Today, manufacturers rarely provlde more than Jachine we come to the wood carving machine software pdf part of the whole took three sues of handle, all exactly the same shape, for the handle, whlch is often undervalued. It is only fair to say that these points are debatable. Home Page. Strike I le wedge firmly with a mallet. Here's a breakdown. It is even possible, with some finished state Fig 8. ABC software is the easiest engraving software for Gravotech laser and rotary machines.

Design, import, and carve from a single program with Easel, our free CNC software. Upgrade to Easel Pro for advanced business features. Easel is the only software you need to design and carve. Every Easel project has a shareable link, allowing you to become part of the maker community with just one click. With custom design tools, file import options, and interactive apps, Easel can handle projects both simple and complex. Learn which features are currently available in Easel and Easel Pro, then decide which software is right for you.

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Who is it for? Easel is incredibly easy-to-use, and makers of all skill levels utilize it every day. What does it cost? Easel is completely free. Made in Easel. Accelerate your business with Easel Pro. Octagonal handles are ducing wonderful cawmgs. At the end of the day od shapes for setting down on an inclined plane - handles are not camngs, only part of the means instance, when lettering a panel - as they do not towards that end.

What I am tlymng to promote here so easily; but end comers, if they are not softened, is an attitude of positive regard for carving toolsi ork into the palm of the pushing hand. This attitude or approach works with creative potential, rather thaa d or sanded away. This allows you to take some against it.

Removing it may make Fig 3. When A good overall lengtb for a woodcarving tool is you come to choose the shape and m e of handle, you somewhere between 9 and lOm mm , mll need to bear in mind the shape and size of the so you need to adjust the length of handle to suit blade to which the handle will fit, the 'toughness' of Around m mm for the handle is n mm -- n mm n mm Fig3.

Thin, delicate gouges suit longer, thinner handles. The - wedge does not want to be too conical; this m itself can feel uncomfortable.

Fatter, barrel-like shapes tend to pop out of the hand. The Fig 3. So cii11 rllc ;Imount of t. Wood for handles should be taken from the tougher heartwood, although not from the actual centre of the tree.

This would be the toughest, A tool used for light work will probably not need hardest option. Some woods, lrke ash or hrckory, have a fermle, or even a shoulder. However, make a natural reslltence or sprmginess. Thts IS espe- does not split here. Uneven, difficult grain can also create on the top end of the handle will cause it to last problems when fitting the tang into the handle.

They can be an attractive feature, as can burled burred wood, but you need to be careful when using WOODS the mallet CLOSE GRAIN Handles need a resiltent hardwood with close, straight gram, that has been properly sasoned defi- Trees which have grown very qutckly produce broad nitely not green Certain factors are important in annual rings and relatively light, soft wood the - determining the suttabilicy of a ptece of wood to be heartwood can be as soft as the sapwood.

Use Wood Carving Machine Software Video a tight, used for maktng handles close gram, where the tree has grown slowly. Usually it is lust a matter of selecttng and putting aside odd bits of wood for use as handles when you need them. Wood can erther be taken from near the centre of the tree heartwood , or towards the outside sapwood. When the above, plus beech, well-seasoned oak, force is exerted sideways on the blade, the ferrulep e kuitwood such as cherry, apple or plum , maple, vents the handle splrtting.

More delicate sycamore, hornbeam. The word rule metal to last a lifettme. This end is offered to the wood of the handle, which is made a touch over- size. When it is tapped home, the inside bevel pinches the wood tightly and the ferrule compresses the wood, m it will not work loose if the handle eventually shrinks a little Fig 3.

Home-made handles may be protected against splitting in a variety of ways Fig 3. When a mallet is used, the top of the handle takes a great deal of punishment and is easily damaged Fig 3. It is sometimes possible to salvage a damaged handle by paring away the broken part, or by gluing splits before they develop too far Fig 3. This needs to be thicker-walled than a tang ferrule, and preferably made of iron.

Many types I of piping will be suitable. With a steel or iron ferrule on the end of a large sculpture gouge, a soft-metal dummy mallet, such as is used by stonecarvers, can be used instead of the normal wooden mallet. This sort of mallet is made of soft, annealed iron and has the advantage that a good weight is possible without bulking up the size.

Flatten the end wood wmth a sanding block after t! For an end fenule, allow the wood to extend a little way out of the metal tube. Mark the centres at each end side of the ferrule - this locks it on m case the wood of the wood by drawing diagonally across the comers, shrmks or the femle works loose.

To Whether the tang is tapermg or parallel m section, it achmeve this, bore the hole fust, wharever shape of helps to drill an accurate pllot hole first, no more handle you are makmng. Test the fit splittmng, then enlarge the hole to about a thud of the hole first on a piece of scrap wood. Take a comers of the tang bite and lock into the wood measurement of the diagonal of the tapenng tang of the hole.

The handk needs to be algned correctly uslng a simple jig. If you have neither lathe nor prllat drill, bore the The tang hole has to be about halfway hole uslng an ordiiary wheel brace hand drill rn between the two a hand-held electrlc drill. The problem still remaim of how to bore the hole true; the tried methods of a Measurement across width of tanq. Once the ptlot hole has been drilled, the size d the hole can be incrementally enlarged as necess- Hold the wood in a vice and allow each bxt to folios the hole made by the receding one.

If several handles are belng made, Saw off the waste a second time and you sho;ld bore them all as one procedure. Smooth the faces squarely wlth a spokeshave, Reverse the wood on to the lathe so the polnt rasp, file, etc. Q Chamfer the comers by eye In the same way to glve the eight sldes I t may be helpful to make a Rough the handle to a cylinder, then move In V-shaped cradle to hold the handle securely, as the toolrest as close as possible.

