---- Chris Pye: WOODCARVING - NEWSLETTER ---- February 2002 http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com "Dedicated to the teaching, learning and love of woodcarving" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello Everyone! Please forward this newsletter to a woodcarving friend, and anyone else you think might be interested. Thanks! This is an opt-in newsletter and you should only be receiving it because you requested it from the website, or were sent it by a friend. Subscribe or Unsubscribe easily on the home page here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/index.html or using the link at the end of the newsletter. ****Back issues here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/intro/pastnews.html including a zipfile for 2001 newsletters ==================================== 1. Slipstones - February 2002 2. Website Notes New Inspiration 3. Guest Article: 'Observations From a Carver of Wood and Stone' - Take 2, by Judi Dubrawski 4. Quick Carving Questions 1) The Cost of Carving 2) Drying Wood 3) Carpel Tunnel Syndrome 4) Bevel Angles 5) Sharpening #3 Gouges 6) Samurai Sharpness 7) Sharpening Small Veiners 5. Parallel Lines: Guest Article 'Make It a Masterpiece!' by Rhoberta Shaler __________________________________________ 1. SLIPSTONES - February 2002 __________________________________________ Have you got a nagging woodcarving question? Something you are not clear on or need a little advice? Slipstones is like an invitation to my workshop where I share my experience of over 25 years as a professional woodcarver, and offer advice and support, along with that of other subscribers. So, join me! And get your FREE copy of '101 Master Woodcarving Secrets', exclusive to subscribers. Full details of your interactive woodcarving journal: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/slipstones.html Back issues of Slipstones now available without subscribing. THIS MONTH - What's been going on in the workshop? *** EARDSLEY PARK CORBELS A preview of these large voluted brackets carved for the main doors of a country house. When is a corbel like a raven? Sounds like the riddle from Alice in Wonderland; only, this time, there IS an answer.... *** EAGLE LECTERN A long term carving project. See the blocked up wood for the eagle and the results of a couple of furious hours with an Arbortech... *** NAIL CLAMPS One of the lowest tech ways of clamping thin wood together... *** NEED A 'SQUEEZE'? A squeeze is the woodcarver's term for taking a mould from an existing carving. Very useful for a record or for copying. Here's how I do it. *** CARVING TABLES... *** PROTECTING YOUR HANDS... *** And much more, including 'Lines of Light' and Carving Tips. Have you downloaded your FREE sample edition of Slipstones? Find it here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/slipstones.html __________________________________________ 2. WEBSITE NOTES __________________________________________ **** NEW INSPIRATION All over the UK, in small parish churches, you can stumble upon little jewels of woodcarving. Here is an example: an Eagle from a Parish Church lectern in Herefordshire. Most eagle lecterns were carved in Oak and render the subject fairly static. Here the carver has let himself go. You can almost feel the eagle daring anyone to place a book on his back! Here it is: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/gallery/g_inspiration.html __________________________________________ 3. ARTICLE: 'Observations From a Carver of Wood and Stone' - Take 2. by Judi Dubrawski NOTE*** The author very kindly agreed to write down some insights from her carving work - insights that apply to both wood and stone, or really any medium that requires carving - and that was what appeared as 'Take 1' last month. However, she also sent me a re-worked version the article - and I liked both! Take 2' appears here. Thoughts overlap in some areas but offer different takes on the same insights.' So, a second helping of similar flavours... OBSERVATIONS FROM A CARVER OF WOOD AND STONE - Take 2. by Judi Dubrawski 1. PREPARATION "Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance." This little mantra came to me via a basketball star, but I think it applies to any endeavour, especially ones that involve manual labor. Patient and proper preparation is one of the most underrated faculties of a carver. When I first started working as a sculptor I was in a really big hurry to get something finished and out there for people to admire. The problem was that I was in such a hurry that the work suffered. I didn't have proper preparation. 2. KNOWING WHAT YOU WANT Though simplistic, there is some merit to the notion that, when carving a horse (or owl, you fill in the blank), just take away everything that doesn't look like a horse. The real truth to that statement lies in really understanding and knowing what a horse, etc. looks like. And there's the rub. My weakest attempts at sculpture happened when I lacked a very clear understanding of what I wanted the piece to end up looking like. Working out a maquette in wax or clay, or just drawing the piece several times, from several vantage points before you work in wood will grant you a greater affinity for the shape you are trying to make, and therefore you will have a greater success in re-creating the form in wood. The more time you spend in preparation, the greater your chances of success in the long run. 3. BEFORE YOU BEGIN, & END There will always be the pressure of deadlines or limits on your carving time, but each morning have a good long look at your work before you start carving. Sit on your stool, enjoy your cup of coffee (or tea, as it may be), and really look at what needs to be attended to on your piece. Spend a few minutes before you dig in figuring out where you are and where you want to go. Avoid being too critical at the end of a very long day, as you might have a temporary blindness to your piece, especially if you have been particularly aggressive with material removal. Spend a few moments before you begin. 