: the cutting knife and the stab knife. The use of these two knives comes from the Swiss. Using just these two tools they were able to develop an efficient chip carving method. Dennis has added a third knife to this classical set. It is a smaller version of the cutting knife and is ideal for those with smaller hands.

Other Stuff

Other items commonly used by chip carvers are drawing instruments, templates, and safety gear. The drawing instruments can be as simple as a pencil, T-square, and a bow compass. These allow the carver to lay out the project. Templates are very helpful for laying out borders. Other template items include plastic rulers (flexible), circle templates, and protractors. Any tools that help you design your project fall in this category.

Since most chip carving takes place in the lap of the carver and not on a table some type of leg protection is required. You should wear something like a leg apron or use a wooden tray to protect yourself from cuts.

As always you want to have very sharp tools. Sharp tools are safer than dull tools because they require less work to make the cut. This means you won’t be using as much force and are less likely to slip with the knife.

Another neat item that helps with chip carving is practice blocks. These are blocks of wood that come stamped with patterns. You can use these blocks to practice your cuts. You can make your own blocks as well. This will allow you to practice laying out your project and then practice making the cuts!

Grand Finale

Chip carving is an expressive art form that has unlimited applications. Chip carving can be the main focus of a piece or it can be used as an accent. It is easy to find the needed tools and is inexpensive to begin. My wife, who does not carve, said it is the first kind of carving she has thought she would enjoy. That’s a pretty good testimony if you ask me. Keep those chips flying!

This article originally appeared in Carving Magazine.

Woodcarving Article – Cottonwood Bark

John — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:25:25 +0000

If you are a fan of British humour (notice the u!) then you are probably familiar with Monty Python. Monty Python was a very creative comedy group that performed many skits back in the day. One of my favorite would be some non-sensical piece that would be immediately followed by a news anchor saying “Now for something completely different”. This would be followed by the exact same non-sensical piece that preceded the news anchor. It was quite funny in a way that only the British seem to truly appreciate.

I said all that to say “Now for something completely different”. No, I’m not going to repeat my last article. I’m actually going to talk about something completely different. I’m sure that most of you think of wood when you think about carving. Today I want to introduce you to cottonwood bark.

Where does it come from, where does it go

Cottonwood bark comes from the cottonwood tree. The cottonwood is part of the willow family. They are very fond of river bottoms and do very well in flood zones. The tree can absorb a lot of water and it is my understanding that it is very fibrous. It can be used for pallets and pulp but does not have many other uses.

The bark is the part we are most interested in. On young trees the bark is yellowish-green and smooth. As the trees age the bark gets very thick with deep furrows. When the trees die the bark will loosen from the wood and will fall off or can be peeled off. The bark is broken into pieces of suitable size for carving.

General characteristics

Cottonwood bark has some very unique characteristics. The outer bark is usually some shade of gray and is very rough. The inner bark is a very pleasing brown and will carve to a nice smooth finish.

One thing that makes cottonwood bark interesting to carve is how it is formed. It is made up of hundreds and hundreds of newspaper thin layers. This makes carving it very easy compared to hardwood but also makes the bark easier to break off. Care must be taken.

Why is it so popular (not poplar)?

Cottonwood bark offers many advantages to a carver. The overall impression of a well done cottonwood bark piece is very nice. The roughness and color of the outer bark contrasts nicely with the smooth, rich brown color of the inner bark. Cottonwood bark can be carved easily by hand. For carvers who have issues with harder woods this can be a lifesaver.

Another great thing about cottonwood bark is that it forces you outside the realm of patterns. Each piece is so different that it’s hard to do anything the same way twice. If you want to start breaking out into something new in your carvings cottonwood bark provides an easy way to do it.

Popular uses

The most popular uses of cottonwood bark are for woodspirits and other faces in relief. The contrast and finish of the bark really makes faces shine. Other uses are usually some kind of relief. You have probably seen some of these types of carvings in Carving Magazine.

I’m not saying that there is no one carving in the round out of cottonwood bark. There is usually at least one person doing everything out there somewhere. I am saying that bark does not lend itself well to in the round carving because it is not as stable as hardwood.

