Carving fine lines

[marcus]

Just wondering if anyone has any specific recommendations about best tool (either bought or shop made) to use to carve very fine detail lines into a load of small, inlaid boxwood fishes (don't ask!). The lines will be filled with wax.

At the moment I am using an ashley iles no 39 x 1/8", which is OK, but feels a bit unwieldy.

Thanks.

 

[GazPal]

Tool choice depends on scale (No pun intended) and detail being carved. Will they be basic incised lines or carved?

 

[marcus]

Which way is better?

 

[xy mosian]

Hi marcus, I have often wondered, been tempted, by the Peter Benson range.
http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Ash ... 0.8mm.html
They look to be amongst the 'micro' carving end of the market, again they also look to be quite manageable.
xy

 

[marcus]

Thanks for that xy, they look nice, have put them on the list of possibles!

Gary, at the moment I am using a V gouge, which I guess means they are incised? Sorry carving is not really my thing, so I don't know the terminology....

 

[GazPal]

Which way is better?

It honestly depends on the scale of the work and degree of detail, as it could involve the use of graver, scriber, knife, chisel, etc.. Heading the incised route I'd err on the side of either v gouge or match scale size to normal curved gouge of a suitable size and double cut to create carved lines. An incised line/detail is normally where a blade is drawn across a surface to leave a line.

 

[marcus]

Here's a photo of a rough test one that I had a go at this evening. The real ones need to be much better than this but it gives an idea. It's 2" long. There's not that much detail but the lines need to be very crisp and flowing.

 

[xy mosian]

Thanks for that xy, they look nice, have put them on the list of possibles!

Ah the list of possibilities

Here is another thought, just a different choice of handle really, although I don't think the blockcutters are available in the finer sizes of the Peter Benson's.
http://www.toolnut.co.uk/products/carvi ... -_Straight

That fish looks well thought out. I've tried a little carving in Box. There is certainly a lot of honing involved. For that sort of work I think my first attempt would be a knife, much easier to give a quick smarten up. V-tools can be tricky, to hone, for me at least. Perhaps with more experience I'll get better at that.
xy

 

[bugbear]

The big question would seem to be wether the line is cut in a single pass (which can only be done with a 'v' chisel) or in two passes (the way letter carving is normally done).

On curved lines, the opposite sides are in opposite grain directions, so the 'V' approach is always working against the grain to some extent.

BugBear

 

[Richard T]

BB wrote: The big question would seem to be wether the line is cut in a single pass (which can only be done with a 'v' chisel) or in two passes (the way letter carving is normally done).


Exactly - lines can be cut very finely by cutting just a slight slant off vertical with the corner of a flat chisel or shallow curved IC gouge and then with a cut made parallel to the first line, meeting it at the bottom as narrowly as you like.
There is no tool made to cut lines as narrow as you can achieve like this.

 

[marcus]

Thanks for these suggestions. I decided that a v gouge will be the way to go as the letter carving way will take too long. I got one of the small ones from workshop heaven similar to what xy suggested, but the tiny 45 degree one which is narrower than the 60 degree.

http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools...nson_No.41_Straight_Carving_V_Tool_1.5mm.html

Problem solved! It arrived this morning and works perfectly - much finer lines than the one I was using, and being so much smaller gives much more delicate control. The boxwood has such tight grain that on his case the direction doesn't seem to make any difference....

 

[xy mosian]

Great news marcus. Can we see more examples please?
xy