Creative Woodworks & Crafts-059-1998-Fall, страница 52

Fig. 18. The finished carving. Sealing the wood prior to staining it keeps the stain from looking blotchy.

Convex forms

Concave forms

Fig. 17. Trim the bottom of the acorns with the No. 5-12mm gouge.

1111'

Power hand

Guide hand

The Best of Creative Woodworks & Crafts 1998

Fig. 1.

Right-hand grip.

Some Additional Carving Advice

Fig. 2.

Left-hand grip.

Clamping the workpiece to the bench

In any carving, the workpiece should be secured in such a way that both hands are free to manipulate the tools. Never attempt to hold the workpiece with one hand and carve with the other.

Proper posture and proper tools

When working with a gouge or V tool, place the guide hand partly on the handle and partly on the blade, while the power The standard _{hand is on}|_{y on the} handle

carving posture. _(see p_{jgs 1 and 2}). _The

thumbs are together and the knuckles up. The wrist of the lower hand rests on the work or on the bench. Each hand works in opposition, the blade hand exerting control while the handle hand supplies the force. When using a mallet, the posture is the same except that the top hand holds the mallet. For full control, grasp the tool tightly with the lower hand. It's very useful to learn to switch hands when grain changes: learn to carve both right and left handed. When you get used to it, you'll be pleased with the control that the two-handed method of carving will give you.

Rule of thumb: when deciding which tool to use for a particular cut, use the widest tool you can for the space you have to work in. Keep your tools sharp and try to produce crisp lines that don't require sanding, leaving a tool-cut surface. Sandpaper can spoil the "making marks" on a carving, and the grit tends to get into the pores of the wood and will dull your tools.

The best tools for relief carving are what are commonly known as full-sized chisels and gouges. These tools have a shoulder which allows them to be used with a mallet. Also referred to as "two-handed tools," they encourage better control because they are long enough to accommodate two hands.

The proper way to grip a carving tool.