Fmt the ferrule next; mark its length and a lmttle Octagonal handles, as mentioned before, extra on the end of the wood.

Stop the larhe where they meet - a definite, but small, shoulder and try pushing on the ferrule; remember to should remain. Sand the handle and then burmsh with shavmgs. The wood can be left like thrs, By trial and error, creep up on a final diamerer acquiring the natural patcna of use, or sealed where the ferrule pushes on tlghtly.

You may with a coat of teIlulose lacquer, vamrsh or need to rake the handle off the lathe and, with shellac.

Cut the sealer back finely. Do not give the ferrule on the edges of a vice or prece of the surface a shiiy or glossy finish: thls makes tube, tap the ferrule home. Use the poinr of a rumer's skew chisel to trim Q Now, wlth the f e d e in place, Wood Carving Machine Software shape the back the excess wood at the ferrule end, but handle. Round the end to fit comfortably in take care not to cut into the revolving centre your hand. Do nor run the wood completely Fig 3.

The lathe. Hold it m a vice and finish off both ends only snag is that if the tool is struck with a mallet, the wlth a chtsel and sandpaper. Flatten the hole tang will work loose; but for lighter tools this method end so that the blade shoulder fits flush to the is quite adequate.

Seal the ends in the same way as the rest To knock on a handle, the blade must be held of the handle. If you were to set the blade upright so its cutting edge was against a resistant surface and then Finally, punch a locking depression in each side thump on the handle, there would be a problem: the of the ferrule a nail will do for this.

A thick - tool would have nowhere to travel and, as the energy end ferrule may need a small hole with a nail from the mallet blow could not be released, the blade tapped in. This is particularly true of U-shaped blades, where the bevels on either side act as wedges, squeezing the sides together. A metalworking vice with soft metal linings and tangs, need to be corrected as far as possible to is the best sost to use; but a woodworking vice is an give the best chance of fitting a handle well. These alternative, if you first pack out and protect any are dealt with in Chapter 4.

Old carving tools can be found with quite large and not particularly accurate holes for the tangs, filled with gutta-percha a resinous gum from a Malayan tree. The tang has been pushed accurately into the gum which has then set like hard, black horn, fixing the blade neatly and securely in position Fig 3. This is a trick worth remembering. Modem equiva- lents such as the two-part plastic fillers intended for car bodies or wood will repair a handle, perhaps Fig 3. If your tang and holes are true, the blade mll be allgned along the axls of the handle.

While no doubt it is fun, it also chars the wood inslde, allowtng the handle co work loose; it can be messy and not mthour its dangers - both to the lungs and to a wood-filled workshop; and it can, if care is not taken, damage the tempemg of the tool. It 1s also much slower than any method described here - all m all it is not a technique to be recommended. This IS especrally true of tools that have tapered, square tangs - these lock securely in place during use, but release from the wood fairly easily when requaed.

When the shoulder sits tight up to the edge of the fer- Never grip quick gouges - and especially U-shaped rule, the wooden wedge cannot get a purchase on the les - across the blade. The pressure of the vice can handle to knock it off Fig 3.

You need to. Be careful not to damage the ferrule with the chisel or Iith the blade held firmly in the vice, try the handle screwdriver. If you do, the ferrule may need filing or little while gently twisting it. Sometimes this is all touching up on a grinding wheel. Be careful, as the handle can come Y very suddenly; so make sure that nothing is in the ay of your elbow as it travels backwards. Strike I le wedge firmly with a mallet. If nothing happens,? The handle should knock off fairly easily.

Using an actual Fig 3. If all else fails -say with an old tool where it is cer- tain the tang has corroded and practically bonded with the wood - the handle has to be sacrificed. First use a hacksaw and pliers to remove the ferrule, saw- ing diagonally along its length. Grip the blade in the vice by the shank, with the shoulders resting on the jaws and the handle straight up.

Split the handle from F ,trig a wedge of hardwood to knock c the top end using one of your second-best chisels. It is not necessarg to wax the handles as, if frequently used, the wood namaUy becomes bur- nished and aequires tts own patina. If woodcarvrng tools are unused for some time, a light wipe wrth limed oil raw mrhe handles will take care of the wwoodj but be aware that this may encoutage mould growth if the tools are scored in damp conditions.

If you have acquired old gouges and chiseb and rntend to continue using the handles, then you can add your name to any already stamped on. There b a great serw of tanttnuiw, seeing took passed though several haads and being aware of tonract with a carvet who may be long dead.

Support the handle m a V. Line up the punch and my Fig 3. The steel and edge-holding properties them- fault. I am was unacceptable. The tools had been carelessly made suggesting here that a crltlcal look should be taken at and should not have passed the factory inspection.

The faults which follow have occurred both In my Most often the fault lies in the actual shaping own tools and those of other carvers, and the reasons of the tool when it was forged: in the blade, shank, they may be considered faults -the effect of the fault shoulder and tang Some manufacturers consistently - will be glven. The questlon is whether the 'fault' or produce superbly shaped carving tools; orhers, sadly, condition makes a difference to you as the user.

Some ,, do nat. So, check over your tools, both old and new, as The resulting tool feels less certain, more 'self- they axe acquired. The wmnd- where you can justifiably be proud of them. But do mng must always be kept m mlnd and compensated for.