Carving and Finishing

My favorite book on carving cottonwood bark is ‘Carving Found Wood’ by Vic Hood. It features a nice cottonwood bark project and also contains other types of found wood besides cottonwood bark. Let your imagination roll!

You can carve cottonwood bark with your regular carving tools. In fact you’ll find it quite easy and enjoyable. I have carved it with power in the roughing stage but I find that it doesn’t respond well to power beyond that.

One point of caution, since the bark is constantly exposed to the elements the outer layers will be full of grit. In the south we like grits but up north you will want to get rid of it. You can scrub away at it with a brush to get the grit off but you will not get all of it out. When you start roughing out your carving you will be dulling your tools on this grit. This is no big deal as long as you remember to keep your tools sharp. Strop often!

To finish I take a pretty simple approach. I will spray on a couple of coats of Deft (blue can). After this had dried very well I will apply a coat or two of Watco Wax in either the neutral, dark, or 50/50 mix of the two. Once this is dried and I’m satisfied I will buff to a shine with a horse hair brush. I have also heard of carvers who finish with shoe cream. I’m sure there are many options out there.

Finishing

Cottonwood bark is an attractive medium and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in woodspirits and other types of relief carving. It carves well and easily. It can be brittle so care has to be taken while you are carving. Also, since the grit in the outer bark cannot be avoided. Sharpen your tools often.

This article originally appeared in Carving Magazine

Power Carving Bits – Wood Carving Article

John — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:22:25 +0000

Shave and a haircut, two bits! The melody to that line is used extensively in bluegrass banjo to end songs. If you watched “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” you’ll remember it as well. In case you don’t know a bit is one half of a quarter so it’s equal to 12.5 cents. I’ve always thought that was peculiar. If you bought something that cost 13 cents and paid with a bit they’d owe you .5 cents in change and there isn’t a .5 cent piece. I don’t understand how that works. I guess that’s why they don’t let me work on international economic policy.

Anyway, I want to discuss power carving bits not bits of currency. We’ve already talked about the basics of power carving and then covered dust collection in more detail. Bits are very a very important and vast subject and they deserve to have their own introduction.

A bit about bits
As we’ve discussed before there are three main phases of carving: roughing, shaping, and detailing. The roughing phase requires a lot of wood to be removed quickly. Shaping is the phase where the project begins to take the form of the finished piece but there is still wood to be removed. Detailing is the phase where the final touches are put in place.There are bits for all three of these phases. Many times they’ll be labeled something like “Coarse”, “Medium”, or “Fine”. These names sort of correlate to the roughing, shaping, and detailing phases. The important thing to remember is that each bit was designed for a specific purpose and it’s best to use it in that manner.

Bits are basically an end that cuts that is connected to a shaft that goes into a hand piece. Larger bits generally have larger shafts and certain hand pieces will only take certain sizes of shafts. You generally can’t put a roughing bit into a hand piece made for detailing and you shouldn’t want to anyway. It’s dangerous and your mommy probably told you better.

And all the dogs said rough, rough, rough

Almost all projects start with the roughing phase. You want the same thing in your roughing bits that you would want in a roughing knife or gouge. It needs to take off a lot of wood quickly while still giving you as much control as you need. Most of the bits in this category look like some kind of alien torture device from Star Trek.

Roughing bits have very coarse “teeth” sticking out or they have what looks like a razor blade edge that wraps around. The coarse, toothy bits will leave behind a lot of tears in the wood when they cut. This is usually ok as there is much work to be done after the roughing phase and these will be slowly cut away. The others can leave behind a pretty smooth surface.

Shaping

The shaping bits don’t look a lot different than the roughing bits. Most of them still have teeth but they are generally more of them and they aren’t as big. It’s kind of like comparing a shark to a pit bull. Very different but you can still tell which end is the business end.

These bits will usually be labeled “Medium” or something to that effect. You will start seeing more variety than in the roughing bits. There are more shapes here and some of the bits start having more specific purposes. These bits still take off a lot of wood but they don’t do it as quickly and at this phase you are more interested in bringing the shape of the project out.

