Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
carving for surface embellishment
Bruce Mack
I'm working on a wooden model and needed a couple of gouges for curved cuts. I realized that they needed sharpening and was irate at the time it took me. Then I remembered a box I had made as a gift a few years. The only distinctive aspect was the surface carving which in my opinion makes the box as individual as a signature.
I'm interested to see any examples from other forum members.
Re: carving for surface embellishment
David Weaver
looks great!! I have nothing to compare to it.
Re: carving for surface embellishment
Wiley Horne
Hi Bruce and all,
I really like what you’ve done! A brief description of how you arrived at that pattern would be appreciated, and also how you went about the actual carving. I’m guessing you drew a graphic in pencil and glued it onto the top, then carved it out—but that leaves out all the technique issues that are paramount!
I don’t have a direct comparison, but here is a project that involved a lot of ornamental shaping of pulls and ‘tendrils’, using combinations of gouges, scrapers, and a special ‘bamboo leaf’ knife/scraper, made by the amazing John Aniano from a file:
Thanks for posting!
Wiley
Re: carving for surface embellishment
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
The knobs were turned flat grain and have the same rice pattern.
Re: carving for surface embellishment
Clint Searl
Blanket chest in butternut.
Re: carving for surface embellishment
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
I would like to see more of that top
Re: carving for surface embellishment
Bruce Mack
Hi Wiley. Your work is beautiful.
I saw shallow carving similar to what I appropriated in a photo and used this as a stimulus. I needed a frame and used two rectangles to simulate this and compensate for what would have been chaotic otherwise. I think I used a v-tool to cut the rectangles and I must have marked them with pencil. The gouge-work was freehand. I thought that I could remake the top if I botched it. I used a Pfeil gouge and tapped it with a small brass mallet which gave me more control than simply pushing it. To avoid tear-out I came from each end of the small hollow. I was surprised at the nice effect. An artist friend used her dyes to give me the Chinese look I asked for on the top. The recipient told me that as of a year later it had not faded.
Re: carving for surface embellishment
Clint Searl
Sorry, no other pictures of the piece. I got the idea for the design from a picture of an antique Japanese fire screen of woven bamboo. The pattern is easy enough to visualize and lay out, but the challenge was to keep the over and under sections going the correct way as the carving progressed. Kinda mesmerizing.
I have done carved lettering on several projects to personalize them
Just dandy!!