But, for the most part, any significantly asymmetrical tool ' should be retunled. Another problem with the V-tool is when particularly Fig 4. The principle is: bend the blade iur- ther and get in deeper. Two tools of the same width and sweep from the same manufacturer, may have dissimilar bends. Some manufacturers make spoonbit gouge Fig 4.

If what you have received is unacceptable replacement is the only optlon. Too small a shoulder - more of a protuberance than a shoulder - may be forced into the wood by mallet blows. If the tool is for light work only, for all practical purposes this will probably not be a problem. For heavier work, this state of the shoulder is unacceptable and the tool should be replaced.

It should be flat and sit tight against the however misaligned, without this happening end of the wooden handle Fig 4. If the face is badly rounded, not only will there be a gap between no improvement, try another maker. Do not attempt the shoulder and the wood - which is uncomfortable to change the shape by cold bending, as the relevant to hold - but there is a danger of the metal being - part of the blade is too near the area of tempered forced further into the wood and splitting it, especially metal and is liable to fracture Fig 4.

Some makers take a lot of trouble to polish up the sur- faces of their tools to make them attractive. Others leave the outer faces with the rough, black, oily surface resulting from quenching the hot metal, and only polish the inside to show the straw colour caused by the tempering.

New, polished tools are often protected from damp by being given an oily,. Oily surfaces on carving tools are more of an irri- tation than a problem, as there is a tendency for the grease or black oil to get on to the work via the hands. Rub the blade with a degreaser like paraffin kerosene until no more oil comes off. Fine emery paper can be used on the more dense black finishes, as well as to smooth off sharp comers and edges along - the length of the blade. Fig 4. It is still possible to align h?

Take a washer which has a angle Fig 4. I t is far better for the tang me and drop it over the tang so that it rests on the vice. The blade should be gripped in the vice E proud of the hole, with the tang perpendicular to the described for flattening the bottom of the shoulder.

With the washer acting as a jig, a file can now and tapped gently with a hammer, working from the IN be used to flatten the face of the shoulder Fig 4. Remember that a tang - or any metal - - km creating a true face to sit on the wood of the handle. The consequences of a bent tang have been discussed in This is a problem created in the initial forging, and is Chapter 2 page Send the tool back if it IS a new one. It i s more and the same wood if possible - gluing and tapping it often a problem wlth larger tools.

In the following sec- tion is an approach to buying the tools you need tc The subject of woodcarvtng itself that is, how to start carving. Carving as such 1s covered m more detail in when the tool is actually cutting the wood. So t b my other books.

The cuts proceed in a set order a d one actually we them? In resulting work appears as swiftly as possible, wtth a thrs section are some pointers to the functions of the uniform appearance. Thts is by no means an exhaustive rime is kept as low as posslble in a different war. Against this, though, it should be said that there is a danger of making the work look uninteresting by using the same cut too often; the more variety in the tool cuts themselves, the more To begin with the obvious: firmer chisels are used lively the resulting surface may be Fig 5.

There is when straight lines are needed - as in cutting letters a creative balance to be stmck. Lettering may need a wide So the functions of individual tools are not com- range of chisel sizes to cut the varying lengths of pletely fixed and static. One gouge can be made to uprights, diagonals and horizontals. Figs 5. But there are also times when you must have slicing or skewed fashion, they will also trim the out- one particular tool for the work at hand, and no other, side edges of curves.

The chisel is not normally used will substitute. For this reason the flat gouge is preferred, even though the surface it produces is slightly undulating and only approximately flat. Fig 5. It will shape the comers and edges of ISthe preferable cuttmg edge - the comers are free of grooves left by a V-tool.

The amount of bend In the grounding tool or mg more of a sllcing cut than the square firmer. If the point is rocked can get into an appropriate position to cut. Grounding describes the deeper, flat-bottomed get into recesses and comers where square-ended cutting that is needed to sink a background. They come lnto thelr own where A grounder may be a shortbent chisel, or a short- undercuttmg has been created and deep corners need bent gouge of the flattest sweep.

The flat gouge profile to be got at. As both directions tnevicably need to be cut at some trine or anorhet, buy them as a matching pair. Shorthent comer chisels are the sort of tool chat may not be used very often, but when they are needed it is because nothing eke wrll do. For example, use fishtad chisels to cut the flat ends of serifs in lettering.

Keep these splayed took for the lighter, final stages of carving, allowing other tools to take the brunt of the preiiminary work. Cbrdering the edges of V-grooves creates a type d low-relief carving. The tool can also be used with special knives to produce carving, Fig 5. Subject In making a gouge cut, one principle is not to let the comers dig in; this is why, as mentioned earlier, the flat gouge is preferred to the chisel for finishing flat surfaces.

The middle part of the sweep cuts, but the comers remain in the fresh air, slightly above the H Clearing ground surface Fig 5. This is a different technique from deliberately using one of the comers to make a slicing cut in the manner of the skew chisel. If the corners of a gouge are buried in the wood during its cut, then not only is some control lost, but the wood fibres are tom, which produces a ragged surface. There is also I Clearing ground P -- - - -? It may be helpful to elaborate a little on how gouga ate used.

The 'quickerbrving tools do indeed remove I wood in more bulk - and therefore more quickly - Fig 5. If deeper details may well be m the wrong place altogether. When the underlying form is established first, the Another important use of the gouge involves detarls fall naturally mto place. Setting in mnvolves outlining a mmn subject from its sunroundinga, as when cutting away the back- ground.

Setting in uses rhe sweeps of carvlng rools in a similar way to that mentioned above, and rhts is one of the reasons why carvers build up large numbers of caxvrng tools in different sweeps and sizes. It describes that stage in the carvmg process which is a little further into the work than the prelimmary roughing out.

