In my school days (a number of years back now), I had the bizarre experience of seeing the thumb of the father of a friend of mine. That doesn’t sound so bizarre I hear you thinking, and it wouldn’t have been, except for the fact that I was viewing the thumb wrapped in plastic wrap, and not attached to the...
Gluing up Wood
There are many opinions on how wood should be glued up. I am not offering another opinion I am merely telling you how this was done in the past. After examining thousands of old pieces of furniture and other woodwork of the period there are common techniques that traditional craftsman invariably follow. There are exceptions some and many of these...
Boring
“Brace yourself, this is going to be a bit boring”, a quote from Shepherds’ Compleat Early Nineteenth Century Woodworker, 1981, 2001 that I always find amusing. The hand brace is a step up from the T-handled auger or drill. The hand brace is a tool that can be made of wood by the craftsmen and many fine examples in wood...
Types of relief
A significant place in the woodwork occupy a variety of reliefs. Performing them requires a certain skill. The more complex the relief, the more skill is needed. A relief is a semi-volumetric image placed on the plane and, to varying degrees protruding above it. Depending on the height, there are three types of relief. Low relief is situated above the...
Burning and firing
We are used to wood and fire being incompatible, but in capable hands they become allies. There are two ways of treating and decorating the surface of wooden that are not related to carving but help to emphasize the volume and bring out the texture of the wood. These are art burning and firing. The first method is used to...
Flat relief carving
This is one of the difficult types of relief. It is accessible to beginners and quite effective. On the plane of the conceived form, draw the pattern of the future ornament, remove voids with a knife, an angle or a joint at 45 °. If the distances between the details of the pattern Significant, cut a flat background. For such...
Now we start carving
It doesn’t really matter what kind of wood carving you’re into. The main thing is to achieve mastery. For example, you can do only geometric carving and, while having fun with it, achieve success and recognition of the audience. I will suggest a few directions. At first glance, some of them are far from serious woodcarving, but they also contribute...
Where to start
It’s not for nothing that carvers joke, “Everything starts with a log. The main thing is to go forward boldly, overcoming the fear of the beginning. You enter an unfamiliar world full of mysteries and unexpected discoveries, a new world, and discovering the unknown is always a pleasure… The torso is ready, and the head is in place. A few...
What is carving?
Wood carving is not a single activity or pastime, but rather an enormous group of types and things. We don’t have the time or space to cover all types of carving, but let’s take a brief look at a few of the woodcarving types that our members are involved with. There is carving in the round, which includes everything from little...
Getting started
Many people started woodcarving years ago in Scouts or 4-H clubs by carving soap. Some followed up, others didn’t. Today, our club has many seasoned pros whose work we can all admire, and we have many rookies who are trying grab onto everything the club has to offer. Many of our teachers take classes to learn techniques outside their specialty. There is a debate...