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T O O L S AND E Q U I P M E NT

: .32 A wooden cam clamp.

-    : trsWę but very effecrive. It is possible to scrcw ' • cm bars with sash cramp heads on to tlić piąte

- panels, or even to screw on a carver”s chops. - Id device which is still available is the bench niwifast (Fig 1.29). This enables work to be

-    m rei from the middlc of the bench. It usually ^3 — r- with t\vo collars which are let into the bench n . -.rent posirions. The iargest readily available

-    5 - toin will clamp wood up to 250mm (lOin) c» and has a reach of about 185mrn (714in).

- relief work a frame can be naiied or clamped ' - bench to prevent the work from sliding. r mci can be wedged while carvcd but moved : guickly. Alternatively, a frame can be r. a board which can be clamped to the mus avoiding the need to make holes in In commerciał workshops thin strips mit-cldings are usually naiied to the bench.

r.ethod is to gluc a shect of newspaper . m: piece of scrap and glue the workpiece raper or usc double-sidcd tape. This is r - ‘ good with delicate pieces of relief. —■ ag can then be gcntly prised off with a mirght-edged chisel.

Holding is important whenever you need to glue wood, whether building up a błock before carving or repairing a break. In the lattcr case the surface is often irregular or in danger of bcing bruised by the head of a clamp. An old trick of furniturc restorers is to cut sections from an old bedspring and straighten them out to form rings. The cutting usually leaves the ends of the metal sharp, so that when the ring is opened out it will grip on an uneven surface (Fig 1.30). Bc carcful, however, as it will leave a mark unless the wood is protected. Another device which can grip on uneven surfaces or those that are not parallcl is the Jet clamp, the heads of which can bc loosencd so the surfaces do not havc to be parallel (Fig 1.31). Rubber pads on the heads rcducc the risks of bruising and slipping. The cam clamp (Fig 1.32) has wooden jaws with cork padding. This is quickly adjusted and has a soft grip, useful on delicate objeets. The single-handed clamp derivcd from the mastic gun is chcap and vcry effcctive, too. It does not exert as much pressure as a G clamp, but it is good for light work or in conjtinction with another clamp.

Mallets

A carver s mallct is round, the best being madę of lignum vitae (see Fig 1.20) as there is a good weight in even a 50mm (2in) diameter one, and they last verv well. Mallets are also madę of beech, apple or other tough woods. A soft Steel or a brass dummy uscd for delicate stonc carving may also be used.

Rasps AND Rifflers

Rasps (Fig 1.33) and rifflers (Fig 1.34) are useful; those that are hand cut last longer and cut well. Surforms and dreadnoughts also help in shaping regular curves, especially on end grain. They are all,

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