Flutets a d veiaefs, making deep cuts, grooves or I channels, can be used to produce decoranve work in their own right Fig 5. They will also create a softer outline to a relief form than the V-tool can Fig 5.

An oblect, or area, can be faded or blended more readily into the background if rt does not have a hard junction where the two planes meet.

Fishtail fluters negotiate curves more easily the wood; the outer bevels act as wedges to squeeze than the straight, parallel fluters; the blade following du the walls of the gouge together Fig 5. Being thinner, the splayed The bend in these tools enables the gouge to enter gouges are quicker and easier to sharpen than parallel- deeper recesses and hollows than a straight tool can Ed sided gouges, and hold a finer edge.

But for the same Fig 5. Because the sweeps match, when the blade iia reasons they are less economic, becoming slightly or handle of a straight gouge fouls the wood around I narrower with each sharpening. Bent tool6 can only rarely be used upside down.

The deepest hollows are entered by the fllpst sharply cranked coals, whose name - knuckle gouges - expresses their shape, In practice, the handle of a shortbent gouge ofren swings through a large arc to produce what 1s quite a small cut. Make sure the cutting edge is trav- elllng through the wood, and not just being levered I at the bend. This presentauon The contents of Part I so far will have helped you gam produces a rounded or convex cut Ftg 5.

Now, an understanding of the 'anatomy' of woodcarving just as the longbent and shortbent corxhgurarions tools, how they work and whar might be done wrh enable a gouge in the fixst position to enter hollom, 3d Laser Wood Carving Machine Pdf them. Or what Lf you want to expand your range?

Time will also be needed to sharpen i the tools, whtch can be slow and ar tlmes frustrating to begln with. As a gtudelmne, around a dozen or so carefully Fig 5. The best approach whether you have - It is particularly useful if they are uslng a standard no carvlng tools or many is to Increase their num- - numbemg system such as the Sheffield List, so that ber as and when the need arises.

Better still, if you are Make the most use of what tools you have avail- able to Inspect the tools personally, take along an able, and make a few notes as you go along. Wlth this cn hand, you can make a way, you can use what has been sard earlier in thcs comparison between the sweeps you have at home, chapter to define the difference you need accurately.

Some makes of tool are more actuaIly want to carve. It 1s worth experlmentlng this way usmng, then the chances are that your heart is speak- even if you have qulte a few rools already. This can work out well, but equally often, what tools to buy. A t the rcsk of duplicating what has does not.

The glver wlll usually be unaware of the been said earlier, here are some guidelines: qualcty of the tools, and may have bought some of the cheaper tools to be found on market stalls. Even Avoid cheap tools when the quality 1s excellent, the cholce of tools has Cheap tools are almost always made of poor steel, been made by other people: firstly by the manufacturer badly tempered and incapable of holdlng an edge for and secondly by the giver of the set.

Poor quality, or long - even if they have been poltshed up to look poor selection, can cause a lot of frustration and, smart. Expense is relative.

In effect, the tool kct grows use. Through them you may have years of pleasure wlth the carver. However, rf you already have a boxed and creativity, and perhaps even earn your llving.

If set, do not despalr: they may be exactly what you there is stdl any doubt as to the value of carving tools, need. There is no reason to accept substandard tools thrng - but start. And this 1s also a good way KC you are paying for. O n the contrary, by keeping man- see your first carvmg as well. It impressions with what the manufacturers are offermg. In the long Check w e r the cawing tools when they arrive term the smaller tools, while apparently slower, are less tlring to use, and eventually more work is First, see that the sizes and shapes are exactly what achieved wlth the same effort.

My main reason prominent feature in many styles of lettermg. The for giving information on faults or problems ts to save curves of the letters will need to be matched to you being at a loss when they occur, by lnformtng you some extent, and fishtail gouges and chtsels will be of what sorts of remedles are possible used for the serifs.

How- match the scroll of the vrolm, or fine veiners and ever, they still crop up in markets, second-hand tool V-tools for featherwork.

Once people h o w of your interest in carvmg, you may well find that you are given tools and wood There 1s a welcome feelmg today that it is reprehen- Today, ever larger numbers of carvlng tools are sible to waste such assets.

Study them and check that then than attractive propositions. Unless you like collectmg these old tools, do not buy a tool merely because it LS old.

Revlvlng older woodcarving tools and putting them back lnto successful service, however, can be a very s? Not all of a blade is or maklng holes. Soft hardness, makmg it impossible for them to hold metal can be rerempered see Volume 2, Chapter 3. Some tools, such as parallel-srded gouges, can take a lot of sharpenmg, and thus shortening, in thelr The shape may be so shortened that it 1s no stride.

If they become lnconvenlently short, a longer longer of any use handle will solve the problem Fig 5. Wlth other tools - fishtail and shortbent carvmg tools, for example - the effect of sharpening can be seen more quickly Figs- 5.

The effecrrve life of such tools is shorter, as it takes far less time to reduce the blade beyond its useful shape or workable hardness. When a carving tool 1s no longer useful for carvmg, Fig 5. RUST The effect of storage m a damp place - unfortunately the lot of many old tools is corrosion of the metal - parts.

A tool may be worth grmding back, beyond iiin the very middle of the blade; only very severe corrosion would reach this far in Fig 5 Effectively the tool is as good as new Fig 5. If the blade of a carving tool with a handle is used. A washer wlth a square hok wll act us a Setviceable shoulder Metal washer tang Ftg 5.