4. KEEPING LOOSE & REFERENCE POINTS Even when you fully understand the form you are making, it is essential to remain flexible. Don't be afraid to let the wood suggest options to you. Don't think that because you have drawn a reference mark on a piece that that mark is cut in stone. You can gently shave off marks until they are faint or gone completely using a very shallow slicing motion (like leveling the background in a relief piece) and then redraw the reference mark. Sometimes removing a large quantity of wood will reveal how a feature needs to be altered or shifted slightly. And remember, draw reference points/ lines on your work with a felt tip pen (like a "Sharpie"). It will keep your work remarkably cleaner than pencil. 5. UNDERSTANDING & REPETITION In addition to understanding what you are carving, it is equally important to understand the capacities of your tools. Using a technique repeatedly will give you confidence and ingrain the skill(s) into your mind and hands. The most basic application of this idea is if you are making a moulding with a repeating motif (eg. egg and dart), work out the simplest way to achieve the motif using the biggest tools you can on a test strip of wood. This will inevitably work out to be the most efficient way to carve. Likewise, if you need to carve a particularly difficult feature, carve it a time or two in scrap wood. Again, the more you know your subject the better you will be able to capture what you want out of the wood. 6. TOOL MARKS Experiment with the coarseness of your tool marks before you hit the "finish surface". Some pieces thrive on a "looser" surface. Other pieces need tighter detail. As you are honing in on the final surface experiment with various levels of tool mark refinement to see what looks best for your piece. Then when you hit that final surface you will be relatively prepared for the kind of surface you will want to achieve. Be aware that no tool mark should be coarser than the detail you are describing. If you are working on a delicate detail, you need a delicate surface, minimal tool marks. The grosser the detail, the looser you can be with your marks. Though, overall you want a harmonious consistency to the tool-marked surface. 7. CLEARING YOUR MIND When you are stumped by your piece, sweep your floor. There is nothing like cleaning up your workspace to clear your mind and break the tension that can come from a frustrating piece. And if that fails, hang up your apron, put away your tools, turn the lights off and go to the pub for fish and chips and a lager and lime. Tomorrow will be a new start. ------------------------------------------------------ Judy Dubrawski attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and started in the art world as a painter. She moved into textile design after the birth of her two children and started sculpting about 5 years ago. Her materials are stone, wood and cast bronze. Although she does use an occasional power or pneumatic tool, primarily all the work her work is with hand tools - which has been shown nationally, and is included in several private collections. ------------------------------------------------------ __________________________________________ 4. QUICK CARVING QUESTIONS __________________________________________ **** QUESTION 1: THE COST OF CARVING **** "How much, roughly would I need to spend on a basic set of good carving tools? They seem expensive." **** ANSWER **** You can, of course, start with a pocketknife but if you are at all serious about giving yourself a good shot at carving, you need to have more. I give a list of 11 basic carving tools on the website http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/toolshop/ts_kts.html Starting with these is as good as anywhere and I know some students who have spent hardly anything more over a dozen years. You can use them a guide for comparing prices. If you but a decent make I suppose you will spend around £200. However you must add on sharpening stones etc, or honing wheel etc - very important. Plus a clamp or two. Wood? A little goes a long way for carvers. Bench? You can make it up yourself out of scrap wood. So I think you setting up well would more likely cost around £400. Here's the very good news: If you carve two hours a week, that's about £4 a week - less than most evening classes; 4 years later and you've had lots of challenging fun for less than a pint of ale a week... Remember too that low-tech carving tools never become obsolete and can easily be re-sold. Tools are an investment. So, taking an overall picture, I don't think this expensive. How much is a golf club? =================================== **** QUESTION 2: DRYING WOOD **** "How long should wood air dry? Will I dull my tools faster by using green wood that has been air-dried, as opposed to wood that has been kiln dried? **** ANSWER **** My book Woodcarving Tools etc (Part 2 in the updated edition) has a whole chapter on wood and seasoning. Allow 1 year for every inch of thickness, minimum - cool, dry, airy storage; seal the ends with wax or paint. Think of it as wine and lay down a load for the future. You won't dull your tools more in kiln-dried wood - in my experience - but it carves differently from air-dried. Kiln dried wood is more brittle, often a different colour too. Air-dried is milder and, to my mind, always nicer to carve. =================================== **** QUESTION 3: CARPEL TUNNEL SYNDROME **** "My left hand isn't good and I was thinking perhaps I have carpel tunnel syndrome from