[Sharynideas]

Are there good clear directions anywhere for transferring patterns and then cutting them out with the bandsaw? It seems to me that everyone just assumes that all the readers of WCI know how to do that.
Also, at times the patterns only show a front and back view. How do you arrive at a side view to use for a pattern?

[AlArchie]

Can't help ya with that lost side view, other than to say, use your imagination.

As far as tracing the pattern on your block and then cutting on the band saw, that can be dealt with. I use a small engineers square to run a line on two adjoining sides of the block. Now put the top (head, if you are doing a human or animal) of the front view on that line and trace it. Turn to the adjacent side and use that line you drew to place the the head of the side view on and trace that.

Go to the bandsaw and using the profile with the LEAST amount of curves and angles, cut this one out, being sure to leave a little extra (cut outside the lines). Also try to cut the scrap off in one piece from each side of that profile.

Now, either with double sided tape or a drop of hot glue, put the two pieces back in place. This will give you a whole block again.

Turn this new block so the OTHER profile is visible and cut that one out. (don't worry about the scrap on this cut)

Now just knock the taped or glued pieces off your piece and you are ready to carve.

Hope I made that clear.

al

[mdallensr]

When I'm making several carvings from the same design, for Christmas gifts in my case, I make a card-stock template and trace them on the blocks. For one-of-a-kind carvings, I use graphite paper and trace the pattern. For really complex patterns, such as acanthus panels or chip carving, I use the heat transfer method.

Heat transfer uses a regular copy-machine pattern (not an ink-jet printer copy), placed face down on the block. By applying heat to the back of the copy, the pattern will be transferred from the paper to the wood surface. You can get special paper and a special iron to do this, but you can make do with normal copies and a regular iron. This reverses the image. If that's a problem, you have to reverse the image before you make the final copy. Most copy machines will make a copy on clear plastic film, which can be flipped over to to make that reversed copy. This may seem like a lot of work, but for a very detailed pattern, it saves a lot of time.

I try to use or make a pattern for each view. At some point in carving, you're going to have to know what each view looks like; the earlier the better. If you can't sketch or conjure up a mental picture of each view, you're going to have trouble carving it.

I band saw my blanks in 2 or 3 dimensions, to remove as much waste as possible. New carvers can learn a lot from carving a wolf out of a rectangular blank, but after you've mastered the different cuts and learned to read the grain of the wood,
you're probably going to be more interested in producing a finished carving than a pile of chips.

If you have your rectangular block with a wolf pattern on each surface, as soon as you make your first cut, you remove the pattern for another view. You need to re-attach that piece with double-sided tape or you can leave it attched at one end of the block. Cut each view, remove the waste, and you have a blocky looking wolf. It's amazing how quickly that blank will turn into a realistic wolf just by rounding those square edges.

Many carvers who post on this board are blessed with the ability to take a piece of wood and carve something beautiful with no pattern, no plan. I admire those folks and envy their artistic ability. I'm guessing for every one of them, there's 50-100 of the rest of us who can execute a carving given a place to start. If you take the time to get or make a good pattern, then prepare a good blank, you'll be able to make a carving that's right up there with the best of them. Good luck.

[rick-in-seattle]

The lost side process goes like this;
Either transfer your front view pattern or attach it (my prefered method).

Then using a pencil and square, transfer lines to the side of the block.
Only transfer important lines (for example a person) such as the top of the head, the top of the shoulders, the elbows, hip, wrist, knee, and top of the shoes.

Once you have those lines across the width of the block, you can put in a centerline and begin sketching in an approximate figure. Make it slightly larger than needed, this excess can be removed while carving.

That's all I got to say about that.

[Mottles]

Oh Boy is this great information--this one's going in my woodcarving notebook.
Thanks folks,
Kathy

[MDWine]

While the answer to my question seems obvious, I'm wondering if there is a particular trick in attaching a pattern directly to the block of wood.

I'm assuming a thin layer of white or yellow glue would suffice?

just checkin'...

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

use spray glue Mike and just spray on the paper pattern, if you spray both surfaces...it is there to stay! pattern is removalble this way and will stay put to bandsaw or scrollsaw as well..(actual name I guess is spray adhesive..read the label and make sure spraying one side is removable.)

[rick-in-seattle]

I use rubber cement applied to the patterns backside.

[Sharynideas]

Thanks to all of you for the info. It's great to know that help is just a click or so away.

[Bandaid]

Rick...is that rubber cement you use the kind that comes in a little bottle with a brush applicator?

Reg