My first attempt at carving (finished, in situ)

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

MikeG.

Established Member
Joined
24 Aug 2008
Messages
10,163
Reaction score
691
Location
Essex/ Suffolk border
Just because it is all a bit quiet on here at the moment I thought I might post some pictures of my weekend labours. I have never carved before, and I only have a set of normal workshop chisels. I borrowed a carving chisel from a friend, but didn't use it as the angle was wrong. This is a quick project whilst my workshop is still in turmoil in metal-working mode.

1: A very plain piece of American White Oak

3288823154_8e5a95bdb3.jpg


2: The weaponry, and the print-out pasted to the wood

3288823162_5a8ebe5252.jpg


3: Another view of the ironmongery......sharp but limited

3288823166_9c087f199e.jpg


4: Making a start, with an easy straight bit............I went very deep!


3288823172_08e1bbc405.jpg



5: So far so good.......

3288823174_08c808f3ff.jpg


6: ........about 6 hours later!!! You can imagine how awkward the curved bits were just using straight chisels. I did sharpen up a bradawl at one stage and carved with that for a bit.

3288016639_495d174652.jpg


7: The frame takes shape

3288833780_8672aba096.jpg


8: I like a little hand-made stop to my chamfers.......a bit classier than a burnt bit of furry oak off the router!

3288834166_69ac0ec193.jpg


9: Gluing up.........draw-bore pins ready, but the sign is fixed in dry.

3288017557_7cca3578cb.jpg



More to follow soon..............

Mike

PS BTW, this is all by hand............no electrickery whatsoever.
 
Very nice Mike. :D I do like oak.

I have a cheap set of carving tools that you can borrow if you want, never been used in anger, probably need sharpening. :twisted:
 
Looks very good,Mike :D
Same as Dave,I like oak anyway - I've made a few signs with the router,but yours looks neater,and the drawbored frame makes it look a whole lot classier 8)

Andrew
 
Hey Mike that's fantastic, you bloody show off ;)

You've certainly proved your point about minimalist tools. A bunch of standard bench chisels and a V gouge!

Well Done. :D

PS are you going to paint the lettering black or gold or leave as it?
 
Excellent first attempt Mike,
You`ve done really well, & spelt it correctly, (no names, no pack Drill :lol: )
Do you intend colouring the letters? Also how are you finishing it?

Cheers.

Doug.

PS,That mallet looks almost new? have you been spending??? :wink:.
 
Excellent job there Mike with the ''wrong'' shaped tools . Shows what can be done with ''sharp'' regardless of shape . Not by me I H T add , enjoyed that on such a quiet night at the forum .
Cheers !
 
Thats very good Mike. I had thought about doing some initials on the lid of a chest before, but talked myself out of it. Maybe I should give it a go.

Cheers, Ed
 
Cheers guys............much appreciated.

Doug, Tom, I'm hoping to leave the letters "au naturale", rather than paint them. I am thinking of oiling the whole thing, and the carving is so deep that I'm hopeful it will show up well enough without the usual black paint. I held it up in place the other day and my neighbour could read it from across the road............so I'm hopeful. Tom, I didn't use the v gouge.........I went down at a much steeper angle than the gouge would allow. A curved and a pointed chisel would have made life easier. As for mis-spelling.......that would be embarrassing, wouldn't it Olly? :wink:

Joe, your dead right about "sharp" being more important than "shape". I've no idea how much those chisels cost me 20 or 30 years ago, but knowing what a cheapskate I am, probably not much! Yet they keep an edge so well that I didn't even touch them up once during the whole job.

Thanks again

Mike
 
EdSutton":3klri7p5 said:
I had thought about doing some initials on the lid of a chest before, but talked myself out of it. Maybe I should give it a go.
Cheers, Ed

Thanks Ed............the difference is that if I stuffed this up (and I did get a bit nervous towards the end!!), I would just chuck away one piece of wood. If you stuff up the carving on a chest lid, that is one whole chest lid going up the chimney........you probably made the right decision!! Do give it a go, though..........it only takes patience.

Mike
 
See, Mike? I told you it was easy!! :D :wink:

You're right to be chopping them deep, otherwise you wouldn't be able read it! :roll: :wink: Chris Pye reckons you should carve at an angle of about 60° (no, I didn't measure mine, either).

I don't blame you for choosing not to paint them, it can make a mess if you don't seal the oak first... :?

Curved letter look tricky but, all you have to do is hold the gouge vertically and hit it! :) But, you weren't using a gouge, were you... :shock: That bradawl trick sounds... Different!! :wink:

Careful what you say about my deliberate spelling mistake, Mike - what goes around comes around, and all that.... [-X :)
 
Are you sure you've never done that before Mike, very pro looking job. Take it you were a wicket keeper in your former life as a cricketer then
 
=D> Very nice Mike, just shows what can be
done with basic tools and a little imagination. 8)
A lot of skill helps too. :lol:
 
Thanks again chaps!! Sorry, I went to bed early last night.........but I am humbled by all your praise. ...........and yes, Ironballs, I was a 'keeper! A friend of mine lives at "Spinner's Rest".

I got up early to scrape the excess glue off the frame this morning, so there will some more piccies soon.

Mike
 
Back
Top