Badly msted tangs may appear as looseness of the handle - which may give a suneptittous opportunity to inspect the tang.

What is most important is the blade, as thls is what does the cutting and finishes the sudace. If the blade is usable, form a new rang by grinding loss of overall tool length can be made up by fitting a one mm the metal in its normal posirioa, but of longer handle. Make the diameter of the washer that of the tool has already been used to open paint tiis or as a ferrule, and file its hole square to take the new tang. Judicious gtmding can sometimes salvage Take care to grrnd the new tang in lme with the axts these blades, but be careful not to overheat the steel of the tool and ro make it big enough; at the same and draw the temper.

Remember that the steel is time make the new shoulders square and m line. It does not matter if the tang Retempering the blade may also be necessary see iwIfheats up, as this needs to be softer anyway.

Volume 2, Chapter 3. This way of reinstating the tang works well Fig Broken tangs may be approached in the same way Because the blade is effectively shortened, the as badly rusted ones. Thus m the woodcarvmg tools that are in the process of becoming carving world today it IS exciting to see many new established.

These tools left to moulder m a drawer for evermore, it cannot be certainly ure an lnnovatton - a thorough overhaul of caunced a success. These tools three foms Fig 6. When Flexcut taols were first introduced, the flex- proportionally larger handles; used m both hands mg of the blade was a strong markeeng poinr: the with the workpiece clamped in a vrce, say.

However, since the blade itself is stiif and only regular w i n g tool, with ah octagonal but srill the rear shank part can flex, the advantage over a disunctively shaped handle and large fermle; correcdy u j d strairrht gauge IS very small when tt for use with a mallet tn largm projects or m harder woods. As h e tools became more popular, so the range of widrhs and sweeps increases.

In fact, I don't think this with a desire for traditional ornamental carving IS the strong point of these tools at all. The handles are most worth exploring. The flat metal blade and oval-section handle may tend to dictate This tool, designed by the well-known British carver how you manipulate the tool, compared with the uni- Ray Gonzalez, is made by Ashley Iles. It comes in two form shank and handle of a conventional tool; and forms Fig 6.

The mallet tools, not holding in the palm, and principally for use with having the flex, are much more like conventional one hand in whittling fashion.

Long shaft: with an octagonal handle, making a My feeling is that Flexcut tools suit certain normal-length carving tool intended for use with approaches to carving better than others. A newcomer both hands. Fig 6. The cutting edge is curved, slde to side: it will easily snap.

If khe and then the other see pages Because of flat were facing left, say, you would find the tool com- the curve, you will have to tilt the cutting edge fortable only in your rtght hand. My Gemini Wood Carving Machine Pdf own preference first towards the point and then towards the heel. Agam, maintam this The very low cutting angle of 5' gtves a delicate very low angle and keep the cutting edge square on, blade, capable of shavrng off wood very finely.

How- as you did with rhe benchtone. In the main, it today Fig 6. It newcomers take to them more readily. Nevertheless, 1s often quite small, even when the blade Itself h since carving is such a personal occupation it really is large, and I have seen large sculpture gouges bent ZE a case of trying what tools are available and seeing the skoulder, either through incorrect alignmenr what they can do for you.

The sweeps and widths also O Create the lip or shoulder, shapmng the taper a vary to some extent from what is listed in the cata- little larger than your measurements. There are also some surprisingly sophisticated features, however, and if you are prepared to invest Carefully and lightly push the socket onto the more than the normal amount of time in putting rotatmg, tapered wood; this will mark the high them into commission, the results are excellent and spots where irregularities in the metal prevent quite handsome-looking tools.

Given the labour involved in making slight wobble when you stop the lathe to check; these tools, they are relatively inexpensive. This compensates for the amount of work needed to clean' can he fixed later. To agamn, the roundness of the metal 1s bound to be make a flat gouge, form the inside bevel first. These directions will apply to any socketed tool.

Smear the taper with a tine sawdust and wood Since you must go to the trouble of making your own glue mix, push firmly on and allgn the seatmg. The easiest way to Leave to set. O Make sure the very end of the socket is flat and true; use a tile to dress it if necessary.

Use the moment that the taper is straight. Note as in step 5 above. Once the socket is dealt with, that there is a shoulder or lip to support the socket carve and rasp the main part to shape. The result end and add stability. An alternative method which should he a snug fit with no movement.

If there is any is sometimes recommended is to leave a gap between wobble, then correct the loose fit as in step 9 above. Wire-like shade emerge from a simple unfermled handle Fig 6.

The smallest tool is established for very narrow carving tools and, in Kain 1. They take a little getting used to. For delicate work the length and handle welght of the regular gouges can be an encumbrance. These features make them a feathers, etc. The han- I dles are mushroom-shaped for use in one hand. Although a small gouge is included in this range, the most unusual feature is the range of V-tools, which includes small? The blade shape is the reverse of a longbent salmon-bend tool, rather than the reverse of the shortbent as I have been using the term in this book Fig 6.

Nevertheless, Iles are the only firm 1 thar I know of makmg any backward-curvmg V-tool. Before dealtng wtth speclfic ways of storing would like to get them out and looklng after carving tools, a few more general I t is frustrating to get out a carvlng tool only to find thoughts rnlght be useful. Carving tools which against one another as you are working. By all means are used continuously do not rust, so the longer the leave out the tools you are immediately using, but tools are left unused, the more protection they need make a habit of clearing away redundant tools - and from damp.

This matters most to carvers working in make sure they are put away sharpened. If at all possible, bring the tools into the house between Periodically wipe the tools with an oily rag carving sessions.

