Tools required for Ball and Claw Foot

[Braden Nichols]

I am planning on building a couple of tables with ball and claw feet but do not have any carving tools.
What size gouges should I look into buying? I have a limited budget.
Thanks for your help.

[Jonathan McCullough]

Over in the carving forum someone asked for info on ball and claw foot, and a carver gave a youtube link to videos he did giving step-by-step instructions. It's good, and interesting, but sort of like watching tennis--I'd rather be playing it than watching it. I think he mentions which tools he's using as he carves it, but you can otherwise get an idea of what he's using and when.

Another source that comes to mind is the Logan Cabinet Shoppe blog--I suspect that Bob has done a ball and claw foot and may have a show or a post about it.

[mike holden]

Braden,
From the class I took on carving claw and ball feet:
#5 -20, #7-10, #8-10, #25-13 (back bend), #3-12
These are all Pfeil carving tool numbers.

Mike

158137

Mine is the unfinished one, the other is Phil Lowe's

[Robert Rozaieski]

I haven't filmed a B&C for my podcast yet, but it's on the list. I've gotton several requests to do an episode on it so I may push it up and do it sooner, but I'm right in the middle of several pretty big projects right now so it won't be for a few months at least.

One of the great things about B&C carving is that you can get a very dramatic affect with very few tools. Carving simple convex/concave shells actually requires far more tools than B&C. For B&C you really only need about 5 tools, and only four of those are dedicated carving chisels.

There's really no set tools to use when it comes to carving. Every carver has their preference, so you're liklely to get several suggestions on which tools to use, and each suggestion will likely be different. Rather than worry about exact sweeps and widths, which are different from one brand to the next and one carver to the next, try to think in more relative terms about the tools.

So here's what I'd suggest for a B&C foot.

#1 - A Regular, Medium Width Bench Chisel
You can do most of the material removal on the ball and the toes with a bench chisel in the 3/8" to 5/8" range. I actually prefer to do this because the bench chisel is typically a little heavier and stiffer than a carving gouge. I use this chisel for more work on the carving than any of the following carving specific tools. Do your rough shaping of the ball and toes with this chisel and then switch to.....

#2 - A Flat Sweep, Medium Width Gouge
After rough shaping the ball, a flat gouge is great for blending the facets. You want a gouge that has roughly the same curvature as the ball so that as you approach the finished ball, the gouge transfers its shape to the ball and everything flows together. Something like a 1/2"-3/4" #3 or #4 sweep in the London system or a 12mm-18mm #2 or #3 in the Swiss system. But don't get hung up on exact sizes or sweeps, just remember flat sweep and medium width.

#3 - A Medium Sweep, Medium Width Gouge
This is used mostly for cutting in the top of the ball, forming the radius for the web (in Philly style), and shaping the toes and knuckles. This would be something like a 1/2"-5/8" #5 or #6 in the London system or a 12mm-15mm #4 or #5 in the Swiss system. Again, don't get hung up on exact sizes or sweeps, just remember medium sweep and medium width.

#4 - A Deep Sweep, Medium Width Gouge
This is for removing material around the tops of the toes and ankles. You need a deep sweep here to avoid digging the corners of the gouge into the tendons and for removing material in the recesses of the webs. This gouge can also be a spoon gouge or bent gouge, which will make it easier to negotiate the grain direction change at the transition from the top of the foot to the ankle. Something like a 3/8"-1/2" #8 or #9 in the London system or a 10mm-12mm #7 or #8 in the Swiss system. Again, exact width and sweep isn't important.

#5 - A Deep Sweep, Narrow Width Gouge or V-tool
This is for initial cutting in of element outlines and for cleaning up tight corners. Things like adding a little separation between the sides of the toes and the ball, inside corners where the web meets the ball. Something like a 1/8"-1/4" #8 or #9 in the London system or a 3-6mm #7 or #8 in the Swiss system.

As I mentioned, getting the exact sweeps and widths mentioned isn't really important. The sweeps and widths I mentioned are only to give you an idea of what I mean by flat, medium or deep sweep and medium or narrow width. A little wider or narrower is ok.

As for brand, that's really personal preference. A lot of carvers like old steel. Old tools are certainly popular judging by the prices they fetch, which are typically higher than new tools for old brands like Addis and Taylor. As for new tools, I have used Henry Taylor, Pfeil (Swiss Made) and Ashley Iles, and they are all good tools. Other brands that get good ratings are Dastra, Two Cherries, Lamp, Stubai and Hirsch (I'm sure I'm missing others as well). Just be careful that you know which system (London or Swiss) the maker uses before you buy as the sweeps are different between systems. I like to stick to the London system for my own tools, but other carvers like the Swiss and still others have a mix of both. The more you carve, the more you will realize that there is a lot of personal preference and really no hard and fast rules when it comes to your tools.

Have fun!

[Prashun Patel]

I'd also suggest some quality rasps. For smoothing and sneaking up on shapes, a good rasp is really hard to beat.

[Braden Nichols]

What type of Rasps/Files should I look into?

[Brent Smith]

Phil Lowe did a detailed Ball and Claw video for Taunton a few years back that answers all your questions. I don't know if it's available on DVD or just VHS, but it's more than worth looking into.

[george wilson]

Mike,your leg has a better shape. No flat spots in your basic curve.

[David Keller NC]

I am planning on building a couple of tables with ball and claw feet but do not have any carving tools.
What size gouges should I look into buying? I have a limited budget.
Thanks for your help.

Braden - I do a lot of these, and the tools already recommended will do the job. What I'm chiming in for is that I highly recommend that you buy a video covering this subject - Phil Lowe's "Carve a Ball and Claw Foot" is the classic, and in my opinion, still the best reference on the subject.

It's difficult to do this simply from pictures in a book (I tried when I first took up carving). I suppose that depends on the individual, but carving is peculiar in that it's much, much more difficult to "get it" from written and pictorial instructions than it is to follow a video, or in the best case, a teacher in a class.

[mike holden]

Mike,your leg has a better shape. No flat spots in your basic curve.

Thank you George,
I do try hard to make fair curves in my legs.
Mike