---- Chris Pye: WOODCARVING - NEWSLETTER ---- December 2004 http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com "Dedicated to the teaching, learning and love of woodcarving" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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/ or using the link at the end of the newsletter. ****Back issues here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/intro/pastnews.html including zipfiles for 2001, 2002 & 2003, 2004 newsletters ============================================================ Hello Everyone! CONTENTS: 1. Website news 1) Other Carvers' Work: New Contribution 2) 3 New Green Men 3) New Website Inspiration 4) 2004 Newsletter zipfile 2. Article: Finishes 2 - Wax Finish 3. Follow Ups 1) Sharpening 2) Oil Finish 3) PEG Website Bookmarks at the end. List of Slipstones Woodcarving Manuals Teaching __________________________________________ 1. WEBSITE NEWS! __________________________________________ 1) NEW GALLERY - OTHER CARVERS' WORK LORD'S PRAYER LINEN - carved by Roger Strautman Here's another lovely piece of work to inspire you! http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/othercarvers/ It's not just the lettering, a long process in its own right that's impressive, but the previous effort of carving the linenfold hanging itself that makes this such an impressive piece. *** AN ASIDE: You'll note that Roger uses a computer to generate the letters. I've heard it said that I'm against this approach - as I have a book out on lettercarving that extols readers to work this out for themselves - so just to be clear: Playing around with letterforms is a great challenge, and fun but if you really don't want to pursue it, a computer is a good second option (as can be seen here). You just need to be (a) careful - some letter styles print like gazelles but carve like pigs, and (b) discerning - about spacing and layout - which is where scissors come in handy. With that aside, on with the show... You can see Roger Strautman's Lord's Prayer Linen here, along with some stage carvings: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/othercarvers/ (By the way, Roger also has a piece in the Green Man Gallery http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/greenman/gm_gallery15.html) *** Did you know there are over 3,400 readers of this newsletter? *** And would you like to show YOUR special carving in the website gallery to this discerning audience? You would? Great! You are welcome to contribute in a similar way: * Subject matter is not important: Relief, in the round - figure carving, lettering - whatever. Something special that might inspire other woodcarvers. * Quality of workmanship IS important, however: The work must be traditionally carved - ie. using carving tools, rather than only shaping or whittling. * You'll need to have at least SOME stage photos and supply brief notes - to explain what you have done to your visitors! (I can help with this) If you have a piece you think might suit, drop me a line and tell me about it. 2) NEW GREEN MAN CARVINGS! Three lovely carvings for you... Radiant Green Man by Dave Mahoney: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/greenman/gm_gallery17.html Green Man by Jim Thompson: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/greenman/gm_gallery18.html Green Man by Ed Knutson: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/greenman/gm_gallery19.html Hey! There are 19 Green Men congregating in the gallery. Want to be no. 20? If you have a Green man you'd like to share, just drop me that line... 3) NEW INSPIRATION This has got to be one of my all time favourite carvings - a s sandstone self-portrait by Nicholas Gerhaert of Leyden. It's nearly 550 years old yet the sculptor glides across this time and space like a bird to sing of our humanity. Here it is: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/gallery/g_inspiration.html 4) 2004 NEWSLETTER ZIPFILE I've zipped back issues for 2004 and put them with the last 3 years here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/intro/pastnews.html 4 year's worth altogether. Some of you will remember when it started... __________________________________________ 2. ARTICLE: FINISHING WOODCARVINGS by Chris Pye __________________________________________ FINISHING WOODCARVINGS by Chris Pye Part 2 - A Wax Finish I mentioned last month that I use in the main just two, simple ways of finishing my carvings: oil, and wax. Here's how I work a wax finish. I make my wax up in the winter - actually I made a batch a few days ago. Why? The woodstove! Dead easy, this is what I do: 1. Beeswax + cheese grater = grated beeswax. 2. I fill a glass jar with the grated beeswax. This jar has a wide mouth and clamping rubber sealed lid (a short fat 'Kilner' jar, as used for jam making - a good shape, it keeps the wax from drying out and I can get into it easily). 3. I then pour in pure turpentine to cover the wax. 4. I put the jar into a metal bowl and surround it with water. 5. I put the metal bowl on the hot woodstove and bring the water to boil. I now have a 'bain-mairie'. (A what? A posh name for a 'double boiler' - which prevents our flammable materials combusting dramatically.) 6. I stir occasionally and melt it all together. (I'd like to mention the lovely smell in the workshop after I've made up my beeswax.) 7. I then go down the bottom of the garden where the pixies live and exchange something precious for a pinch of their fairy dust. Any carving on which I now use my wax sells for great vacuous sums of money. (Hah! And you thought it was all about carving skills!) 