Clean up after recip carver?

[lramlow]

Hi all!

I'm glad to say that my Automach reciprocating carver arrived and so far I'm loving it. My first project with it is nearly done, but I'm looking for some advice and can't find anything like this already discussed in any previous threads.

A client of mine is a Jaguar man, and he has an extra Jaguar hood ornament that he wanted mounted on a base. He's a good client, and I wanted to do something cool for him, so I thought I'd carve a downed tree for the cat to be "leaping" off. I use Michigan hardwoods, and this is made from black walnut. I used a pretty wide gouge (sorry, I'm so new I don't even know what size!) and I really like the tool marks left by the recip carver, but there are a few places that aren't as clean and smooth as the rest of it. I generally do "stylized" carvings (all hardwood) so I sand everything, but I want to leave this one textured.

Anyone got any suggestions as to how I should clean this up without losing the texture? Everything I came across was in reference to basswood or for something that would be painted. This will get finished with General Finishes Arm-R-Seal.

Thanks!
Lisa
Lisa Ramlow Fine Woodworking Home Page

[Donsexton]

Are you using the flexcut blades? If you are Flexcut makes a palm handle for the blades. I do this I don't have the extra handle or want one I simply turn the tool off. With the tool off its just a little cumbersome but will act much like a traditional gouge. Trust me give it a try.

[lramlow]

Hi Don,

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I have the box set of the SK blades, with the palm handle and the "power handle" I think they called it. I used a #8 sweep for most of the tree, and really liked the effect it gave. I did not phrase my original question very well, so let me try again. I want to leave these marks pretty much as-is after carving them, but I've never finished a piece this way. I like the "polished" look that the gouges leave. But I've run into several places on the tree that I cannot get to cut cleanly no matter which direction I approach from, or which blade I use. Is there some way to "polish" these areas to get them to match the cleaner cuts, or will that not be an issue once I've put the finish on?

By the way, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the cherry owl you posted about some time ago - did you do anything as far as sanding goes after you carved it?

[davidinsarasota]

I'm glad you are likin the Automach Lisa. Good choice, lots of power.

It's called a 'hand tooled finish.' It's usually not possible or necessary to make every stroke perfect, but you can go over the defective strokes and clean them up as much as possible. I'll post a link to my 'Critter.' It is 95% tooled finish, but certain areas, like the crotch were not carveable with anything but spinning bits. I was concerned that the untooled surface would stand out as unfinished or not genuine or something, but it looks fine like that.
Critter Pics

[lramlow]

David,

Thanks! Love the critter, and you're right - it looks great! I'm having the same trouble with the crotch area of the branches, but I decided it's good enough. This piece of walnut I'm using is some that I had specially milled at about 4" and kiln dried, as I was planning to use for a commission of a dolphin box that I wanted to make from one piece instead of a lamination. I cut it into pieces and let it sit for a while. Every single piece of that (I had 3 or 4 8' boards) checked and cracked every time I cut it. I had my guy check it and it came in well within the moisture range for kiln dried, but I chalked it up to "not dry enough". It's been in the loft above my workshop, which gets hot as snot and dry as a bone over the summer, for 3 years now and it's still cracks. Long story, but I think the wood might be part of my problem, as least as far as the "tearout" I'm getting in a couple of places. It's like I'm going at the grain wrong, but it doesn't matter which way, it still "tears" instead of slices.

Anyway, I'll post some pics once I get it finished and the Jag mounted. Thanks for the help!