Question :When do you clean up your carvings?

Kenny_S · #1 09-01-2004, 03:12 PM

I clean mine up as I go. Meaning, I keep the little pieces of wood chips cleaned off and ensure the cuts are clean. I know several that I carve with on Monday nights wait till they are about finished with their carving before going back and cleaning them up. Comments for the newbies!

Colin_Partridge · #2 09-01-2004, 08:39 PM

Kenny,
I am not a newbie but here are my comments anyway. I never clean up my carving until I have it completed. My reasoning is that I may want to change something once the carving is finished therefore I dont want to waste all that time cleaning as I go. Having said that I usually end up changing something at the end of the carving, dont ask me why but I just about always do.
Colin

Kenny_S · #3 09-01-2004, 09:13 PM

Understandable an cleaning up at the last. I just started as I went and really, don't know if it is quicker or not. Actually I was hopeing more experienced carvers like yourself would answer . Think the info is great for the new carvers.Thanks for your comments and best to you.

#4 09-01-2004, 10:19 PM

I do my carvings in stages. Roughout the whole piece, define the shape and dominate features, enhance what I have and then start adding detail. As I don't use patterns I'm not restricted on what my final piece will be, so I guess my 'real' cleanup comes at the end.

mdallensr · #5 09-02-2004, 09:38 AM

I clean up fuzzies and small imperfections at the end. It helps to set the carving aside for a day or two, and take a new look at it, in good light, to really see the defects. Another aspect of 'cleaning' is actually removing dirt or smudges. I've learned to try to keep my carvings clean, especially basswood and other white woods. It's really hard to clean an intricate carving after it's done. The worst offender seems to be the 'char' that we clean from woodburning.

icarve2003 · #6 09-02-2004, 09:58 AM

I usually clean things up just before doing any burning or fine detail.

Just make sure you don't use your knives or chisels after you've used sand paper. The tiny grains of sand may embed themselves in the wood and dull your blades.

Chris.

#7 09-02-2004, 08:52 PM

I 'clean' my carvings after detailing....

For me it's a two step process.

First I clean the 'fuzzies' by using my knife point to cut out the uncut chips in recesses. I also undercut or deepen cuts on places where two colors will meet on painted carvings. I also cut away any pencil marks that may still be there. I will sometimes use a burner on areas (low heat) to get the separation between areas noted above.

Second - I actually wash my carving before painting. I use dishwashing soap and a soft bristle brush to clean any hand oils and dirt that may have collected during carving. I really soap it up and then towel dry. I let it dry at least an hour before painting (acrylics). I will wait 24 hours + if I use oil paints. I usually dip the carving in boiled linseed oil before painting with oils to help seal it and prevent the paints from bleeding into other areas.

#8 09-04-2004, 03:26 AM

I clean my carving as I go, sanding dosent bother my tools as I mostly power carve. Before the final sanding, I use denatured alcohol sprayed on in a fine mist. It raises the grain and cleans off any oil from my hands. I make sure that I have a fan going and my air cleaner on before I use the denatured alcohol. It also dries within minutes.

icarve2003 · #9 09-04-2004, 08:29 AM

Hugh,

Thanks for the tip about the denatured alcohol, I'll try that. I assume you do that before any detailing? How do you handle any 'fuzzies' after detailing?

BTW, I visited your website. Amazing work!! I am just getting into birds of prey myself, so I hope you don't mind if I consult you from time to time as you obviously are a master in that area.

Chris.

#10 09-04-2004, 08:42 AM

Hi Chris, thanks for the positive comments. Concerning the fuzzies, I use tupelo and don't get the fuzzies. But when using Basswood, I used a scotch brite scouring pad, cut 1' circles and put them on a mandrel. Use this at low speed in your micromotor, and it will clean up a lot of it. But having said all of that, if you use the denatured alcohol, it will raise the fuzzies quite well, and they come off when you sand. The fuzzies usually result from running your bit against the grain. If you follow the grain you wont get as many. My rule of thumb is to cut from the middle towards the end of the piece of wood. If you grind or cut from the end towards the middle of the block your coming against the grain and therefore breaking the fibres of the wood. Hope this helps. Email me anytime if I can be of some help.