flower panel - wip

Toffeeliz · #41 05-24-2008, 03:51 PM

would you be able to go around it with a thin flat chisel just paring off the edges around it (vertical cuts down the outline), and then smooth around with it along the horizontal outline to smooth it?

I love how its coming about

I want to try something like this!

doris · #42 05-25-2008, 02:51 AM

thanks toffeeliz...i am not sure i understand how you mean, but i will tryout...maybe i just need try more things...

Fred Zavadil · #43 05-25-2008, 06:21 PM

Doris, as always when I am off the board for a while, I find a lot of surprises when I come back.
This is a really nice design and your are doing very well with it. I have to agree on the scrollsaw, it is great for these types of carving - but Doris, you will need a studio soon if you get all the stuff!
Fred

Alice in Wonderland · #44 05-25-2008, 06:37 PM

Doris again I admire you for doing different type of carvings and this one is certainly beautiful as all yours are really, I can not give any advice, using powertools,it is not my choice but I am happy to do what I can.
it is great to have you on the board.
Alice

JimSawyer · #45 05-26-2008, 01:19 AM

Doris, I think the point that ToffieLiz was trying to make was what Ivan Whillock calls, 'tool specific cuts'. In other words, use a gouge that has a shape that matches the shape you are trying to make, and use the tool to plunge the cut into the wood, (with the tool standing straight up). Using a mallet adds control to how deep you go. She was talking about using a straight chisel to make the cuts, but a tool with a sweep will leave a cleaner surface.

doris · #46 05-26-2008, 02:13 AM

ah fred, still i have space, and i hope sell more, not only mary poppins :-) thanks alice, i dislike noise of power tools too, but in this case i would have used one, if i had...also these produce too much dust, i cant have that in my appartment... jim, thanks for clearify...oh, then it is not the way i need, i want them very shallow, like in foto, they are less then 1mm high, almost like a hair...i have them this thin, but they not nice curve...i try more...

doris · #47 05-26-2008, 09:19 AM

so, i think i solved that one ... if you compare with the previous image post, you see now the ridges are much smoother and gracefuller now :-) :-) ... actually, i did nothing else than before, but in that i shaved the wood so often in that area, i learned better how the grain goes, and so i could keep my cuts more precisely where i wanted them :-) ... might be, i go over it again, but for now i like it ....

chuckt · #48 05-26-2008, 09:55 AM

Looks much better Doris. Big improvement in the definition of each line and they run much more smoothly now.

I think the suggestion that Toffeeliz was making before did have merit though. It seems to me that she was suggestion to follow the outline of the ridge (i.e. the leaf vein) making connected vertical stop cuts to whatever depth you wanted (1 or 2 mm) along the length of the vein line

Then you go back and lower the ground (i.e. the leaf's surface along side the vein), then you can take an inverted small veiner to roundover and smooth the vein itself.

Chris Pye describes two techniques for "lining in" (I think that's what he called it) a relief carvings features:
1. using a V tool to follow the line in longer more continuous cuts.

2. using these vertical stab type stop cuts where you use the shape of the gouge to match the contour of the line.

Technique one is cleaner in some ways but you must get the direction of the cuts aligned with the grain to avoid tear out. Technique two lets you avoid the grain difficulty for creating the stop cuts but you may have more clean up and smoothing work to avoid the leaving mismatched stop cut depths where the stop cuts and the lowered background meet.

In any case, it looks like your veins have cleaned up considerably with your additional work and if you're happy - that's what matters the most!

Nice design and execution so far Doris. Well done!!

ChuckT

chuckt · #49 05-26-2008, 10:05 AM

One other thought.

I think there are two ways to define the vein lines when doing leaves. The easier and one that is often chosen is the define the line by cutting it in with a V tool or veiner (i.e. leaving a vein that is concave to the surface around it) to imply the vein line.

The other and much more challenging and but more lifelike is to relieve the ridge of the vein leaving it sticking up from the surface of the leaf as you have chosen to do here.

This is what I've read anyway. But Mark, Fred or one of the other more experienced carvers may be able to offer more knowledge on this.

ChuckT

doris · #50 05-26-2008, 11:23 AM

hi chuck :-) glad you like :-) and thanks for more clearify :-) ... v-tool i need learn much more, most of time it tears on one side. cannot, so far, do long v-tool cuts which are clean on both sides... sigh...
yes, i chose both type of veins, those wich are cut like v for the top part of leaf ... and when we see the backside of leaf then i use the ridge type which sits on top... :-)