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end grain glue-up for chip carving

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end grain glue-up for chip carving

#1

end grain glue-up for chip carving

John K Jordan

I asked some time ago if Nexabond glue would be good for gluing end grain to end grain. I wanted to build up a block of wood to turn a goblet; one band would be basswood for chip carving with other parts made from a heavier and more durable wood. Chip carving almost requires side grain.

The picture below is my first try, turned from a 3x3 glue-up.

When I visited Frank Penta and his shop recently he had some suggestions. First, instead of gluing end grain to end grain use a layer between so end grain is glued to side grain then to end grain. He also suggested to use Tightbond III glue (for the working time) and clamp with a lot of pressure. He uses ShopFox screw presses for this - I bought one from Amazon pretty cheap. Frank is doing a LOT of glue-ups now and that works for him. What a prolific and creative turner! He will be at the NC Woodturning Symposium this weekend with some of his stuff. (I thought about going but I have to shoot a wedding Saturday.)

This goblet is a stack with cherry : walnut : basswood : walnut : cherry. The walnut was resawn from a block and run through the Performax drum sander. End grain surfaces were flattened with an 80 grit 10" disk sander. I used Tightbond II and left a tight clamp on the stack for 24 hours for good measure.

The thing held together fine while turning. Turning soft wood immediately adjacent to harder wood can be a challenge but between Thompson and Hunter it worked out OK. It may have helped that I use small cabinet scrapers instead of coarse sandpaper - this let me start with 400 grit which made it easier to avoid over sanding the softer wood.

No finish yet, just a couple of coats of shellac sanding sealer to help keep the basswood clean and allow erasing guide lines I have since added for the carving. I'll post another photo when finished, good or bad. (sorry for the quick and dirty cell phone photo)


I also made this one from a 3x3 block of basswood. Since basswood is so light in weight it does not feel good in the hand like the one that is mostly cherry.


Another challenge with these is they can't be turned too thin! If thin, the chips will cut through the wall. These are about 1/4' thick where they will be carved.

JKJ

Re: end grain glue-up for chip carving

#2

Re: end grain glue-up for chip carving

john lucas

Beautiful John I have another way to glue end grain to end grain that involves a router on the lathe. If I have time I'll try that today or tomorrow and show you. I'm trying to turn an ornament a day to help with our clubs money raising fund raiser. We have a tree that is displayed at one of the local banks and the money goes to a local charity. We raised $1500 dollars last year. I'm way behind on my ornament contribution since my shop has been down.

Re: end grain glue-up for chip carving

#3

Re: end grain glue-up for chip carving

Hal Taylor

Looking good. Do want to see the carving when finished. Curious, what is your source for basswood? I'd like to find some bigger blocks for combo turning/chip carving projects.

Re: end grain glue-up for chip carving

#4

basswood source and chip carving

John K Jordan

Hal,

Thanks! I'm a beginner with chip carving, started a couple of months ago but with very little time to practice. I did take it to the beach a few weeks ago - very portable woodworking! I'm attaching some pictures below of my practice boards at the end of this in case you are interested - critique is very welcome.

I've bought blocks of 3x3 basswood from the Klingspor store and from a woodcarving store in Townsend TN. (they have a huge supply, including stock in butternut, buckeye, and some other woods)

I ordered bigger sizes from a wood dealer in Wisconsin:

Heineckewood Wood Products

137 27-1/2 Avenue

Cumberland WI 54829

Phone (715) 822-3524

www.heineckewood.com

Email: dale@heineckewood.com

This guy was recommended by Bill Johnson, a chip carver in North Carolina. Look at some of his stuff:

http://www.carolinamountainreefs.com/gallery.html

They ship what you order then send you a bill later.

I bought 48" lengths of 2x12, 2x10, 3x10, and 4x10

It was all clear wood and surfaced on all sides. Very nice stuff, was about $300 and change, shipped UPS.

In case you are interested, here are some pictures of some practice boards and first tries. I started with some boards from a local art store - horrible stuff. I resawed one 3x3 block into 5/16" boards and ran through the drum sander for far better wood. The hardest thing about this is not cutting too deep. The next hardest thing is not cutting too shallow. :-)

The first picture is a sign for my shop - my first attempt at carving letters (font copied from one of Wayne Barton's books):


Some practices chips, lots of goofs. First try at rosettes.


The pattern of three overlapping diamonds at the top of this board is what I plan to try to carve on the goblet.




Going for some randomness here - I think I drew my chips too small! (probably good practice, though.) I liked the look after playing with the chips at the bottom of the previous practice board.