It’s all in the details

There are so many detail bits I don’t know where to start. I could fill the whole magazine with details if they would let me. They won’t, I asked.

The first thing you will notice is all of the shapes: round, cylinder, flame, wheel, and cone. That’s just a few! What could they all be used for? The next thing you’ll notice is all the different cutting materials: diamond, ruby, stone, and others. On top of that many of the stones come in so many different colors signify hardness and texture that you can’t keep up. What’s a carver to do?

Detail bits are used for cutting in feathers, hair, wrinkles, toenails and other fine features. Many subjects have different detail needs and require bits that will fit to their situation. Don’t get overwhelmed. Talk to other carvers. Find out what’s working for them. Read up on the subject or take a class from a more experienced carver.

En la conclusión

This is a vast subject and it’s impossible to cover it in one article. Besides, I’m not that smart and I don’t know everything anyway so even if I wanted to cover it all I couldn’t.

Most of the shapes and materials were designed for specific purposes. Over time carvers have developed bits that better fit the subject. My advice for you is to find a project that’s interesting and then buy the bits for that project. We’ll talk about hand pieces soon but remember that the bits have shafts and those shafts have to fit into your hand piece. Don’t buy bits that wont’ work with your stuff.

There’s a lot to know but this is supposed to be fun so go have fun. Don’t stress over the details (or the detail bits).

Also, be sure to have a good dust collection system any time you are woodcarving with power.

The ‘Power Carving Series’ encompasses the following articles:

This article originally appeared in Carving Magazine.

Dust Collection – Wood Carving Article

John — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:37:51 +0000

We have started exploring power carving. Last time we discussed the basic things you would need to get started. Today we discuss what I think is the most important part of power carving, dust collection.

Dust collection is all about your safety. This is an important topic so please don’t mistake any humor as me taking the subject lightly.

How Good Wood Turns Bad

Almost everything about wood is a pleasure. I love walking in the forest in the midst of God’s creation, sitting by a cozy fire, the feel of a nice piece of basswood. How could something that brings so much pleasure have the potential to do so much harm? When power carving we create a lot of dust. Some of these dust particles are heavy and fall to the ground but many of them stay airborne and can get into our lungs and eyes.

Not all dust is created equal. Some woods create very fine dust that is small enough to get through masks. Some woods have mold in them and this mold gets airborne with the dust. Some woods contain toxic chemicals when we come in contact with the dust we also come in contact with these chemicals. Some of the effects can be minor irritation of the skin, nasal passages, and eyes. Extended exposure to dust has been linked to serious lung ailments and nasal cancer.

What Albert Einstein Says About Dust

Albert Einstein was a brilliant scientist. Between his more practical pursuits proving that time is relative and that the fabric of space is warped I assumed he must have figured out some of the basics of dust collection. I was mistaken. That leaves it to little ol’ me to point out some of the basics.

Good dust collection starts with moving air. If you aren’t moving a large volume of air then you are wasting time. If you want to waste time don’t do it breathing dust. Next is speed. How quickly are you moving the air? When you add all of this together (Actually you probably multiply but since multiplication is just lots of adding done at once I think it’s ok to say add. But I digress.) you get something called CFM or cubic feet per minute. This tells you how much air you are moving every minute.

The size of your piping (or ducting) also affects how much air you can move. You can’t move a high volume of air through a little pipe without having issues. You can’t bail out a ship with a thimble. You need to have duct work that matches the volume of air you are moving.

How much do you need? That’s a question I can’t answer here. Depending on the size of your operation you may need to do some calculations. If you are just doing small projects you can probably get by with a simple collector. The larger the projects the bigger your need. If you do woodworking then you need a highly efficient system.

I recommend you do some more research if your needs go beyond a simple solution. One site I have found that has a lot of good information is http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/Index.cfm.

Options For The Simple Man

I don’t have a big workshop and I don’t have big woodworking tools so I don’t have a need for a major system. Dust collectors that meet the needs of almost all woodcarvers fall into two types: portable and bench systems.