using a mallet and chisel?" **** ANSWER **** I've never heard of it arising from using a mallet. If anything carpel tunnel syndrome or similar conditions come from thumping the palm of your hand on the end of the chisel handle INSTEAD of the mallet. It is this trauma that damages nerves and tendons in the area. So stick to the mallet, avoid direct pressure on the area. Wood Carvers Supply Inc. (www.woodcarverssupply.com) sell 'palm mallets' that have a gel to protect the vulnerable area - I use them. =================================== **** QUESTION 4: BEVEL ANGLES **** "When folk talk of various bevel angles for different types of hardness of wood, are they meaning an inclusive angle (for both outer and inner bevels) or just the outer bevel?" **** ANSWER **** The OUTER angle is best thought of as the 'CUTTING ANGLE'. Place your gouge flat on the bench and move it forward as you raise the handle. When the cutting edge nicks the wood, that's your cutting angle. This angle wants to be LOW, around 15-20 deg, for greatest control. The INNER bevel does several things, including allowing the gouge to be used upside down. The INNER BEVEL ANGLE is shorter in length, and more like 10-15deg. The effect is to throw the cutting edge towards the centre of the metal and strengthen the cutting edge Add these two angles together and you get an OVERALL ANGLE - the whole metal wedge, somewhere between 25-35 deg, suitable for most (medium density) carving woods. For tough woods, you don't want to increase the outer bevel (cutting) angle, because you want to keep this low for greatest tool control. You CAN, but it's normally better to make more of the inner bevel - throwing the cutting edge even more towards the centre of the metal. Conversely for soft woods, if you lengthen the outer bevel you lower the cutting angle and there comes a point where your fingers get in the way. Having a smaller inner bevel diminished the overall 'wedge' size you are trying to push into the wood. This is where thin-bladed tools come into their own. =================================== **** QUESTION 5: SHARPENING #3 GOUGES **** "How do I sharpen #3 gouges? - they seem to have very little shape at all. I guess I just work a bit more slowly to keep the shape - or can I just flatten them completely?" **** ANSWER **** You MUST maintain that very slight curve in the sweep, so work with only a LITTLE rotation from side to side on the benchstone. Oh yes, and keep the corners! This slight curve gives you a very useful, shallow cut while keeping the corners clear - #3 gouges are great for cleanly finishing surfaces for example. It is tricky and does take practice - more a matter of thinking it than doing it, if you follow me. =================================== **** QUESTION 6: SAMURAI SHARPNESS **** "I saw a scene out of a movie where this person owned a Samurai sword. To demonstrate the sharpness he directed the blade upwards and tossed a silk scarf in the air above the sword. The scarf floated down and was promptly sliced in two! Is it possible to have something that sharp?!" **** ANSWER **** Although I have heard of such a thing, I've never even handled a real samurai sword, so expert witness I am not. Personally I doubt it. The reason is that, although I think it possible with 'something' thin and sharp enough (particularly using a slicing cut), I cannot see any sword being THAT thin and sharp and yet still being useful as a sword. Sharpness is as much a question of the bevel angle as the actual cutting edge, and you'd need a very thin angle indeed, making the blade weak - imagine striking two such swords together! Does that sound reasonable? Any Samurai sword experts care to comment? =================================== **** QUESTION 7: SHARPENING VERY SMALL VEINERS **** "Very small veiners: I seem to have trouble with keeping the edges from crumbling in certain areas when sharpening these little fellows. It seems it isn't always in the same area either. All of a sudden it seems...NOOO! and there goes the corner or a bit of the side or right near the middle. Frustrating!" **** ANSWER **** It's a little tricky without seeing the tool but it seems as if the metal at the edge is too thin, and not taking the sideways pressure that impinges when the blade enters and leaves the wood. I would check: THE BLADE: 1. Is the thickness of the metal in the blade uniform? - you may have a thin wall. 2. You don't have a veiner that is just made of too thin a metal, full stop. 3. Then again you may have a tool that is too soft, poorly tempered, or have 'inclusions' in the steel. (Re-tempering is a last resort when you have eliminated other options, and timewise you'd be better getting another. I never asked the make. In these cases you'd be best off getting yourself another tool of a different make - certainly, if you can, have a look at them and compare wall thickness etc. At the end of the day, there are poor tools - some of which escape even the better makers - and once identified it's usually quicker to move on.) However, you do say the breaking is not always in the same place, and with more than one tool, so we need to check the: SHARPENING: 4. You may be creating thin patches by honing the inside more on one place than the rest. (This is common, particularly with small tools when you can't quite see what you are doing. An inner bevel will increase the overall angle and strengthen the edge, but it only needs to be a little one, you probably won't be using the tools upside down. In fact, you could try not honing an inner bevel and just vigorously removing any burr on the inside with a strop (a narrow leather thong or shoelace, makes a good strop) or a thin buffing wheel.) 