Creative Woodworks & crafts 2002-09, страница 40

I Pattern Located in Full Size Pattern Section No. 1!

CARVE A FISH

by Ivan Whillock

Introduction

This is a good project for a beginner or an intermediate carver who wishes to iearn some basic tool techniques. The pattern is fairly simple, but it has most of the basic cuts for wood caiving: stop cuts with a V tool, plunge stop cuts with a gouge and chisel, V cuts with a gouge, and slice cuts, both right side up and upside down. Carving this project, the beginner can learn to feel the grain.

I used red cedar for this project. However, it is a fibrous wood that forces you to carve with the grain. Basswood and butternut are both more forgiving than red cedar. If you are a beginner, try either of these two woods first.

SUPPLIES

Wood of choice—one | piece 3/4" x 4" x 6-1/2"

Tools: No. 1 -6mm chisel; I Nos. 3-6mm, 3-16mm, | 6-2mm,6-3mm and 6-6mm gouges; No. £ 41-6mm V tool Scroll saw or similar Pegboard Transfer paper Stylus Clamps

Satin finish of choice

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1. Trace the outline of the fish onto the wood. Saw around the outline of the fish to remove the waste wood. Note: an irregular form of this type is awkward to hold down, especially if you want to carve both sides. One solution to the problem is to leave extra wood extending from the tail. This lets you clamp the piece to the bench and still lets you turn the carving over to work on the other side. The extension of wood is removed at the end.

38 • Creative Woodworks 6. Crafts September 2002

Step 3. With the No. 3-16mm gouge, lower the wood of the fins about one third the depth of the wood.

Step 2. Use the V fool to make stop cuts around the upper and lower fins. When making these cuts, carve down the arc of the body so that the rough edge is on the fins, wood that you will remove. Down grain on the fish pattern here is from "he center of the body to the tail. You will notice that if you make the stop cut in the other direction the tearing will take place on the body, not the fins. Experiment a bit with the V tool on scrap wood to get the feel of carving with the grain and how to predic" which side of a V cut will be clean and which will tear.