Portable Systems

If you like to power carve outside or take your equipment with you to club meetings and such then you’ll want a system that is portable. The systems typically blow the dust into a collection bag that you can empty later on. They don’t pull a huge volume of air but they are ok for smaller projects that are worked on in well ventilated areas.

Most of these work with a lapboard. A lapboard is like a tray that sits in your lap. The lapboard will have a hole in the middle (hopefully covered with a screen). The dust gets pulled through the hole and into the collection bag.

Bench Systems

Bench systems are for a more permanent type of setup. These are generally mounted into a bench (thus the name!). You sit at the bench and the dust is pulled into an opening in the bench and is either blown into a collection bag or outside. A lapboard can also be used with a bench setup.

Rolling Your Own

I decided to build my own dust collector. Part of the reason was funding but mostly I wanted to do it myself for the fun of it. While I built my system it is very similar to other bench systems. I have a squirrel-cage fan that moves a lot of air. This fan is from an old mobile home heating unit. The suction side of the fan is connected by a flexible pipe to a hole in my bench. The other side of the fan is connected by a flexible pipe to a board. This board fits into the window next to my bench. When I am carving I open the window and slide in the board (it is tight fitting so the dust doesn’t come back in around the edges). This sends the dust from my carving outside. This works very well if you have a convenient place outside to send the dust.

I will admit that I’m not 100% satisfied with my system. I’m paranoid about dust and I’m not sure I’ve built the perfect system. Again, you should do a lot of research and decide the best option for you.

In Case You Missed It

The best way to control dust inhalation is by the use of properly designed and maintained dust collection systems and your work area should be well ventilated. If you don’t have a dust collection system then a properly designed dust mask should be used. Do not use paper masks. They will not protect you.

A good book on the subject of dust collection is Woodshop Dust Control. It is more for the woodshop but does cover a lot of important information.

The ‘Power Carving Series’ encompasses the following articles:

This article originally appeared in Carving Magazine.

Power Carving – Wood Carving Article

John — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:18:08 +0000

I can’t remember the whole song or the name of the band but I do remember the catchy vocal hook “I’ve got the power!” We have discussed the manual side of carving. Today I would like to discuss some basics about power carving.

I started our carving caricatures, woodspirits, walking sticks and Santa’s. I still carve these but I really enjoy carving fish. I’ve fished my entire life and know a good bit about the subject matter so it was a natural fit. I quickly learned that most people who do carve fish do not do it with hand tools so I had to familiarize myself with power carving.

I love to use power to carve. I don’t have a lot of time to carve and it helps me remove wood more quickly. I also like the fact that I don’t have to work as hard with my hands. I do like the feel of a good hand tool but sometimes fatigue catches up with me. I rarely have this issue when I’m power carving. In this article we will discuss some of the basics.

Carving Machines

There are basically three kinds of power carving machines: flexible shaft, micro motor, and air powered. I’ve never thought about one being better than the other as much as they each have a niche they fill really well.

Flexible shaft machines are the workhorses of power carving. They provide a lot of torque which really helps with roughing out. Different size handpieces allow the carver to use different sized bits from really big to really small. I use this type system for all of my carving. Make sure your system of choice has enough torque to do the roughing out you will be doing.

Micro motor systems are good at roughing out and provide some advantages when carving fine detail. These systems have the motor contained in the handpiece and are connected back to their power source with a flexible power cord. This can make them easier to use in some situations. One advantage to micro motors is that some of them offer precise speed control. Again, check the torque.

Air powered systems are the detail masters. I have seen some systems that run up to 450,000 RPMs! These systems are ideal for the smallest details. You will need an air source such as a compressor and I have seen some that will run on CO2.

For each of these, a system that will run forward and reverse can be nice. Also, a foot control is a very good addition to any system. I consider it a necessity!

Bits

I’m going to be honest with you up front. There are more power carving bits than you can shake a stick at. If you are a woodcarver then you should have a stick laying around that you can shake at them!

Bits do the cutting. They cut with metal, stone, ruby, diamond, and probably other materials as well. The also come in a wide variety of shapes. Most of them have pretty specific jobs that fall into roughing, shaping, and detail work.

