Wood grain direction?

[USAGeorge]

As I understand it the grain on a figure should be from toe to head. Is there a rule for the ring direction? Should the rings apex be to the front and the arch toward the rear? I as this because my handss get a bit tired and don't want to use excess force. I noticed in videos that the blade hand is from finger and thumb pressure and the hand is not assisted by arm pull. By the way one of the reasons I am concerned is that if not for a cut resistant glove,I'm sure I would of been in stich city a couple of time. Appreciate some instruction on this aspect, I am having a ball carving and would rather rest when I'm ready and not hand weary.... Thank you George,using only basswood a knife,a v tool and a gouge. Also yes my tools are sharp,just old hands behind them.

[Buffalo Bif]

Personally I have never paid any attention to ring direction when whittling with basswood, cedar, etc. I have done a couple projects with redwood where the grain was an important part of the finished piece.

[AlArchie]

I don't know if this will help or not, but there's a sketch of a block showing the grain.

If carving a standing human figure your grain should run head to toe along axis A/D. OOPS should have put a letter E at the lower left corner......then the axis would have been A/E

Looking at the top of the "head" notice that if you place the nose on the corner A, there is a short cross grain segment that will easily break off. If you carve the nose on corner B, the grain will run longitudinally back toward the face and will be much harder to break off.

This probably won't help with hand fatigue but will definitely result in less frustration

Al

[TexasSteve]

That is great advice Al, that must explain I have had to glue a few noses back on. Thanks
Steve

[foggy]

Thanks for the drawing and explanation. Hadn't thought of that.

[Donsexton]

Yes that drawing is top notch. You can feel the direction with experience one way the wood will grab your fingers the other it will feel silky.

[Robson Valley]

I've never given this very much thought beyond what's easiest to do. Mind you, most of what I do is less than 24"/60cm tall.
Grain runs the long axis of the carving.
Rings run in from front to back (I like to work log sections.) Carving seems to be always easier to be going down into the rings or up out of the rings in a slab.
Totem poles have always been done this way. With the primitive tools of 200 yrs ago on the Pacific NW coast, it makes simple sense.

This can get me into a big jam with a great deal of end grain carving to do (eg, a shallow dish).

[Terry Murphy]

Unbelievable, you finally made me understand it.
Thank you Al

[MichelleOH]

This is very helpful, thanks! I just want to be sure I understand...we could also place the nose on the unmarked top corner and it would be the same as using the B corner, correct?

[uvawyo]

Al that was helpful I hadn't thought of that before Thanks