---- Chris Pye: WOODCARVING - NEWSLETTER ---- February 2003 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/index.html or using the link at the end of the newsletter. ****Back issues here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/intro/pastnews.html including zipfile for 2001 and 2002 newsletters ============================================================ Replying to this Newsletter? PLEASE CHANGE THE SUBJECT LINE! ============================================================ CONTENTS: 1. Slipstones Woodcarving Manuals 1) 'The Accomplished V Tool' - 1 2) Beginner's Guide to Woodcarving 2. Quick Carving Questions 1) Decorative Carving Book To Come? 2) Woods For Fine Work? 3) Whole Oak Carving? 4) How To Make A Living From Woodcarving? 5) Lime & Basswood? 6) King's Head Carving? 3. Follow Up: 1) Strop Paste 2) Mac Users Website Bookmarks at the end. The first part of this brand-new guide to everlasting mastery over your V tool is nearly complete. The manual is a step-by-step guide to choosing a well-made example of this most useful of carving tools, and sharpening it correctly and with complete confidence . And at some 16,000 words and 70 pictures you'll find - and I quote a friend - that this course of instruction 'nails that sucker to the barn door, so it ain't leavin'!' **** FULL DETAILS OF HOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE EVALUATION COPY IN A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT COMING SOON!**** ___________________________________________________________ 1. SLIPSTONES WOODCARVING MANUALS ____________________________________________________________ Exciting news! I've been working on the new Slipstones Woodcarving Manuals this month and can make 2 important announcements: 1) 'THE ACCOMPLISHED V TOOL - PART 1' The first part of this brand-new guide to everlasting mastery over your V tool is nearly complete. The manual is a step-by-step guide to choosing a well-made example of this most useful of carving tools, and sharpening it correctly and with complete confidence . And at some 16,000 words and 70 pictures you'll find - and I quote a friend - that this course of instruction 'nails that sucker to the barn door, so it ain't leavin'!' **** FULL DETAILS OF HOW YOU CAN DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE EVALUATION COPY IN A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT COMING SOON!**** 2) BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO WOODCARVING This is my next writing project: a 10 part, barebones, course in basic woodcarving for absolute beginners; practical, tight advice with little discussion, and based on FAQ I've answered over many years. I know many of you asked for such an introduction in the survey we did recently. I'd really like your comments, thoughts and suggestions again, before I start compiling. So, on the website, I've put a page outlining my ideas, and a form with which you can email me anything that comes to mind: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/begin/comments.html Please have a look at my provisional outline and just say if you think: * Is there is anything missing? * What particular problems do you have? * What do you want to know? * What would really help you? I'VE ALSO THE DETAILS BELOW so you can think about them offline. Reply to this email if you prefer - please change the subject line. Thanks very much - look forward to hearing from you. ------- course contents begin ------ BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO WOODCARVING Provisional contents 1) SELECTING CARVING TOOLS Aims: * Familiarity with tool parts. * Know about different types and sweeps of carving tools. * Know for what they are used. * Confident about specifying carving tools. * Can assess quality. Objectives: * Can 'name parts'. * Sent for catalogues from 5 suppliers. * Bought 5 specified tools (for later projects). * Checked quality. * Have some basic carpentry tools. 2) SHARPENING EQUIPMENT Aims: * Understand the importance of sharpness. * Understand how sharpening equipment is an investment. Objectives: * Bought coarse and fine bench and slipstones for sharpening the specified tools. * Made a bench strop and slipstrop. * Know the general principles of sharpening. 3) COMMISSIONING (Sharpening) Aims: * Understand the 'shaping' to 'sharpening' process. * Grasp the basics of benchstone and slipstone sharpening technique. * Appreciate the 'feel' of the carving tool. Objectives: * List the qualities of a correctly sharpened gouge. * Commission the specified gouges. * Test bevel and edge for correct sharpening. 