Your choice of bits will depend heavily on what you intend to carve. I suggest you study your intended subject well and ask an experienced carver in that area to give you advice on the bits you need.

Dust Collection

Here’s the not fun part. Dust is bad for you. The finer the dust the more bad it is. The longer you are exposed to the dust the more bad it is. Dust is bad. DUST = BAD! Comprende?

What I’m trying to say is that dust is bad for you. Power carving creates dust. Some of this is large enough that it falls away but much of it is fine enough that it floats around. This is not good. There are two solutions: wear a really good mask or get a good dust collection system.

You need something to suck away all the dust. It also has to be something that can catch the dust as soon as it comes off the bit. That’s what dust collection systems are for. Do not power carve without one. You need a system that can pull a lot of air and filter out the dust in either a bag or throw it out the window.

I built my own dust collection system from a squirrel-cage fan. It pulls a lot of air and shoots it out my window. It works pretty well but I’m still paranoid about the dust particles I see floating around.

I don’t want to wear a mask while I carve. If I did wear a mask I would make sure it wasn’t one of those paper ones. Get a really, really, really good mask if it’s your only protection.

Wood

All wood does not take well to power carving. I have carved basswood. It does ok but tends to fuzz up a lot. I prefer tupelo. It takes to power carving very well and doesn’t fuzz up. This means it doesn’t need as much finishing work towards the end.

Be careful about power carving some woods. Some woods are toxic. When you carve them and breathe in their dust you can have major issues. Also, some woods have molds and other growths in them. I believe this is called spalted wood. It’s very pretty and desirable to work with but breathing mold particles is not the best thing you will do this week so I would recommend you avoid it.

Conclusion

Do a lot of research based on your carving projects for they system and bits you will need. Also, prices can vary so look around. Dust collection…DO IT! Also, pick your wood wisely.

P.S. Dust is bad.

The ‘Power Carving Series’ encompasses the following articles:

This article originally appeared in Carving Magazine.

Wood Carving Vises – Wood Carving Article

John — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:18:25 +0000

Hold it!

Hold it right there! I bet the every time you hear this statement you think someone is in trouble. You might even be in trouble right now. I’m not there so I don’t know. I can tell you this: if you don’t have a safe way to hold your wood while you carve you will be in trouble very soon.

There are different types of woodcarving projects out there and they come in all different sizes. You need a holder to match what you are doing. I’ve included a few of the basic options.

Wood Carving Gloves

By far the most used holding tool is the hand. It’s very mobile and I usually have two of them with me wherever I go. Hands are very good for holding small projects. The problem with the hand is that it is very susceptible to being cut. The solution to this is the carving glove.

You will find lots of different gloves on the market and I suggest you try a few until you find the kind you like. You want to make sure it is comfortable and that you can grip your project well while carving.

Be careful even with a glove. I have cut myself through them before. They will deflect a glancing cut but do not stop a direct stab. I have stuck the point of my knife or corner of a gouge into my hand through a glove. I didn’t like it and you probably won’t either.

One other accessory you will need with the glove is the thumb guard. The carving glove goes on the hand holding the project. The thumb guard goes on the hand holding the knife. This protects the thumb as you pull the knife towards it. These are usually leather. I have also seen carvers use some type of durable tape wrapped around their thumb. This also makes an acceptable thumb guard.

Wood Carving Vises

Vices…we’re not proud of them but we’ve all got them. Those things we do we wish we didn’t……..Sorry, I’m supposed to be talking about woodcarving vises!

When your projects start getting bigger you’ll want to move up from the hand and get into a vise. As with other aspects of carving tools vices vary greatly. You will find all different types. I will cover some of the basic characteristics to look for.

First of all you want to find a vise that will fasten easily to your preferred carving bench. My favorite vise connects to my bench with C-clamps. This makes for a good connection and also allows the vice to be easily removed so I can use the space for other things. The vise is also portable with this setup.

I like a vise that allows the project to easily rotate 360 degrees. It will be very annoying to have to go through a lot of work just to turn your project around. Our tools should always be an additional help to us and never an extra burden. Vises should also tilt the project. This allows better access to the bottom and sides. Some will tilt a full 180 degrees. This is a very nice feature and comes in very handy depending on what you are carving.