If tools are not being used for some time or perhaps - towards winter if the workshop is not heated, or is a Newer lend out tools little damp - this will keep them 'sweet'. Wipe the Make this a rule - even to friends. Woodcarvers have blades clean with a fresh cotcon rag before handling a degree of specialized knowledge and personal them again. It is not unknown for the 'friend' Store them safely when not in use to be looking for a screwdriver while ostensibly asking There are several methods of storing woodcarving for a chisel.

The exception may be another carver tools - all attempt to store them out of harm's way, whom you can trust to return the tools in the condi- but ready when they are needed. The methods tion in which you lent them. You may find a mixture of these the best way of storing your particular range of carving tools. The handles of the tools Put cawing tools away, and out of the way are held in opposite rows of pockets, which are stag Large numbers of tools on the bench at any one time gered so that the blades of one side lie between the are in danger of being damaged if their edges knock handles of the tools on the opposite side Fig 7.

Fig 7. One idea is to fill the rolls according can help protect the tools from damp; good choices to the frequency with which the tools are used. A roll include felt, or canvas or lmen whlch have been can be left open on the bench, but then a lot of bench washed to remove any dressmg. It Some measurements for an average roll are glven is better to leave the tool roll open somewhere away in Fig 7.

Tool rolls are eauly made wlth a sewing rnachlne Fig 7. This should fold over the ends of the blades for addltlhnal protection, as well as strengthenmg the outside of the tool roll. Sewn-on tapes are used to tre the rolls up when not m use. A good, manageable size mlght take between 24 and 30 tools. With larger numbers, the rolls start becomlng a blt cumbersome; several smaller rolls are a better ophon.

These tool rolls need replacing every so often, as, with the best wlll m the world, the sharp Fig 7. The tool roll can then be stored wherever convenient - perhaps in a wooden box such as a carpenter's toolbox, with other equipment. A type of tool roll which contains a row of elastic loops along the centre can be bought commercially, but is not recommended. Passing the sharp edges through the loops without cutting them - or your fingers - can be quite a palaver.

Also, the blades themselves are looser than in the pocketed tool roll, which increases the risk of the delicate edges being damaged. This sort of roll may have its place for other bits and pieces, however. The tools are within easy reach, and can be easily returned after use.

The bench can be kept less cluttered and the tools at your disposal can be easily seen. Blades Fig 7. There are some problems. For this type of rack co work, the tool handle must be wider than the blade, or the tool will fall through the loop. This limits the size of tools to about lin 25mm or narrower, depending on the size of the handles. The blades also need to be heavierthan the handles in order for the tools to hang upright. As some blades are quite small and light, their handles tend to fall - over and across others.

The edees beneath can then L touch or knock against one another, with possible damage. You should consider protecting the edges of some tools with vulnerable comers - such as fishtail and skew chisels -by means of a cork pushed on to the end Fig 7.

I prefer plastic corks over the natural ones as they don't absorb wine, the acid of which I Fig 7. Self-adhesi1-i cuttlng various-sized holes and notches into a shelf cork floor tiles are useful for chis; the unvamishk of wood Fig 7 6.

The holes take tools where the ones are better for protecting the contents of th blade is smaller than the handle, the notches where drawer from damp. To closed. The mated. A more elaborate solutlon would be a shallow smallest tools, especially those with round handle. You would need to keep your hand. Use ddferent drawers, or parts of drawers, for favourite tools in the top layer. Protect carving tools.

These units are available with 5, 6, 9, them from damage by rolling them up in rags or in 10 or 15 drawers and can be bought second-hand. Previous chapters dealt with carefully selecting your carving tools; Part I1 discusses working your tools up to their most efficient and sharp condition. However, the discipline of looking after them The danger is that the carefully sharpened edges may also involves the time when they are actually used.

So to help guard against this: I DURING CAWING Line u p the tools parallel to one another, with aI1 the blades in the same direction Avoid levering or prising wood chips away with The tools should be lined up at the back of the bench, the chisel or gouge, as this can break an edge -1 or out of the immediate working area. They will look cut the wood cleanly instead. It is better if the edges point for- wards, as the tools can be recognized more easily from this direction Figs 7.

This is an excellent When a delicate tool such as a skew has entered habit to get into right from the start of your carving the wood, do nor rock it from side to side. There career. The discipline of always putting down your is a real danger of breaking the comer and tools in a row not only protects them from each other leaving it buried in the wood. Qulte a few metal objects can he on the bench: clamps, holdfast heads, compasses, metal rulers and sc Try not to hawe too many tools on the bench on Flg 7.

I- try to organue them so that the tools that are least to damage the edge sufficiently to leave scratch lines hequently used are out of the way and lrned up A wooden block placed beneath the jaw of a clamp towards the back of the bench.

Brmg forward the wtll help to prevent contact with the cutting edge, as ones needed for the immediate tasks. Don't forget any metal objects embedded m Periodically clear the bench the wood itself, such as carvers' screws. If you wait until you need the tool again, it will be when you want to carve, not sharpen. The importance and benefit of W n g sharp woodcaming tools When you obrain a new carving tool you must first put it into commission; in other words, bring it into full servlce.

This means examining the tool along the lines already discussed: checking the handle for comfort, rhe shoulder, shank and blade for size and ahgnment, and so on.

These checks you need only do once. Then, of course, check the cutting edge and bevel- this is the working part of the tool. The markenng of pre-sharpened tools caters to these feelings - but unfortunately the spontaneously self-sharpening woodcarving tool has yet to be invented, and the task of sharpening tools will remain, a s ir always has been, somethii every carver must undertake.

