Carving, a video.

[Kees Heiden]

The project I am working on, a chest for the bathroom in typical English country 17th century style, is moving along nicely. I am finished with all the carving work and while working on the last panel I decided to shoot some video of the proces. Not because I am such a terrific carver, more in the line of "If I can do it, everybody can". Tonight I linked them all together in Windows Photo editor and uploaded it to Youtube.

I hope you like it. You might get a bit nervous from the ever repeating Vivaldi fragment, but that was for free, so, deal with it. You can always turn down the volume.


https://youtu.be/rYQjToZ6Vc8

[Warren Mickley]

Looks good, Kees. It is nice to see some ornament. Also nice to see a post that is not gimmicks and gadgets. I did see something blue around the two minute mark; was that the dreaded blue tape?

[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks for the video Kees. What an instructional primer for a "non carver" like myself. How long have you been doing this type of work?

[James Pallas]

Looks great Kees. Some good joke about "everyone can do it". I'm surly not an everyone like you. Looking forward to the finished piece.
Jim

[John Kananis]

Looking good, Kees. As Jim said, looking forward to final product.

[Simon MacGowen]

a labor of love.

could you list out what tools (type & size) you used?

Simon

[Mel Fulks]

Thanks for posting, and it's nice to see it at true speed. Please show us more of that project .

[Kees Heiden]

Thanks everyone! It really is not as difficult asit might seem. Like always, break it down in small managable steps and it'll go. It doesn't need to be absolutely perfect, irregularities just add to the liveliness of the piece.

To answer the questions:

No Warren, that's no bleu tape :D. It's just a piece of paper.

David, this is my third project with carving like this, apart from some practice pieces. Even the first one, a "bible"box, didn't look too bad.

Simon, I'll add a list of sweeps and sizes later.

Mel, I have posted on and off about this project, but because I am such a lazy sod who is easilly distracted, it's been a while ago. Here is an old link:
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?265287-Another-work-in-progress&highlight=bathroom

[Kees Heiden]

Here are the tools I used. I do have a complete set, bought from a school who sold off several sets, so I probably used more gouges, but I think this is kind of the essential set. The #4's I use for background removal, a somewhat flatter profile could be usefull too. I have them sharpened with a fingernail profile so the corners do not dig into the other features. The #6's en #7's are for the various shaped and contours. Maybe 1 or 2 #8's might be usefull. The V-tool is essential too of course. All sweeps are German, who use a slightly different system from the Brits.

388913

And these are the punches. With some steel and a triangular file you can make everything you like.

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[Simon MacGowen]

Thanks!

Simon

[michael langman]

I really enjoyed your video Kees. You make it look so easy to do. I will definitely try some carving after watching you ; And will probably put on some Vivaldi as it sets the tempo very nicely.

[Simon MacGowen]

Looks good, Kees. It is nice to see some ornament. Also nice to see a post that is not gimmicks and gadgets. I did see something blue around the two minute mark; was that the dreaded blue tape?

:D:D:D

Simon

[Jim Koepke]

A wonderful and inspirational piece, thanks for posting Kees.

jtk

[Brandon Speaks]

I like the video, good example of the process and will hopefully get more people to try it.

For those looking try this out you can also start with smaller tool sets. I use a vtool a 5 and 8 sweep for most of what I do. I would swear I have a 3 somewhere but dont see it in my drawer... I would also stay with full length and avoid palm gouges, I have a bunch in a closet somewhere that I bought years ago but will likely never use again once I got the long ones.

[Kees Heiden]

Yes for sue you can do a lot with fewer tools. It is because I have a larger set, so I tend to use more of them of course.

And I agree totally on the palm gouges. I don't know what they are used for, smaller stuff I guess. Working with a mallet gives you a lot of control and I only use hand pressure for the refinements.

[Brandon Speaks]

Yes for sue you can do a lot with fewer tools. It is because I have a larger set, so I tend to use more of them of course.

And I agree totally on the palm gouges. I don't know what they are used for, smaller stuff I guess. Working with a mallet gives you a lot of control and I only use hand pressure for the refinements.

I agree, I started with a 12/8 8/10 and 5/8 and could do quite a bit but added many more since then. Mine have tended to multiply in terms of different sizes of the same sweep rather than different sweeps though. I have 5s and 8s in various sizes from 3-20.

I have done more figure carving than flat work recently but your video I think has me inspired to do some relief carving this week. I can also see a 3 in maybe around 14 coming home with me from woodcraft for background work.

[Kees Heiden]

I’d like a few 8’s too. They make better cirkels. And a tighter V-tool of 60 degrees. Now I have a small and a large 90 degree. No idea why that is usefull in a set.

3D carving is next on my wishlist but I don’t quite know how to get started. And I have no ideas yet what I want to make.

[Jim Koepke]

3D carving is next on my wishlist but I don’t quite know how to get started. And I have no ideas yet what I want to make.

As with many things in life, if one starts without knowing what they want, what they end up with will not likely be it.

jtk

[Brandon Speaks]

These were a simple project I did last fall/early Winter as Christmas gifts. The quantity of the game pieces took time but individually each is fairly easy using just a knife and a 15/3 vtool (one of the higher angle ones).

http://i65.tinypic.com/351ipaw.jpg

[Brandon Speaks]

And this was the original prototype, it was larger than the final pieces ended up being. It was my first figure carving (I had done lots of wood spirits and stuff before).

http://i68.tinypic.com/2a5yccg.jpg

I do mostly flat plane style carving now but dont have any pictures handy. It is a relatively easy style to learn.

[Kees Heiden]

Nice! And i like simple shapes like this.

[Brandon Speaks]

It is a good style to start with as the focus is on simple shapes and figure carving principles that translate well into more detailed or refined looking carvings as well. If you would like a resource to try it out Harley Refsal has good materials out there. I have toyed around with many different styles and keep coming back to flat plane carving.