Finally, my grandson said "Carve my name!" (The kerning stinks - too much space between the "e" and "x".)


BTW, my progress was much improved when I learned how to properly sharpen the knife. I bought a second knife with a slightly narrower blade which is easier for the tight curves:



JKJ

Re: end grain glue-up for chip carving

#5

ornaments

John K Jordan

>We have a tree that is displayed at one of the local banks and the money

>goes to a local charity. We raised $1500 dollars last year.

Our club does something similar, with the tree(s) auctioned at the Fantasy of Trees in Knoxville, benefit is the Children's Hospital. I am also way behind my goal but I have no excuse of a missing shop. I am simply slovenly and lazy. The farm work is another excuse but who wants to hear that!

I don't know what the tree brought last year but I remember one year a while back that brought around $2500 when there were enough ornaments for two trees.

Ok, you've sufficiently shamed, er, encouraged me. I promise to start and finish an ornament today! - after dark. (Did one with a red heart globe - I like that look, I think I'll do another.) I want to finish up one of my little handbells as well. Maybe a sea urchin shell - they are quick to do. Ooo - maybe a basswood globe, chip carved - so light weight it may not need hollowing.

JKJ

Re: end grain glue-up for chip carving

#6

Re: basswood source and chip carving

Gary clarke

Very interesting talk about carving. I have not done any carving and would a like a recommendation of a book or two for a beginner. Thanks

Re: end grain glue-up for chip carving

#7

Re: basswood source and chip carving

Hal Taylor

If you've been chip carving for only a few months, you'll be publishing books in a few more! Wish I could claim that kind of progress. Great detail and control.

Thanks for the names of some suppliers. As I said I've had trouble finding one where I could get more than just craft type boards.

Re: end grain glue-up for chip carving

#8

Re: basswood source and chip carving

john lucas

Gary I have purchased several books and watched lots of videos over the years. Nothing beats hands on carving. You simply have to take a piece of wood and learn to cut downhill with the grain. Start with scrap of course. Probably the thing that helped me most was when I took a Windsor chair class. We carved the seat by hand my particular piece had grain running several directions. It's kind of like carving a bowl. You do the same motion over and over but as you do you quickly learn which way the grain will let you cut with out tearing or fighting you.

There are some great videos that give you good advice on how to cut so you don't cut your self. Pay attention to those. Also at first take small bites. It's much easier on you and you quickly learn which direction to cut without tearout.

Last but not least and probably the most important. Learn to sharpen. And I don't mean just sharp, I mean scary sharp. When that tool will make hair jump off your arm then it's just about sharp enough. I'm far better at that than I ever used to be but I know I still have a ways to go. One of the best ways to check a gouge for sharpness is to cut two grooves across grain right next to each other so they overlap slightly in something like pine. If the juncture between the two is a crisp pointy with no tearout then they are good and sharp.

Re: end grain glue-up for chip carving

#9

chip carving - the knife is king

John K Jordan

Gary, are you talking about carving in general or chip carving specifically? I love to carve wood in general but John Lucas is an expert here; Ralph Watts who posts here occasionally is another world-class turner and carver.

If you are interested in chip carving some of the same things apply but otherwise its a new field with different tools and techniques.

Scary sharp tools, as Sir Lucas mentioned, are mandatory. What is different is (AFAIK) unlike other carving tools you may not find a new chip carving knife that is shaped well enough to work even if sharpened like a razor blade. I learned this the hard way - years ago I bought a "Wayne Barton" chip carving knife to try my hand. I gave up in frustration almost immediately.

A couple of months ago I tried again and this time, with just a sentence of advice from a pro (Bill Johnson) and some research I reshaped the knife. Properly shaped, sharpened, polished, and honed made all the difference. I am convinced there are many people who tried and gave up or even continue in frustration and wonder how others can get such good results. Without the right edge it a struggle to make clean and delicate cuts. I am afraid it is the knife sellers who are driving this art form to extinction when including simple instruction would make all the difference. :-( Or better yet, maybe they could sell a knife that actually works off the shelf!

Some great things about chip carving:

Very inexpensive: even amazing work can be done with one knife.

No shop space is needed - you can carve sitting in the living room.

Even simple cuts can significantly enhance an object.

It is easy to learn the basic cuts.

If is is chip carving you want to learn more about let me know and I can provide a list of my favorite resources with a comment or two.

JKJ

Re: end grain glue-up for chip carving

#10

Re: basswood source and chip carving

don stephan

I've been told the local carving clubs here have vendor shows once or twice a year with larger blocks of basswood for sale.