4) BENCHES Aims: * Understand about height, strength and stability * Know a few keys ways of holding work * Appreciate the importance of lighting Objectives: * Build a carving bench from plans * Buy 2 G clamps * Make holding devices for incised and relief projects * Buy carvers screw for in-the-round projects 5) WOOD Aims: * Be able to select good carving wood * Appreciate how carvers work with the wood fibres * Understand how 'grain' affects strength * Know about wood movement * Understand the importance of seasoning Objectives: * Find out what wood is available in their area * Get X (specified) pieces of wood for projects * Practise grain exercises 6) BASIC CUTS Aims: * Understand the 'extension of the hand' idea * Appreciate the rules of safe carving. Objectives: * Perform the pen-and-dagger and low-level grip. * Distinguish running, slicing, sweeping and stop cuts * Practise exercises 7) PROJECTS I - INCISING Aims: * Understand the 'outcome of the tool' * See how the cuts are put together to create designs Objectives: * Decorative carving * Simple flowers and leaves * Simple mouldings * Ornament a breadboard etc 8) PROJECTS II - RELIEF Aims: * Understand the relief carving process Objectives: * Simple low relief carvings: leaves, flowers, fish etc. using specified tools 9) PROJECTS III - IN THE ROUND Aims: * Understand the approach to carving in the round * Know what 'bosting in' is all about. Objectives: * Simple 3D carvings: owl, rabbit etc, and using specified tools 10) DESIGN & IDEAS Aims: * The basics of drawing, modelling and design * Where ideas come from Objectives: * Have 3 books (drawing, notes, cuttings) going * Start building up a reserve of designs * Know where to go from here ------- course contents end ------ Comments, thoughts, suggestions: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/begin/comments.html __________________________________________ 2. QUICK CARVING QUESTIONS __________________________________________ **** QUESTION 1: DECORATIVE CARVING BOOK TO COME? **** "Are you planning to write a book about decorative carvings, mouldings, corbels and acanthus leaf carving?" **** ANSWER **** Sorry, no plans - any books I write in the immediate future will be digital manuals downloadable from the website. The best book on decorative carving that I know is by Fred Wilbur: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/writing/recbks/w_recbk_wilbur.html If you digest this one fully, you'll have a good idea of decorative possibilities. =================================== **** QUESTION 2: WOODS FOR FINE WORK **** "I read the section on suitable woods in March 02 newsletter: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/intro/mar02.txt and found it very useful. "Are these types of wood still good to use with small hand carving tools, as was suggested to me otherwise (by a non-woodcarver might I add!) Is Lime wood or Brazilian mahogany easier to carve compared with others?" **** ANSWER **** If you are talking small work with fine details, the general rule is: THE TIGHTER THE GRAIN, THE MORE DETAIL THE WOOD WILL TAKE. In other words, the less air and more fibre there is the better. You can tell this by the weight. Other factors such as the oils and chemicals - the binding of the fibres and interlocking or straightness of the grain come into play, but generally this rule holds. So for example: *Oak, which is open grained needs bold designs, as does the poorer quality Mahoganies. *Lime and Brazilian Mahogany take much more intricate work. *Boxwood, Holly etc. take very fine cuts and would be good for netsuke, say. At the end of the day, even individual parts of the same tree differ. It's always best to see what other carvers are doing, get a few off cuts and try out different timbers. =================================== **** QUESTION 3: WHOLE OAK CARVING? **** "I would love to carve a big English Oak tree...but I can't find any artwork to work from...any suggestions? " **** ANSWER **** The last people who carved whole Oak trees lived in the Middle Ages. Most medieval carving, and all on this scale, was Christian-based and funded by churches (building one of these is optional). How about a standing figure? Such sculpture would sit in an alcove or corner in the church so the back could be secretly hollowed out, to minimise splitting. If you research, you'll see some exquisite work. =================================== **** QUESTION 4: HOW TO MAKE A LIVING CARVING? **** "I am a full-time furniture maker. I still want to build furniture for my main income but the love of carving goes pretty deep, so I would like to take it a little further. Lately I have thought more about doing more carving on a paying basis. "My question is, before you became such a well-recognized carver how did you sell your work and get clients? How did you price your work? "I have thoughts of doing carvings and trying to sell them in local gift shops but I am unsure of how to price them fairly. My other thought is to advertise for restoration or replacement carving work; I am not sure of the demand on this. What advice can you give to help get started? "On a scale of 1-10 ten being the highest I would rate myself a 6. I consider myself a good carver and I do great work, but it will take me longer to get the results I look for compared to a more experienced carver. For example a carving that may take you a day may take me 3-4 days but it would be well done. I, of course, would not charge someone 3-4 day's labor. "This is where I need help putting value on a carving."" **** ANSWER **** Well, dear reader: what do YOU think? Email me BRIEF comments and I'll add them to the article I'll write for next month's newsletter. Come on: let's hear from your advice! =================================== **** QUESTION 5: LIME & BASSWOOD? **** "I always thought Basswood and Lime were the same species: just different names for the same wood on different sides of the 'pond'. After reading some of your newsletters, it appears that they are different. Are they a different species, and how do they differ?" **** ANSWER **** Same family: Tiliaceae. Different species: 1. European 'Lime' (Tilia europaea): name from the Anglo-Saxon 'Linde' (as in Vaughan Williams' "Linden Lee"). 