Most vises attach to the project through some type of faceplate using wood screws. I have never had a problem with this type of connection. Just make sure it will work for what you are doing. Vises should feature rugged construction and use heavy duty components.

Be sure to buy a vise that matches the size of project you want to carve. You can’t take a whole tree and screw it into small vise. Likewise, some vises may be overkill if you carve smaller projects. Also, make sure the bench you are fastening your vise to can support the weight of the project and the stress of the constant pounding you will be inflicting upon the project.

Wood Carver’s Screw

When I first saw a carvers screw I had no idea how they worked. They didn’t look like something that would work by themselves but they were never sold with anything else.

The woodcarver’s screw is a very simple solution to holding carvings to the work bench. The long, tapered screw is inserted into the project and then is fitted through a hole in the workbench. A nut is used to tighten the piece from below and, viola, the project is fastened to your bench. By loosening the nut the project can be rotated.

I don’t know of a way to tilt with a standard carver’s screw but it is my understanding that you can carve some pretty large projects with this type of setup depending on the size of the carving screw.

Make your own wood carving vise

For my first real vise I made my own from a design by Lynn Diel. You can find plans for it here (The link stopped working but I left it up in case it starts again.) I did eventually upgrade to a commercial vise but this one was not only useful it was also fun to make my own.

El extremo

So today we learned that cutting yourself is not as much fun as you imagined so don’t do it! Keep yourself safe by using a carving glove or some type of wood carving vise. Buy the size and type that’s right for you.

The ‘Getting Started Series’ encompasses six articles:

This article originally appeared in Carving Magazine.

American Woodcarving School – Art School

John — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:54:38 +0000

The American Woodcarving School was founded in 1974 by Sculptor Michael Denike. Mr. Denike’s dream…a school that’s sole purpose is instructing and promoting the art of Woodcarving. The school holds regular day and evening classes 52 weeks out of the year, and approximately 6 weekend workshops per year.

The regular classes allow the student to work on whatever area they wish while under direction of a professional woodcarver. Weekend Workshops hosted by renowned woodcarvers from the US, Canada, and Europe, allow the more advanced student the chance to train under an artist of the highest level in his or her area of interest.

John C. Campbell Folk School

John — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:49:22 +0000

Against the backdrop of the world’s most ancient mountains is a special kind of place . . . A place where history lives . . . where tradition lingers . . . where people come together to discover their creative spirit.

That special place is the John C. Campbell Folk School. Nestled on 380 acres in a rolling valley, the Folk School offers visitors a chance to experience a special blend of history, art and natural beauty.

Journey through time in our History Center, where 20th Century Appalachia is on display. From the old bench where the world-famous Brasstown Carvers began, to the original photographs of world-renown photographer Doris Ulmann, you’ll discover the rich heritage that has made the Folk School an historical landmark.

Or, browse through our Craft Shop, featuring the juried work of over 300 local and regional artists. A founding member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, our shop is a destination in itself.

And, while you’re here, meander down our woodland trails and visit our studios where people just like you are creating their own works of art and discovering their spirit in the heart of Appalachia.

Sharpening – Wood Carving Article

John — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:21:35 +0000

You ever have anybody tell you that you’re not to sharp? I know how you feel. Those days are over! It’s time to stop living the dull life and get on the razors edge.

I’m not a renowned expert on sharpening but I know it’s important, I know that it’s not as hard as people think, and I know that you don’t have to spend lots of money to buy the accessories you need to keep your tools sharp.

I’ve been carving for a few years now and one thing I’ve learned is that most beginning carvers do not take sharpening seriously. They try to get the same results they see better carvers getting but they can’t. One factor in this, besides experience, is that a lot of the beginners are carving with dull tools. You cannot get good results with dull tools.

This article is not meant to be an all encompassing statement on sharpening. It is for the beginner to give them an idea of what they need to consider to begin and improve their sharpening technique. You will find more in-depth articles in past issues.

