Cutting down an edge

Lack of testing has me in a tough spot on a project. I am carving a relief of a youth group emblem. A large heart shape with icons in the interior. It is about 28' high and 30' accross in 2' thick mahogany. I have worked down to the lowest level, approx 1', within 1/8 to 1/4' of fininsh lines and planned to carve striaght down from high face to ground to create the clean edge. The mahogany seems to be getting harder as I go, it is difficult to maintain 90 degrees to the face and the process is very slow. I progress about 2 inches per hour and I figure I have about 115 inches to go. Your 'non-powertool' suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Bewildered and behind schedule,
Ah Chip

Cutting down an edge is hard even when its only 1/2 inch deep. My 1st thought while reading your post was power tools. After reading the rest of your post I have to say, power tools. You will be forever working on that, and may take a chance on damaging your tools, If you want to finish it with hand tools I would suggest using a 1/2 to 3/4 chisel and a mallet. these will be tuff enough to hold up and sharp enough to make a clean cut. Good Luck lets know how you make out.

[Captain_Bandaid]

??? You don't say why you eschew power tools but if it is because you don't have one, maybe now is a good time to get one. If you object based upon 'artistic' reasons, let me assure you that 'The Manual of Traditional Woodcarving' published in 1911 in the UK, has a section showing how to use a primative router to speed up the tedious, less artistic, part of the project. If the old masters used power tools, I guess we can too!

[firewoodstudio]

With out the use of power you might try brushing on some mineral spirts / paint thinner I have used this in the past carving and it does help. it makes the cutting better and easy be shure to work in a well vented place out side if possible.

In reply to the brushing on mineral spirits.... a spray bottle of rubbing alcohol (diluted if you want) will 'soften' the wood and carving will be much easier...soak an area to be carved and try it...the alcohol evaporates also...I don't know what mineral spirits would do .... Â*(what would it do to the wood as far as adding a finish later??)...Woodpecker

Use a Router with straight two flute bit bushed and a template.
I am a traditional (hand tool) carver, but if you want a perfect 90 degrees; use the router.

I too, resisted using power tools on my projects because I felt that a true woodcarver would never use them.
WRONG
After trying to carve a tagua nut I broke down and bought a dremel and completed,in a matter of minutes,a carving that had set for months.
While I was at it, I completed a couple of other carvings that I had quit on, because they had to much wood to remove by hand.
I (now) agree with captain band-aid, the use of power tools to (hog) material down ( something that really has no artistic bearing on the carving) shows your maturity as a carver rather than being seen as a cheater.
After all, isn't the use of power tools also a skill that many non-woodworking people don't posess?

[mdallensr]

Ah_chip, if you really want to stay with hand tools, in-cannel gouges are the right tool for squaring an edge to ground in relief carvings. Â*With the bevel on the inside of the radius, you present a flat surface to the body of the carving and can drive straight down to ground with the chip peeling off the bevel, away from the body. Â*A good, sharp 1/2' or 3/4' tool would make quick work of that edge, and a 3/4' or 1' tool would smooth it out after you hog away the bulk of the wood.

Gentlemen, you have convinced me that power is the answer. There will be enough tight corners left that I will still get to be the frustrated artist. So here is my Tim Taylor plan. I plan to turn my dad's radial arm saw 90 degrees with a straight burr in a chuck opposite the blade arbor. That gives me a large surface to support the work and I will be able to see the lines so I won't need to make a template. Thats the plan. I'll let you all know next week how it worked.
Ah Chip

[Captain_Bandaid]

Ah-chip,
may I also suggest you replace that puny 3/4 HP electric motor with a stroked and bored Chevy short block V-8? A nice 2' chromoly drive shaft, turned and balanced and running on Timken inboard/outboard precision roller bearings would be a nice touch too. Tim would approve, I'm sure. :