Large relief carvings. Any advice?

[Rooster]

I have a project in mind to do a large relief carving (3' by 2', possibly 4' by 3'). It would be a carving (from a photo) of a family group shot. Have any of you ever done anything like this before. Is there anything I should know that might put a halt to my gallop. Aside from my complete lack of experience!!!

I guess you can pretty much hang anything on a wall, but would weight be an issue here. This project is a long term goal. I'm in no rush really. I just want to have a idea of what's on the road ahead. I have a couple of small relief projects that I want to get started on, in the next couple of weeks. But I'm eager to find out whether this is a runner or not.

I am thinking of 3' by 2' by probably 2" thick. I assume gluing two boards together horizontally is the best option. But then, as I'm typing I'm thinking, maybe vertically is better. I've read about cutting channels along the back of the board to stop it from warping as you carve. I've done a bit of reading on it. Just not enough practice. Any other advice is welcome.

Thanks for reading
Rooster.

[Ashbys]

Have you decide on the type of wood ?

2'x3'x2" the wood can make a big difference

If your using spanish cedar , you might push 12 -15 pounds mahogany 30 - 40

2' x 3'x 2" really isn't that large a block of wood it is only 12 board ft. SO you should have no real issuse to hang it , just make sure it is on one or two trusses and you should be fine.

Cutting the channels is about releasing the stress in the wood to off set the stress released from removing the carved wood.

Ash

[Rooster]

Hi Ash. Thanks for the reply. I haven't decided on what wood yet. I'm still trying to find a good supplier here. I found one that I need to check out when I get the time. But really I've not much experience with different woods. Most, if not all, of my carvings are in found wood and don't know what the wood is. This project is way beyond me at the moment but it is something that I want to aim for. Aim high, right (so when you fall, you can say "Could have been worse" haha)

Seriously though, this project could be a couple of years down the road. I just wanted to know if it is possible. I've a bit of learning to do in the meantime.

Thanks again.
Rooster.

[GFBentz]

I just scored 2 - 3"x10"x28" blocks of basswood on ebay, Gonna glue em up into 1 huge panel, like you. Paid more for shipping than for the wood.
I've heard that glueing up boards is more stable than using one huge chunk of wood. I have some very wide boards that were straight when I got them, and they have warped considerably since then.
If you do deep relief you will be surprised how much weight you will remove during carving, if you are doing a more shallow relief start with thinner stock.
I'm a beginner too and the best advice I can give you is be bold, and learn from your mistakes. No carving is a failure if you see a way of how you can do it better next time.

As for suppliers, my current fave is fullcycle on ebay, he offers some awesome chunks of basswood for auction that you can get fairly cheap if you bid smart. Watch a few auctions, see what people are paying, and every one and a while you can score a treasure that got under the radar.
Those 2 chunks of basswood I bought- 7 bucks each. You aint gonna do better than that at ANY store.

[Allcutup]

Hello,

I am doing a 36" x 18" relief carving of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” billboard for my daughter right now. Once I selected the seens to capture, they were then placed on the wood conceptually. The remaining blank sections of the wood then had to be designed with small details that tied the main figures together. To accurately locate and sketch the figures “to scale”, I cheated with carbon paper. It is really easy. Take XEROX copies of the picture to be carved and tape carbon paper face down to the back of your print. Lay the print in place on the wood and secure it with something from a weight to tape. Pencil in the figures and peel back the print. Once this is done you can now layout the background details for a final touch. I cut a second print into small sections for later when bulk material has been removed. When the outline is lost due to bulk removal of layers, use the small sections to outline the individual figures a second or third time at lower depths in the wood. I kept the main billboard in front of my workspace with the sketched outlines on the wood. This allowed me to make scaled and perfectly accurate carvings of Johnny Dept and the lead actress. Johnny holds the pistol to his forehead with the right hand and a sword with his left. Below is the actress looking at the Black Pearl being engulfed by the sea as the octopus tries to pull it under. A second ship escapes in the opposite direction. An island with coconut trees, cave and treasure chest are in front of the ship with waves crashing against its shoreline. This carving is outstanding but I want to shoot myself for all of the details. It has taken forever and I still have quite a bit to complete.

By using the carbon paper I was able to quickly get started and see the big picture up front. I then got myself in trouble for doing too much. It is a beautiful piece that I’m proud of and my daughter will always treasure. Another sign of success is that people easily recognize who I have carved.


Good luck,

Allcutup

[Rooster]

Right, seriously, in all fairness, you can't just describe a whole scene that you've carved without showing a photo of it. C'mon. Please.

It sounds cool. I hope your daughter likes it. You should post some pics, really.

In my one and only relief carving, I printed the picture and glued it to the wood and then carved it. I can't remember what I applied the glue to, but I think I remember reading (after the fact) that if you apply glue to the paper it won't ruin the wood. Don't quote me on that though. Anyway, I've just done the same for my next relief project. Chisler number 2. (to save you the bother of googling chisler, here's the link Urban Dictionary: chisler but it's the second definition, not the first. She has potential to be promoted to the first definition, but not yet.)

Being a land surveyor (producing maps and all that), I'm lucky in that I have an A1 printer which prints 594x841 millimetres (eh ... 23x33 inches), so I'll prob just print the large photo as well and glue it (when the time comes).

Another sign of success is that people easily recognize who I have carved.

Yeah, you just know it hasn't worked out as planned when they say "Eh ... yeah ... cool ... what the hell is it?"

Rooster.

[pallin]

I have carved several large reliefs. Since you cannot buy solid wood 2 or 3 feet wide, you have to build up the panel from boards. I have found some success putting oak strips across the back to resist warping.

[mobjack68]

Don't overlook sugar pine. There are good (knot free) large(ish) pieces available. Even with a limited range (mostly California), kiln dried sugar pine can be found in a lot of wood supply stores and at times the price is lower than basswood. It is overlooked mainly because it's pine. Well, it is, pine...BUT, it carves extremely well, the grain is not as critical in carving as other pine species. It cuts butter smooth, very few pitch pockets..great second choice...

[squbrigg]

Sounds like some neat projects underway! I look forward to seeing pictures of the "Pirates..." one and do hope you get off the ground with the family one.

Weight is a concern, but you can always find ways to overcome that once it's completed. Some woods you might like to consider:

Butternut ... light weight, carves well, beautiful finish

Basswood/Lime (UK) ... lightweight, carves well, finish moderately well,

Cherry .... moderate weight, harder to carve, but finishes beautifully, worth the effort

Mahogany ..... moderate weight, carves well (depending on type), dark but beautiful finish

Cedar .... light weight, difficult to carve, nice finish

I'm sure there are many other woods to consider, and they will depend on availability in your area. I'm not sure how far afield you want to go in securing material.

Good luck with the project though, sounds interesting and we'd appreciate you keeping us posted on progress.

Bob

[Just Carving]

Instead of using glue, weights, etc. to hold your pattern in place, try this:

When you print your pattern, leave exta paper at the top.

Put a band of tape across the top where you left extra space.

Fold along the edge of the pattern so it while line up correctly with the top edge of your board.

Lay the pattern over the board.

Use push pins through the taped area to hold the pattern to the top of the board. Ensure the push pins are below where you will be removing wood so your tool(s) won't make contact with the pins.

Now you can use carbon paper to trace the pattern onto the board and retrace the pattern as you carve away the wood, you can lift the pattern to carve and refer back and forth to the pattern and the board, and the pattern will protect the wood when not carving. Also, make several copies of your pattern and keep them on hand and in view when carving.

Bob L