2. Basswood (Tilia americana) or 'American Lime' in the UK: name from the remarkably thick 'bast' or inner bark. The properties are not dissimilar. So much depends on the conditions and speed at which these trees grow. The best of Lime, in my limited experience, is not matched by the best of Basswood, but the latter is certainly fine for carving. =================================== **** QUESTION 6: KING'S HEAD CARVING? **** "What happened with that King's head carving pictured in your 'Elements of Woodcarving' book? It was a very interesting piece! Was it part of a larger carving? How about some pictures in the gallery section?" **** ANSWER **** Thanks for asking! It's a carving that I started several years ago; I needed something to work on at demonstrations or when students don't need me - so it has no home, as such, nor deadline to finish! I'm open to offers... In fact, after all this time, it IS nearly completed - perhaps a full day or two would do it - if only I had it to spare. I want to finish if only so I can start another, companion piece, the Queen - I hope I live long enough at this rate! It just shows how important deadlines and contracts with customers are to me. I doubt whether I'd have done a fraction of the work, nor picked up the speed, if I hadn't been challenged to get on and finish work quickly throughout my carving 'career'. Yes, I'll put it up in the gallery! ____________________________________________________________ 4. FOLLOW UP (with thanks to the contributors): 1) STROP PASTE 2) MAC USERS ____________________________________________________________ 1) STROP PASTE "Further to your comments on strop paste for a very fine edge on a chisel: I use liquid 'Brasso' on a piece of plate glass. Remember to clean the chisel before use!" (Laurie Walterson) "In response to the question about strop pastes: I have been using auto rubbing compound quite successfully, although I do not have the experience to compare with other materials. Being water-based, it dries on the strop and all it needs is a few drops of water to get going again." (John Holden) 2) MAC USERS & WEBSITE eBOOKs "I have found that Mac users can receive the ebook format if they have Operating System 9 and if their printer will accept it - there is a list of printers which will not accept the format. Sadly I have only System 8.5 and, having changed the system once, I need to do some reading before I change the System 9. That's the news from a Mac user in Canada!" (Maure) ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ That's all for this month! Joy and success in your carving! Chris Pye ------------------------- PS: Another one to ponder at the bench: "It's a great thing when you realise that you still have the ability to surprise yourself." - American Beauty SOME WEBSITE BOOKMARKS ____________________________________________________________ -----------------WOODCARVING TOOLS * UK TOOLSHOP: Auriou woodcarving tools and other equipment http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/toolshop/ts_uktoolshop.html * UKTOOLSHOP Direct Link (missing out introductory page): http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/toolshop/uktoolshop/index.html -----------------WOODCARVING MANUALS * Learning to Carve - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/learncarving/learn_ebook.html * A Guide to Safe Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/safecarving/safecarving_index.html * Mistakes and Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/mistakes/mistakes_ebook.html * Fundamentals of Woodcarving - Free eBook http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/fundamentals/fundamentals_ebook.html -----------------TEACHING DATES * USA (CENTER FOR FURNITURE CRAFTSMANSHIP, MAINE) June 23 - 27 Ornamental Carving June 30 - July 4 Relief Carving July 7 - 11 Carving Tutorial Full details here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/tuition/t_classesUSA.html * CANADA (ROSEWOOD STUDIO, ALMONTE, ONTARIO) Sep 15 - Sep 19 The Outcome of the Tool: Sep 22 - Sep 26 Relief Carving Full details here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/tuition/t_classesCAN.html Here's a link to view Rosewood's latest newsletter: http://www.rosewoodstudio.com/woodworking_newsl/woodworking_newsl.htm Inquiries, please call toll free 1-866-704-7778. * UK (1-TO-1 PERSONAL TUITION) Full details here: http://www.chrispye-woodcarving.com/tuition/t_custom.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Copyright (c) Chris Pye 2003 Chris@chrispye-woodcarving.com