Different Kinds of Sharpening

When a carving talks about sharpening he may be talking about a different kind of sharpening that you are thinking of. There are three basic types of sharpening: establishing a bevel and taking that tool all the way to a finished edge. This is the least common as most of your tools will come with an edge established.
taking a tool with an established edge that has become very dull and/or pitted and taking that tool to a finished edge. You will need to learn how to do this as all tools eventually get to this stage.
taking a tool that is still sharp and honing it to a finished edge. Honing is something that you need to learn to do well and do often. I mean often as in multiple times during a carving session. You should be honing so much that you get the nickname “Honing Jones” or something.

Honing

You want to hone when your blade is in good shape and still relatively sharp. Honing will repair the micro-damage done to the blade and keep you from having to do more intense sharpening. I will hone my blades after about 15-20 minutes of carving. It doesn’t take much time and saves a lot of time in the long run of having to work on my blades.

The most popular accessory for honing is a strop. Think back to your favorite western when the trail-dusted cowboy would go to the barber shop for a shave. The barber would take the straight razor and pull it back and forth a few times over a strip of leather. The barber was honing the blade to make sure it was as sharp as he could make it. The leather strip was a strop.A traditional strop will be a thin piece of wood with rough leather on one side and smooth leather on the other side. On the rough leather side you want to apply a good layer of rouge. Not makeup but rouging compound. Rouging compounds are usually some kind of powder that acts as a very fine abrasive. Some people use different jeweler’s compounds, red oxide, or any other number of compounds. Check with your vendor to see what they recommend.Take the knife and lay it almost flat against the rough leather. You want to work with the established bevel on the edge. Pull away from the cutting edge. Use long, smooth strokes. I recommend 10-20 strokes per side. Flip over the strop and do the same thing on the smooth leather side. I don’t necessarily use rouge on the smooth leather side.My strop is a piece of wood with a thing layer of rubber on each side. Glued to this is wet-dry sandpaper. One side is about 1000-grit and the other side is 2000-grit. I don’t use rouge as the grit in the sandpaper acts as my rouge. I really like this setup.

Re-sharpening an edge

We need to re-sharpen our edges when they become dull and honing doesn’t make them as sharp as they used to be. This can be caused by the edge becoming flattened or pitted.

Most carvers start their sharpening careers with some kind of stone. You will want to get a coarse stone and a fine stone at the very least. Some of these stones require you to add water or oil as a lubricant. Be sure to follow the directions listed with your stone.

One important thing to keep in mind when you are sharpening is the bevel. You can have a narrow bevel on a knife or a wide bevel. For carving I think a wide bevel is best.

Lay the knife on the coarse stone and try to establish a bevel of about 10-12 degrees. Pull away from the cutting edge while applying moderate pressure. After a few strokes turn the blade over and repeat. Keep repeating this until the edge begins to form a little burr along the length of the blade. This burr is a good sign that you are finishing the sharpening process.

Switch to the fine stone and pull away from the cutting edge switching sides as above. This will begin to remove the burr. You will complete the sharpening process with your strop. Follow the instructions in the honing section until the burr is gone.

Establishing a bevel

I’m not going to cover this in detail today. You establish a bevel on tools that have no bevel when you buy them. I do not recommend that beginners buy tools that do not come pre-sharpened. Always check with your vendor to make sure you are buying tools appropriate for you.

Power sharpening

For those who want to take the next step you can get into power sharpening. This involves using a machine to help you sharpen. I have a sharpening machine and I really enjoy using it but I do not recommend one of these for a beginning carver. They can easily ruin a tool if you are not sure of what you are doing.

Once you are into carving and have an assortment of knives and gouges you may want to purchase a sharpening machine. Research before you buy.

Conclusion

Sharp tools produce better work and they are safer. Many beginners don’t believe it when they are told sharp tools are safer but they are. Sharp tools cut better thus requiring less pressure to cut through the wood. Using less pressure means that if you slip the blade will not travel as far and will be under more control. Keep your tools sharp, you’ll enjoy it.

Hone often, Honing Jones.

The ‘Getting Started Series’ encompasses six articles:

This article originally appeared in Carving Magazine.