Even though there is hardly a book an catvlng that does not start with some information on the subject of sharpening, and information is also gtven our by tool manufacturers themselves, students at carving classes still rn up wrth badIy sharpened toole - or even tools so useless that no sharpening could reclaim them.

The reason 1s ewofoltl: firstly, the smdent does not feel or comprehend why sharp- ness is importanr; and secondly, the information on sharpening is strll inadequate or unclear. Sharpenmg woodcarving tools 1s not a partrcularly difficult sklll to learn and l eitself. These chapters will try to help with leammg such skills and gettrng a feel for then rmportance. What 'sharpness' is, and what factors contribute to a s h a e cutting edge As with carving itself, knowing what you are looking for is halfway to fmding it.

What, then, is this magical sharpness? Is it always the same, for all carving tools, at all times, for all woods? The theme of these chapters follows the old axiom: 'To give someone a fish is to feed them for a day.

To teach someone to fish is to feed them for the rest of their life. Without proper instruction, this can lead to a frustrating experience - ending, not uncommonly, in the whole notion of carving being abandoned before you have even started. With a gift of pre-sharpened carving tools, at least one gets to carve wood for the day. But without the necessary sharpening skills the tools dull, begin to cut less well, and dissatisfaction and frustration arise.

The sharpening process in general, and how specific qpes of woodcawing tools are sharpened There IS a method, basic to the sharpening of all woodcarving tools, that can be taught and learned. The equipment needed to sharpen woodcarving tools, and hto use and take care of it If sharpness and carvrng tools are inseparable, acquurng carvlng tools means acquiring the means to sharpen them. Once you Invest money In carvrng tools, you need to invest a little more on the sharpenmg equipment, and learn to use it.

Chapters 10 and 11 explain what equipment you need, why you need it and how to use it, as well as how to look after the various bits and pieces so that they last a long time. How to maintain sharpness with the least effort Sharpening tools, and maintaining their sharpness, is essential to the woodcarver.

It needs to be accepted, and not seen as a chore or an interruption to the work. The meditative quality of sharpening can be enjoyed, as can the self-respect and joy in achieving and using a beautifully sharpened blade.

There is also the oppor- tunity to take stock of how the carving is progressing. While fostering this attitude, ways can be found to minimize the effort of sharp- ening and maintaining the cutting edges - creating routines, rather than big events that stand out for their tediousness Chapter If you have a resistance to the discipline of sharpening, then the chances are you will have problems with the discipline of carving itself.

Traditional sharpening stones and mare recent alternatives Sharpening 'stones' are now available in a wide range of materials, from true stone taken directly out of the earth to substances made with all the guile of high tech- nology.

They may be given 'grit' designations in order to make a comparison with conventional stones, but they are not at all the same: their behaviour, cutting properties and feel differ considerably. They are helpful in some areas but can cause problems in others.

The use of elecalcal sharpening or honlng machines therefore needs careful consideration Chapter The answer to these som of problems lles largely m the idea of discipline: self- imposed habit patterns and approaches to tools, sharperung, and carvrng itself.

A master woodcarver once told me that speed of the wood revolving beneath the cutting edge when costing a piece of work, he would allow up to - which requires short, tough bevels Figs 8. This is a stunning bit of infor- to the wood. Woodturners regularly supplement cut- mation for newcomers to take in, as it was for me at ting by finishing the turned shapes with sandpaper to - beckons - who wants the time. This is far from the case with carving tools. But carving tools normally undergo a far more involved process of sharpening before they are ready for use on the wood and the would-be carver can get down to work.

Without doubt, this need to sharpen carving tools has caused many a potential carver to become a woodtumer instead. Until quite recently, there was no such thhg as 'ready-sharpened' woodcawing tools. Tools came with a bevel roughly ground, or set, by the factory. It was taken for granted that a carver would sharpen them exactly as he or she wanted. Although pre- sharpeninghas its advantages, carvers need to sharpen different tools in different ways for dlfferbt purpases, This 1s what the makers would have expected when they sent out tooIs 'set but not sharpened'.

Unless stated othenulse, these are rhe sort of tools that are being referred to. The angle of the wedge 1s the angle at which the bevel of the carvlng tool 1s set, and th'is can vaq under different conditions. The bevel also needs to be the correct shape, which will be dealt with in more detail in the next chapter pages If you find that cutting through wood is harder work than it need be, one of the most likely reasons is the incorrect setting of the bevel angle as a prelim- inary stage to sharpening Fig 8.

As soon as this is Fig 8. A microscope applied to the very edge of a carving woodcarver, comes before everything else.

Wlthout tool shows a clystalline structure. When the blade cuts, this wonderful crystal edge is And, as a skill, it must be learnt. Its value cannot pushed into a similar microscopic world of wood be overestimated. So what exactly given the angle of bevel, that will separate the wood are the advantages that tool sharpness gives to the molecules and fibres Fig 8. Eventually this resis- carver, and why js such a high degree of sharpness tance will start to erode the microscopic structure of needed?

The followmg are some answers, but not m the steel, and from a thin peak of crystal, a thicker, order of importance. Forcing Fig 8. Because sharpness makes all directions of cut available, sharp carving tools will help you achieve the angle of the bevel and control whatever form you are seeking. They sharpening. Speed ally because of the frustration that arises , and efficiency also depend on the carver's approach to the work: the method and how the tools are used. Nevertheless, sharpness is indispensably linked to the swiftness and effectiveness with which a work is As well as giving control over the form, a really sharp executed.

