Question for Mike Shipley

cseymour · #1 11-03-2008, 07:18 PM

Hi Mike,
I have a question for you regarding the article you wrote for the Hand carved Holiday Gifts issue. I am looking at the Flat-plane Santa ornament article and am wondering if you roughed it out first?

I guess what I am really trying to ask is how I can get the pattern supplied to fit to a 2x2x6 piece of basswood? I am assuming if I orient the block so the nose is a corner, but I am not sure how to then transfer the pattern to the wood.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

All the best.

Chris

chuckbolton · #2 11-03-2008, 11:03 PM

i do hope that mike monitors this board but i dont know for sure-- i do know that he does all his pieces first from a solid block-- moves onto a bandsaw cutout and now for sake of speed and those who buy his pieces has gone to roughouts-- but each original starts from a square (or rectangular) block of wood. im speaking from the result of a conversation i had with him- im not speaking for him----

cseymour · #3 11-04-2008, 09:56 AM

Thanks Chuck,
I'll keep messin' around with it.

Cheers.

Chris

Iowa Carver · #4 11-09-2008, 02:57 PM

Chris, make a thin carboard ( I use manilla folders cut up) side and front view patterns. I use transfer paper to make the pattern. Once you have the pattern templates done get your block of wood and use a block about 1/2 and inch taller and wider than the pattern so you have room to hold the patterns all together. I cut out the side profile all the way so that when done it falls out. For those tight corners just get it close until you get it apart and while you still have a flat surface then you can get in and trim up the tight spots. Slip it back together and tape it on the sides and ends. Then cut out the front profile. When done you will have a 2 sided blank cut out. That is how he does an original pattern cut out. After that I am sure he uses a rough out because he is a production carver ..... time is money!

Corey

Claude · #5 11-09-2008, 09:52 PM

If you'll pardon the entry into the wonderful world of math, here's an easy way to convert a pattern that is for a square block with the nose centered on a face, to one for the nose centered on a corner.

First, you need an application for you computer that allows you to resize images. Photoshop is one, but it's expensive. Basically, what you need to do is resize the photo, holding the vertical constant, and multiplying the horizontal by 1.414 (1.4 if you're using a pencil is close enough). For example, if the drawing is 4 inches by 4 inches, you want to stretch the drawing to 4 inches high by 5.6 inches wide. When wrapped onto the wood on a corner, this will give you an accurate view of the carving.

The first drawing is a "normal" one. The second is stretched horizontally the correct amount to put the nose on a corner instead of the center of the block.

Claude

cseymour · #6 11-10-2008, 10:02 AM

Thanks guys for your posts.

Corey that is a great idea and I will certainly try that.

Claude (or should I call you Dr. Math

) thanks for the post that was very helpful as well.

I will play with both ideas (after I get my swap ornaments completed

)

Thanks again.

Chris

Mitchell · #7 11-12-2008, 01:48 PM

Approved the attachments for Claude - helps when we can see what he's talking about....

Old_Gord · #8 11-12-2008, 04:11 PM

Claude, care to elaborate on "the math lesson" you provided on resizing.
Where is the 1.414 derived from, are we into the Golden Rule here?

Looks like it could be a handy calc.

BTW your PM's need to be emptied.
Cheers
OG

Claude · #9 11-12-2008, 06:05 PM

OG:
Nothing difficult. The length of the diagonal of a square is the square root of 2 times the length of a side. If a side of a square is 1 inch, for example, the diagonal would be square root of 2 (1.414) times 1, or 1.414 inch. For a two inch square, the diagonal would be 2.828 inches, etc.

When you take a drawing or photo and want to put it centered on a corner (nose on the corner), it needs to be stretched a bit, and that's the formula above. One way to think of it: Hold a 1 inch by 1 inch stick up in front of you with a flat side facing you. Now hold a ruler in front of it and measure how wide - it will be 1 inch wide, obviously. Turn the stick 45 degrees so a corner is facing you. Now measure how wide the stick looks from left corner to right corner. It should look to be just a touch over 1 and 3/8 inch, which is close to 1.414 inches... so, that is how much it needs to be stretch so the edges will touch the side corners. You could also cut out the two photos I posted, and see how they fit on a stick...

Claude

Old_Gord · #10 11-13-2008, 11:21 AM

Claude. nothing difficult you say..Lordy Lord...ya gotta realize you're talking to an old geezer here. heck last time I did any serious arithmetic it was way back in the one room red school house, using a slate with chalk...now that was the year they changed over from from calculating on slates with slate pencils, just to set the record straight.

Now the second paragraph is getting more to my speed. empirical, that's more to my liking and understanding.Head Bange

All kidding aside Claude, thank you , a most helpful observation on your part.

Cheers
OG