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Essen-tial Woodcarvi\g Techxiques

Fig 4.10 Cu tti fig the cup. The gouge en ten the wood irenically and the handle is dropped as the chisel goes down. This scooping cut gives a concaue cup.

the fuli cÅ‚epth will be reached the first time. Ncxt, the chisel is hcld in the first vertical position and swung round to rhc point of the cgg, taking care not co undercut it. When the eggs are beginning co appcar rounded all over, the cup can be cut.

The gouge is puc in vertically on the back oudinc of the cup and scooped down towards the sidc of the egg (Fig 4.10). The front part of the cup may be done in the same motion, with the gouge being swung round to meet the bottoin of the egg. Practice will reveal how many times the process has to be repeated. The things to watch out for are that the egg should not appear spherical or be ridged and that the sides of che cup should be concave, neither coo straight up and down nor sloping too flatly.

After the cgg, the darts are shaped. These take several forms: little arrows, tipped-up tongues or the simplified points that I describe here.

First, the narrow gouge with a No. 5, 6, or 7 swcep is stabbed in to form a stop at the top of the dart about onc-third of the way forward from the back of the moulding (Fig 4.11). The big No. 5 gouge is put into che corner of the cut, aimed radially (at about 45°) and slid around until it

FlG 4.11 Marki ng the top of the dart. NotÄ™ the chisels angle of entry into the wood.

meecs the base linÄ™ just to the side of the centre of the cup. If the chisel is driven horizoncally at the end it will undercut the ourside of the cup. Next make a chip cuc to elear the wasce (Fig 4.12). To shape the dart, invert the gouge and cuc from across the centre, swinging it round to meet the outside edge of the cup. When cutting in the opposite direction, start from rhc centre linÄ™. This will leave a sharp rib below the surface of the cup rim. To make the point morÄ™ or less sharp the straight gouge (or preferably the fishtail) is stabbed down from the side of the cup to the point of the dart with the blade turned inside or out (Fig 4.13). The No. 3 or > fishtail rcaches further into the undercuts at the sides. Finally, a very narrow No. 8 gouge is used to stab out a smali hole like a punch or drill hole between che stab cut at the top of the dart and the back linÄ™ of the moulding.

Ribbon and Stick

Ribbon and stick or pin and ribbon is carved with rhc sizes of chisel appropriate co its diameter. For instance, for a dowel about 12.5mm (*/2in) in diameter you could use the following chisels.

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