[BobD]

I think you all forgot the name of the magazine WOOD CARVING ILLUSTRATED


We're not associated with any snowmobiling, or chewing tobacco, or cattle herding...so the tips should be about carving!

We've only gotten 1 tip for this issue--so if you got a tip-e-mail me!

Duncan@foxchapelpublishing.com
Bob

[carvendive]

I've sent in a tip but you know something... I thought this thread was a good thing in that it provided a lot more than a tip a month plus it fostered a good exchange between everyone.

Maybe it would have been better to just keep posting here and if Bob D found one from this thread that beat out those snail mailed in, then contact the author and let him know that his chisel was on it's way

Here's my tip on speeding up in the round carving. (Keep in mind I'm new so this might be nothing new.)

This one is what I use when carving in the round. Basically I mount the piece horizontally using an axle at both ends (similar to two carving screws. They are centered in the carving using the turning centers hole. Each axle is in a sacrificial round with just the point of the axle sticking out to catch the center of the carving. The other end of each axle sticks out 3/4" to catch in the brace. Using four pieces of sandpaper I contact glue two pieces of coarse sandpaper together. When done this makes two - double sided sandpaper disks. (I cut them in rounds to match the sacrificial.) I mount them centered on the axle between the sacrificial and the brace (one at each end). I then screw the sacrificials to the carving - one at each end. With the axle at both ends I then slip the entire piece into a brace (similar to a carvers chops). Next I use a simple pipe clamp (below and out of the way to apply tension.

With it, I can easily reverse the piece. When doing the stop cut / line lay in, I can dial in the friction so that I can minimize chisel change. Usually my rounds have a pattern that repeats 4 -6 or 8 times. So I carve one, move the piece and carve the next section, and so on. All without having to touch ANYTHING other than the wood. When it comes time to really lay on the mallet I simply tighten the clamp and it makes the piece rock solid. But because you are usually carving with the force parallel to the axle you rarely need to increase tension.

I mount the whole thing on a piece of plywood and put a hinge at one end. When flat on the table I put in two screws so as to not stress the hinge. Then when I need to work on it in a vertical mode, I remove the table screws, pivot it, screw in a back brace and I'm good to go.

If this is of use, let me know and I'll include pictures.

[papasar]

Did you check the date on the last entry??
Bill K.

[doris]

good tips are never outdated ;-) ...

yes, carvendive, i would like see pictures, since i am not sure i understood, and am always searching for good methods for fixing carvings which allow turing or moving the carving easily ...

and one more question, what are you doing with the holes where your axels stick in the carving, after you completed ? i mean, a hole at the bottom of a carving in the round, say a standing figure, is not too bad, but the other hole is where the top of head is. a hole in head is not nice, is it ?

[R-OLDS]

Hmmmm Carvendive what you are doing sounds quite interesting, It sure would be nice to see pictures of the clamp and or holding device you have made as I do not fully understand....

Thanks

Randal

[Mottles]

Oil: Cleans and conditions Artist oil paint brushes. Removes Artist oil paint off skin and smells really good.

My favorite saying: Measure Twice, Cut Once.

Kathy

[R-OLDS]

Kathy what kind of oil do you use to clean brushes..

Randal

[carvendive]

Doris,
I haven't had to do that yet BUT my plan is that when I do, I'll just spin the blank so that I have about a 1 to 1 1/2" dia. piece at the end that can be removed once the main portion of the carving is done. The size would depend on the wood (mahogany 1 1/2, oak 1, etc). This end piece would still have a ~ 3" end where the screws would go into.

Here are the pictures and hopefully I've attached these in the order in which I'm going to write.
To start with, my goals were 1) to be able to provide appropriate, variable rotational resistance so that I could keep "A" chisel in hand as long as possible and complete that cut segment at all necessary positions around the carving. 2) to be able to rapidly switch the carving from end to end so that as grain or comfort dictated, I could flip the piece and work from the opposite direction.

With this jig I was able to do all the stop cuts and lay in lines that you see here without touching the clamp once. Even the gouge sweeping cuts that you see were done simply by tightening the clamp just a bit, thereby increasing the rotational resistance enough to safely control the piece while still allowing me to rotate it when needed. When needed I can tighten it a bit more and use a sculpting chisel and my 3# lignum mallet and it doesn't budge one bit.

I designed the base for a different clamp. It started out with a 16" deep throat bar clamp that fit into the trough that you see in this first photo. (the bar wasn't long enough for this piece or the bundled reed columns so in this next photo I abandoned using the trough and just placed the pipe clamp on the far side). At first I thought I'd need the pressure on center but believe me that's not necessary. The pipe won't fall when unscrewed but knowing what I know now, I'd band saw the uprights with a little hook in it to position the pipe. I would make that hook on both sides of the pipe so that when the jig is moved into the vertical position, the pipe would not "float" next to the carving. (It doesn't scratch it but I'd just prefer it that way for me.) Note that each of the vertical base pieces has a slot cut in it for tha axle. By using a slot (as opposed to a hole) it allows for rapid removal and replacement.

I needed some steel for various punch shapes and had some 1/4" leftover so I use it for the axle. The axle is ground into a tapered point (maybe about 45 deg.) The point is used ONLY to line up the carving on it's center and NOT to take any of the force - the screws do that. I use whatever thickness of sacrificial disk is needed to clear any recess. So far I have two different length axles.

Next I had some leftover 36 grit sanding disks. I took two and used artists contact mounting spray and glued them back to back so that I'd end up with one piece with grit on both sides. I made two of them - one for each end. The discs where 8" so I trimmed them down. Because of the type of discs that they were they already had a hole in the middle but if you needed to put a whole in one I'd just get a small piece of pipe, grind an end to a sharp point and use it as a punch.

Lastly should be the shot of the hinge. On this carving piece, the E&D and water leafing at the base were MUCH easier to carve with the piece in a vertical position. The plywood base has two screws (one at each end - see black circle drawn around screw in base). When in the horizontal position, I use the screws to keep the base from moving. When I need it vertical, I remove the two screws, swing the base up, and the screw two bracing boards into the back. I have mine set so the base goes to 90 deg but you could make it for any comfortable angle.

When I put a new piece in it I start out with the piece with the axle's and sandpaper discs assembled and place the piece into the bases which are NOT screwed to the plywood base. I slide them all together so that it's snug. I then fasten the bases to the plywood. When attached (without the clamp) the piece spins easily but there is some friction.

[doris]

thank you so much, carvendive, this looks very promising as it might be excately what i was searching for ...
i will try to build me such jig for carving my next figure. i follow your suggestion to let some extra wood over the head to receive the axel, and i can remove that when the figure is almost completed... thanks again for writing so detailed explanation. i very much appreciate