Torso carving

[shazrod]

Hi all, I am new to carving but have done a small amount, I want to carve a female torso which will hang on the wall, my questions are,

1. I know I will need to glue pieces of wood together but what is the best glue to use. I live in the UK so it will need to be a product I can buy here.
2. Should I use the flat area of wood for the front or use the edges.

I dont really want to see any joints because the finish will probably be stained.

Any advice would be very much appreciated, including any advice regarding the best way to carve it.

Thanks

Rod

[carver33]

Rod,

Some questions before answers:

What size do you want to make the carving?

What wood do you plan on using? I'm told that Limewood is a popular choice in the UK (similar/same as basswood here in the colonies).

As to glue, I like the yellow carpenter's glue (Titebond or Elmers) and I would think that you would want to carve the face grain with the grain running vertically.

Bill (In Aiken, SC)

[mark yundt]

Bill has good advice as to the glues. Most of the major brands will work just fine. The greatest weakness in a glued joint isn't the glue,,it's the prep in the mating surfaces of the joint/wood. If you can get a perfect fit..water,believe it or not will hold it together if the joint is perfect. Of course once it dries it won't hold,,but that's where glue comes in.
Depending on the size of the piece I have used both the flat grain as well as the edge grain.It depends on several factors,,,appearance,,size of the piece width,depth etc. where you have to decide what would work best as far as finish .type of wood,,grain shifts.where the joints will end up and how they'll affect the final carving.
the fewest joints naturally occur using the boards flat,,,,facing you. On edge you can end up with alternating patterns along the edge. At least with the boards laying flat ,,the joints will follow the grain somewhat and can be a bit disguised this way depending on thickness of the boards vs. the thickness of the carving.
Grain orientation will again depend on the size,,dimensions of the piece,,,but they do usually run vertically.
If the boards are prepped perfectly,,and the boards oriented correctly,,,the joint itself in many case will virtually disappear.You won't see it,,let alone feel it when you carve. If you can feel the chisel hit a line,,,it's not correct in my estimation.
Remember also,,,too much glue can weaken a joint. Don't be fooled into thinking more is better. Once the surfaces are wetted,,it won't take much to bond them..A perfet fit will be almost impossible to separate with only a drop of glue.It's amazing how it works when the joints are properly prepped.

[shazrod]

Bill

In answer to your questions, I would like to make the carving lifesize, I am not sure what type of wood it will be, I was going to buy it from a local timber merchant in planks and I'm guessing it will probably be pine or deal.

I haven't heard of those glues here in the UK and was wondering if a PVA type glue would do the job.

Rod

[mark yundt]

I don't mean to answer for Bill but the PVA should work PROVIDED you have as I indicated a perfectly flat,smooth glue surface. Generally though the true woodworking glues will be a bit better and I'm sure somewhere around you someone sells the yellow woodworking glues. This glue,,especially for a larger carving and glue up is more forgiving where gaps might be as they can fill better and retain strength and also work better on more porous surfaces such as wood.
You're going to have quite a bit of time ,effort and money tied up in this piece.For those reasons,,as well as a more secure glue up,,I'd take the time and get the preferred glues since so much might be at stake
Besides,,,when that wood starts moving,,will you be confident in using just a PVA glue? There are enough variables inherrent incarving glued up pieces in itself,,so I favor using materials designed specifically for a given job.
One other to consider for the ultimate strength is the West system,,,basically a 2 part glue (epoxy) nothing will get that apart and does a good job of filling a less than perfect gap. I'm considering using that for my next large projects as I tend to do larger pieces at times.
And big pieces move ALOT in my experience.

[shazrod]

Thanks for the advice Mark, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm taking on too big a job for a novice, i have a lot of experience working with wood but not carving, the carving i was proposing was going to be a half torso being that it would have a flat back to hang on the wall. I will check out what glues are available in my area.

Rod

[mark yundt]

Yes Rod check out the availability of the glues. I'm sure something other than PVA's are around.

I can't say for certain if the project is too much for you not knowing your skills with wood or carving. If it is going to be a half torso as you say,,then using boards laying flat I think would be your best option. If they aren't wide enough you'll naturally have to edge glue some of them leaving a joint now running vertically. These would be ,for the most part only one or two. If you decided to use the boards on edge facing you,,well now you have exposed many individual joints and possible gaps that might not look great if you plan on leaving it natural. If you intend to paint it,,well then it's not an issue.
If the boards are glued up flat to build the thickness of the body,,then the only joints you might see,,and the grain directions will help disguise them,will be running around the sides and edges of the body as if it were a topographical map. This is much easier to do and the joints in this fashion are less noticeable.
Good luck. And remember larger pieces are easier to do than small ones in many respects. They are more forgiving than a small piece.

[Clivewoodcarver]

I personally feel that Life size dosn't work very well.... If I was doing the carving I would go slightly bigger or around two third's life size.. I know this dosen't sound right, but to carve a figure life size will look odd!

[Clivewoodcarver]

Originally Posted by mark yundt

larger pieces are easier to do than small ones in many respects. They are more forgiving than a small piece.

Detail get's bigger and the mineute detail's show and add to challenge!

Good luck, have fun!

[carver33]

I agree with mark on his advise on the wood and glues and with clive on the size. I personally would go with about 2/3 size.

Glue up the boards in an overlapping pattern to gain the required thickness so that you have a slightly oversized outline to begin with (see attached sketch). Be careful when matching up the grain so that when finished, there won't be glaring differences on either side of the joints.

You will need to be careful when carving - you may have to cut in one direction on one side of the joint and the opposite direction on the other side. If you have experience working with wood and the wodd is cheap enough. go for it.

Bill (in Aiken SC)