Doug Duffield
02-08-2010, 4:56 PM
I know I don't post a lot here, but I'm still learning and don't know enough to be of much help to others. I carved this Celtic Cross for a volunteer at the mission where I work. The wood is Bradford pear from a tree that was planted in her honor. Three years ago a wind storm blew the tree down, but I was able to save about 3 feet of stump. I slabbed the wood and it is now dry. Boy is that stuff hard! I learned how to sharpen the chisels on this project.
With the exception of cutting the basic shape on the bandsaw and cutting in the openings inside the circle, everything was cut with chisels. Ok, so I lied - three small areas at the head and arms were cleared out with a hand made skew. I also learned how to run a chisel with a mallet - or at least what passes for a mallet - hand built.
The cross was not sanded, as the finish left by the chisels was glass smooth. The finish was a mixture of stains and Watco natural Danish. So much can be done with these tools - I'm looking forward to the panel project.
Thanks for looking ...
With the exception of cutting the basic shape on the bandsaw and cutting in the openings inside the circle, everything was cut with chisels. Ok, so I lied - three small areas at the head and arms were cleared out with a hand made skew. I also learned how to run a chisel with a mallet - or at least what passes for a mallet - hand built.
The cross was not sanded, as the finish left by the chisels was glass smooth. The finish was a mixture of stains and Watco natural Danish. So much can be done with these tools - I'm looking forward to the panel project.
Thanks for looking ...