5. You may have too long an outside bevel. (Actually this is my principle thought here: the 'wedge' of metal isn't tough enough for the job. The cutting angle should be around 20 deg - the angle between blade and wood when the edge first starts to cut. Less and it's weaker. Try a little more.) CARVING: 6. Straight in and out without wobbling from side to side. 7. Going in too deep into hard wood exerts side pressure on U shaped tools 8. How hard is your wood? I'll stop there. It's detective work really. _______________________________________ 4. PARALLEL LINES: GUEST ARTICLE 'Make It a Masterpiece!' by Rhoberta Shaler _______________________________________ MAKE IT A MASTERPIECE! By Rhoberta Shaler Developing an authentic lifestyle - one that truly reflects what is important to you in all areas of life - is a work of art. It is your personal statement to the world. Are you creating your masterpiece with both the intention and attention a great artist gives her creation? Reflecting on the ideas and manipulating the materials over time, the artist begins to clarify the vision and, as the piece emerges, watches-refining her ideas, adding this, discarding that, reworking the other part, until the materials begin to match the vision. Once the realization of the dream is glimpsed, work accelerates, and joy and passion carry the piece to completion-again, much like our lives. Few artists receive their inspiration from attempting to fulfill someone else's idea of what the clay, paint, rock, notes, words, fabric or wood might become. Imitation in art is only the tool of the student as the techniques are learned. The truly authentic work of art must come from within the artist, through the techniques and media, into reality. Similarly, you cannot live the dreams of your parents, the desires of your friends or the visions of another with passion and integrity. Great artists understand that their art is their personal expression, and is, therefore, unique. The artist values the medium for its potential to express the idea. The artist works diligently with it-keeping the vision in view, making small adjustments, learning new techniques, experimenting-until the vision emerges in concrete form and becomes an extension of the artist. It is visible then to all who care to look. The piece bears the artist's name and influences all who view it. Sometimes, pieces do not please the artist and they are reworked, painted over, melted down, unraveled. These pieces have great inherent value. The artist's vision is clarified, the materials better understood. This contributes much to the next project, the next work of art. Sometimes, pieces become a legacy and influence many by their existence. These are the authentic works, the true expressions of the artist. These are the quality pieces, as Willa A. Foster, says, "Quality is never an accident; it is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives." You want your life to be of quality, filled with wise choices. Therefore, approach it with high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution. When creating a work of art, you must be present with it, fully engaged each moment, totally absorbed by the possibility you are actualizing and the potential you are exploring. This intense focus is required if you are not to be distracted by the myriad of seductive, and easy to justify diversions. It is a powerful process-uplifting, inspiring, sometimes frustrating, satisfying, and, most of all, creative. When you are making a success of something, it's not work. It's a way of life. Now, if by chance, you are thinking that viewing your life as a work of art, or a lofty contribution to the world, is impractical compared to a factual time-management, goal-oriented, bottom-line approach, please consider this. Every successful business, organization and corporation has both types of leaders, visionaries and administrators. Both are required. You need to be both visionary and administrator in your own life. To live a life of integrity, of wholeness. After all, would you prefer your life to be a fleeting statistic, or a memorable piece of performance art? ------------------------------------------------------ © Rhoberta Shaler, PhD. All rights reserved worldwide. Author of several books, programs & audio tapes, Seattle-based Rhoberta Shaler, PhD, speaks, consults and trains for corporations, conferences, and conventions on 'People Skills for a Competitive Edge' through her company, SPEAKING ABOUT WORK™. She leads teams to improve and strengthen workplace relationships and recover time lost through conflict. Websites: http://www.RhobertaShaler.com http://www.SpeakingAboutWork.com Contact Telephone: (425) 401-6464 Email: RS@RhobertaShaler.com ------------------------------------------------------ *****COMMENT: HOW IS THIS RELEVANT TO WOODCARVING? Isn't that a great quote? "Quality is never an accident; it is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives." I particularly like the idea that making a success of something is not work, but 'a way of life'. I think to get anywhere with carving - with anything - you need passion, joy, in what you are doing Without doubt, for me, those carvers who have this wholehearted committment, produce the best work. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That's it for this month. I hope you have found this newsletter interesting and useful. Once more: joy and success in your carving! Chris Pye ----------------------------------- PS: Here's another one to think about at the bench: "Keep cool, and collect." Mae West Copyright (c) Chris Pye 2002 Chris@woodcarver.force9.co.uk or Chris@chrispye-woodcarving.com ----------------------------------- Chris Pye: Woodcarving Newsletter is listed in the EzinesPlus directory of newsletters and ezines. http://ezinesplus.com ----------------------------------- ===========================================