[millerewpddgm3@yahoo.com]

question ?
I have compleated the chip carving of a 10 inch, basswood plate. Cleaning it up to stain it ,i washed it with simple green and it warped. In an effort to take the warp out of it i socked it in hot waterr for 45 min. Then set full bucket of water on it it took days to take the bow out of it. Under the bucket it looks like the plate is still wet after seven days. What should i do now, wate for it to dry, take the bucket (weight) off and let dry or leave the bucket on untill dry. This has never happened to me before.
Ed

[JIM QUILICI]

you know I have tried simple green and dishwater soap and they worked but I found that .........if I sneak my wife's tooth brush without her knowing ......and use some carpet spot remover called " folex" that I got from home depot. that the bass wood really gets a real nice clean white and it takes out all the pencil marks and blood stains that show up by themselves..i spray the stuff on and brush the carving with my wife's toothbrush spray it again and scrub again.... rinse...THEN dry it off ..........and then replace the tooh brush ...THIS works for me .....and my wife's teeth seem th be getting whiter.....maybe I need to rinse the tooth bush TOO ???
Jim

[millerewpddgm3@yahoo.com]

thanks jim for the reply. i enjoyed your carvings very much and the photography is also excellent. I need to know how long to leave the weight on the plate so that it won't bow when removed.

Ed

[JIM QUILICI]

Originally Posted by millerewpddgm3@yahoo.com

thanks jim for the reply. i enjoyed your carvings very much and the photography is also excellent. I need to know how long to leave the weight on the plate so that it won't bow when removed.

Ed

Mr. Miller
Ihave a opinion about almost everything .........but I do not have a lot of answers for lots of things .....can't help you about the time to leave the weights on. .....sorry
Jim

[millerewpddgm3@yahoo.com]

Thanks Jim, I left the weight on for 10 days. So for, so good, maybe this will be a help to others. Just could not stand to leave the weight on any longer.

Ed

[redbird46]

I use a toothbrush and Murphy's Oil Soap that can be bought in most stores and Home Depot. If I'm wanting to paint I will use the hair blow dryer to dry the carving quickly. I also paint with acrylic paints and use the blow dryer so I can paint until I'm tired or finished with the carving.
Norb

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Originally Posted by JIM QUILICI

you know I have tried simple green and dishwater soap and they worked but I found that .........if I sneak my wife's tooth brush without her knowing ......and use some carpet spot remover called " folex" that I got from home depot. that the bass wood really gets a real nice clean white and it takes out all the pencil marks and blood stains that show up by themselves..i spray the stuff on and brush the carving with my wife's toothbrush spray it again and scrub again.... rinse...THEN dry it off ..........and then replace the tooh brush ...THIS works for me .....and my wife's teeth seem th be getting whiter.....maybe I need to rinse the tooth bush TOO ???
Jim

Great idea Jim! errr you have an steel helmets around? I have the strange feeling you are going to need one ha ha

[pamopfl]

Ed,
I had the same dang thing happen with a plate I carved and cleaned. Warping. Too much water I guess. Mine even split an inch on the side. This was my first basswood plate. It wasn't carved perfectly by any means so it was no great loss BUT I learned a valuable lesson. Next time I'll try not to get it so dirty.

[papasar]

Ed,
I finish most of my plates prior to carving and staining. Most times I only stain the cuts. To do this I sand and coat with up to three coats of spray "poly". This seals and protects the plate from dirt, finger oil, pencil marks etc. I like to rubber cement the pattern to the wood and cut thru it. The cement rubs off with a piece of crepe rubber that is meant for dressing sanding belts. After carving I use gel stain that only take in the cuts not the surface due to the "poly" finish. The plat itself turns a honey like color due to the poly and the sky is the limit for gel stain colors. You can use different stains for a varied effect. The trick is not to let the stain sit too long on the poly or puddle in the cuts since it will leach under the poly. Just the method I feel good with. Hope it helps.
Washing the plate swells the wood makes lines appear thinner and more precise but also takes away fine edges. IMHO
Bill K.

[mark yundt]

I am with Hi Ho...for all the pieces I have done,,,I have never ever washed,,scrubbed ,,or got water anywhere near a carving.

And I never will.