[ddt]

Hi,
Trying this carving stuff, and have pretty much all the tools I need, knives,gouges, power! But I have a question for you "pros" or everyone with more experience than me. I just started a very basic relief carving, pretty simple by the pictures of work I have seen you folks do! Anyway to my question, and it may actually be more than one, but under the same heading. How do you hold your pieces while working? By or in your hand? On a table/bench? If so tilted or flat? Clamped down, or held with hand? Do you have an easy way to "rotate" the piece?

Thanks for you help/ideas/etc. I may not respond until next week, as I will be out of town until tues. But again thanks, love this site! Just me ddt

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Look up "bench hook" good starter

[BasketballJones]

You may want to put that bench hook on a workmate. You can get a good one or imitation for under 30 bucks. You can use the clamps but I make my own by gluing dowels to 2x4s. I make the dowels long so they don't move. It holds your work, it adjusts, you can glue and clamp anything of reasonable length. It also makes for a great TV dinner tray.

[Ashbys]

If your doing relief of any size you need to hold it. If your planning on chisels and mallet it is a must for control.

There are many diferent ways to do it some personal preference. You might check out a few of the post Slivers has the pattern for one, that looks to work very well, Ron has one as well , Bob Squibrigg uses one a bit different. Chris Pye's site shows one a bit different , Bill Judt has the plans for a full table on his site. Susan Irish is a bit different , and Goody uses an old dentist chair base converted to a table.

Much is personal preference, and afordability ,You could also just get a couple of C clamps and lock the piece down to a solid table to start.

But what ever you chose to do , make sure you can be confortable with it. Too short and it will cause back trouble over time , and you will fatigue early. To High and you will be fighting with it .

Hope this helps
Ash

[ddt]

THANKS,,,,,I have a "working table" that I bought from the store in Bettendorf Ia.,and had played with the "concept" of the bench hook. I made a crude one yesterday out of some scrap wood, and will give it a try. I sure do think it is what I need! I can get fancy with it later. Again THANKS, and most of the time the simplest thing works the best! Just me ddt

[mdallensr]

ddt, you've already anticipated one of the important issues in relief carving: repositioning the work. If you're using edge tools, you'll have to deal with the wood grain as well as the need to carve in different directions. When I "whine" about the constant need to rotate my work, my instructor reminds me of his strong advice about becoming ambidextrous. Yeah, I know, how am I supposed to carve left-handed when I'm struggling right-handed, right? But give it a try, particularly with full size, two-handed tools. It's a really useful skill that you can develop early in your carving experience that could become second nature to you over time. Good luck. Mike