So, less effort means quicker work and carving tool will leave a beautiful, polished facet as greater efficiency. The bevel follows behind the cutting edge and burnishes the wood. This effect is best seen when the wood is cut with the grain, but also occurs with cross-cutting using the slicing With most woods, and correctly sharpened tools, cut- technique.

Such clean cutting may be all the surface ting across the grain need not be much different from finish that a carving needs in order to arrive at its cutting with the grain. It is even possible, with some finished state Fig 8. Fig 8. Even if a thls can also be the result of bad carvlng technlque. Odd scratches in otherwise prints of the carver'; they are untque m a way that a cleanly cut facets of wood can be ignored, as these sanded surface 1s not.

A sanded carvtng looks, and will be taken out with the sanding. The freshness of cuttmg, m t h crtsp lmes and carving must be completed before sanding begins. Encouraging youngsters in schools to their tools are not really sharp. When the blade burden it is until sharp tools are used. Sharpening eventually reaches fresh air again, it is still being pro- carving tools is less tedious than workimg with blunt, pelled by this excessive force, so it tends to leap out badly, even wrongly sharpened tools.

It is far better O n the other hand, sharpening itself can be a to take easier cuts, with less effort, and in a controlled worthwhile use of time. A break from carving to way, than to be continually jerking a blunt tool out of touch up an edge can give you time to stop and think, the wood.

Without wanting to create too romantic a vision, I ENJOYMENT find that sharpening o n a stone can be soothing - a quiet, healing sort of activity that contrasts with the One of the most tangible pleasures of teachmg wood- energy often found in the actual cutting.

In a tools for the first time. Some people may have been silent workshop it makes a noise, a sort of sliding, working away - possibly for years - with effectively whispering, as the shaving comes away.

The simplicity blunt tools, even though they have tried their best'to of the action and the feel of control and command, sharpen them. All this is facili- blunt tools is a chore, and rarely appreciated for the tated by really sharp carving tools Fig 8. What is sharpness, and how do we measure it! The word refers to wit possible. There is of wood m between Fig 9.

More often than nut, however, it is a case of wedge which. What matters is the cuurng af the roo1 in the woad, and vhether it achieves what you trrant ir ta. Getting the bevel the nght shape is a major part of sharpening correctly.

Carvers usually talk about 'longer' or 'shorter' bevels, rather than nammg an actual angle, because thin is how they appear. When the outer bevel 1s flat, the hevel angle is more or less the cutting angle: the angle between blade and wood when the tool starts to cut. In a V-tool, the cutting angIe 1s taken from the keel bevel, as the apex begins to bite.

The cutting angle is an Fig 9. But this bevel angle, preset sharpenmg a carvmg tool 1s a process of refining the by the manufacturer, is not necessarily the one that is I Fig 9. There are varlous clr- needs of the individual carver. Someone buying a cumtances m whlch a different angle - a longer or woodcarving tool far the first time may assume that shorter bevel - may be needed.

It ma! Thls usuallT wolves regind'mg. There are two factors workitlg against each other m the ser of the bevel. But the cost is In loss of strength - there is less metal to buttress the cutting edge Fig 9. As the bevel becomes longer, the cutting edge big 9. It m a y never o c w to a newcomer to carvang that this hard enough to damage the cuttlng edge before being can be, and needs to be, changed cut themselves. The ovrrall angle - that of Soft woods Include plnes such as northern plne the Inner and outer bevels comblned usually varies - and yellow pme.

To reproduce affect how long the bevel appears. But what actually happens Wood varles between soft such as pne at one 1s that the sofrer fibres buckle before the advancing end of the range and very hard such as boxwood at wedge of metal Fig 9. The fibres may not reslst - the other, with medium degrees of hardness such as stay still long enough - to be cut cleanly, and so lime or basswood in between.

The keenness and hardwood as defined m Volume 2, Chapter 6. An outer long bevels was kept solely for work on these very bevel set at 20" wlll be sultable for most situations in soft woods.

Conversely, some exotic woods available Fig 9. What is being sought at , rounded convex the end of the day is the longest, and therefore sharpest, bevel compatible wrth strength. The good reasons why this IS the best optlon. Let us con- first IS the Inherent weakness in a hollow bevel. From the grmdlng wheel the and inaccurate compared with a truly flat bevel Fig tool may then be sharpened on flat benchstones, but 9.

This relates to the so-called 'self-jigging' action not enough to remove the hollowness completely that wlll be discussed later page Fig 9. A hollow In the bevel continues to exlst between the two flat surfaces produced on the bench- stones Fig 9. Secondly, the carv- ing tool will not start to cut the surface of the wood until its handle is positioned higher than would be the case with a flat bevel. In other words, a rounded bevel gives a higher cutting angle Fig 9.

The angle at which the tool cuts affects your ability to control it. The lower the angle, the more control you have when cutting - your hands rest on the wood and work more surely.

The higher the cutting angle, the more awkward and uncontrolled the cutting becomes. Rounding the bevels of woodcarving tools is a fre- quent and major cause of their handling and cutting badly, with unnecessary effort. It is a more common fault than a bevel which is flat bur with an incorrect angle.

A seemingly small change from round to flat bevels makes an enormous drfference to the quaht, and control of cutting The exceptions to this rule are the longbent and shortbent chrsels and gouges. The bevel may also through its hollow cut. With correct grinding, it takes no longer to flatten across the whole bevel - so making the edge stronger and lining up more accurate - than sharpening from heel to edge.

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