8. I check consistency. What you want is a thin yogurty wax, so take a teaspoon to it and see what it's like when it's cold. * Too thick? Add more turpentine. * Too thin? Add more wax. * Just right? Take it out of the bath and let it cool. That's it really. And, no, you can't play in my garden. OTHER THINGS YOU CAN ADD: * 5% Carnauba wax to give a harder, more polished appearance. * A dash of linseed oil to improve working properties. * Oil based stains or oil paints for tinting. APPLYING: * Use brushes (Anything from scrubbing brushes to toothbrushes and no you can't borrow mine either) and ... * Hairdryer (Excellent for warming the wood and wax to aid penetration and to prevent or remove build up of wax in crevices.) * Many thin coats, allowing to dry in between. Don't handle carving while wax is tacky. * Buff last coats with cotton rags and allow to dry thoroughly before handling' Next month - other finishing matters... __________________________________________ 3. FOLLOW UPS __________________________________________ 1) SHARPENING (Thanks to John Fry) Re your article on sharpening [July 04], an item which, for me, shows quite literally the difference between what I thought was a sharp edge and what was a REALLY sharp edge is a times 20 magnification glass. It brings to life 1000 grit scratch marks plus any other irregularity and shows when at last you have reached a mirror finish to the bevel and a pure line to the edge. For me this was the final step of the journey - which took several years. Also I'd like to describe a jig that I find very helpful: [NOTE FROM CHRIS: I have put a disclaimer in here: disclaim, disclaim, disclaim... your own risk etc. However, honing/stropping on a hard flat disc has a lot going for it. I've seen carvers use similar systems with power drills or converted electric motors. The leather MUST PASS AWAY FROM the cutting edge at all times. This is really obvious - yes? But we can all be absent minded. I strongly suggest a guard. Also you can buy an 'arbor' to take the disc instead of the method described here.] You need: * a piece of 10mm plywood 200mm in diameter * enough soft leather to cover the plywood and roll over the edge. * an engine exhaust valve This is what you do: * Put a bullnose shape to the circumference of the ply. * Cut a hole in the centre of the leather to go over the stem of the valve. * Epoxy the head of the valve to the centre of the ply and then glue the leather - I use Bostik F2 - to the ply, the same side as the valve. * If the edge of the leather is cut on an angle 20/25mm every 10mm it can then be rolled over the edge, making sure the overlaps allow for a clockwise spinning direction. * Tighten the stem of the valve into a small drillpress. * Charge the leather with red jeweller's paste. * Switch on the drillpress. * Hone so the leather is moving away from the cutting edge. * The rolled edge can be used to touch up the inside of the flatter gouges. I have mine permanently set in place and it only requires an occasional charging. One word of warning NEVER, NEVER try and hone a knife on this jig. It works on one side of the blade turn it over and it will catch in the leather, then the ply and take off like a missile. I have to admit to that experience. [CHRIS: See what I mean? If you are using a drill press then you'll have the adjustable table below. Cobble up something from more of the ply to sit on the table and stop you even seeing the 'bad' side - where the leather is spinning towards you.) 2) OIL FINISH (Thanks to Tim Caveny & Great-uncle Todd) Your article on applying an oil finish [Nov 04] took me back to my youth. My Great-uncle Todd (now, sadly, long deceased), who was both a machinist and a cabinetmaker, used to say: " a coat a day for the first week, a coat a week for the first month, a coat a month for the first year, and a coat a year after that." 3) PEG (Thanks to Karen Tiede) Chainsaw carvers often talk about using PEG [Sep 04] to prevent cracks, but I don't know anyone who is actually doing it. Some thoughts: 1. Slow penetration - I believe something along the order of 1/4" per month, maybe? 2. Expensive. 3. Toxic as can be. Might work for a finished carving, or for chisel carving, but I'd hate to take a power tool to treated wood. We just sell the piece, perhaps with a kerf cut down the back, and tell the buyer, "Yes, it's a log and it will likely crack." Or let the wood dry and crack, and patch the crack before selling it. _____________________________________ That's all for this month! Joy and success in your carving! Chris Pye ------------------------- PS: One for the bench: "I think that I shall never see A billboard lovely as a tree. Perhaps, unless the bill boards fall, I'll never see a tree at all." ~ Ogden Nash, Song of the Open Road ____________________________________________________________ SOME WEBSITE BOOKMARKS ____________________________________________________________ ----------------- SLIPSTONES WOODCARVING MANUALS Help yourself! Full list and details: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/index.html * Quick Carving Questions - 1 http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/qcq1.html (Sponsored by Tools for Working Wood: http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/) * Quick Carving Questions - 2 http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/qcq2.html (Sponsored by Classic Hand Tools: http://www.classichandtools.com/) * Quick Carving Questions - 3 http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/qcq3.html (Sponsored by Preferred Edge Carving Knives & Supplies: http://www.preferrededge.ca/) * The Accomplished V Tool 1 - Free evaluation copy http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/v1.html * Learning to Carve - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/learncarving.html * A Guide to Safe Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/safecarving.html * Mistakes and Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/mistakes.html * Fundamentals of Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/fundamentals.html *Slicing, And The Value Of The Inside Bevel With The Chris Pye #2 1/2 Finishing Gouges From Ashley Iles - Free pdf http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/slipstones/slicing.html ----------------- TEACHING * UK (1-TO-1 PERSONAL TUITION) Full details here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/tuition/t_custom.html Single day: £150 3 days: £360 5 days: £495 Lunch included. Local B&Bs in a very beautiful part of England... * USA (CENTER FOR FURNITURE CRAFTSMANSHIP, MAINE) 2005 http://www.woodschool.org/ June 20 - 24 Ornamental carving (Mouldings) June 27 - July1 Relief Carving July 4 - July 8 Carving Tutorial * CANADA (ROSEWOOD STUDIO, ALMONTE, ONTARIO) 2005 http://www.rosewoodstudio.com Sep 12 - Sep 16 Relief Carving I (Beginners) Sep 19 - Sep 23 Relief Carving II (Advanced) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Copyright (c) Chris Pye 2004 Chris@chrispye-woodcarving.com ----------------------- -----------------------