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Mike Henderson
05-01-2008, 4:11 PM
Someone asked me for some information on carving tools and I put together this write-up. I'm posting it here in hope that it will be of benefit to new carvers.

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There are two systems for describing carving tools – the Swiss system and the Sheffield system. In both systems, two numbers are used to describe a carving tool. The first number is the sweep of the tool, meaning the curvature. The second number is the width of the tool. In the Sheffield system the width is in the English measurement system (such as 1/2") while in the Swiss system, the width is in mm.

In my opinion, the Swiss system is the dominate system in the literature. Most modern articles on carving give the tool descriptions in the Swiss system - at least the ones I see.

In both systems, a #1 tool is a flat tool, similar to a regular woodworking chisel, but with a double bevel edge (see the first picture which shows a #1 from the side). The reason for the double bevel is that carving tools are used like lathe tools – that is, you ride the bevel when using the tool in order to control the cut. I almost never use a #1 because when carving, you want the outside edges of the tool to be above the wood. So if I want to make a surface flat, I'll usually use a #2 (Swiss system). If you find you need a #1, you can use your standard woodworking chisels with the bevel down.

In the Sheffield system, #2 tools are flat skews. In the Swiss system, skew chisels are designated with an “S”, such as #1S, and #2 tools are the first tools with a curve to the cutting edge. In the Sheffield system, the first curved tools are #3.

This can cause you problems when buying tools. English made carving tools, such as Sorby, Henry Taylor, and Ashley Iles, still use the Sheffield system, while tools made on the continent, such as Pfeil (Swiss Made), Two Cherries, and other German and Swiss made tools, use the Swiss system.

I use the Swiss system for my carving tools but I own a few tools that are marked according to the Sheffield system. I hold the Sheffield tool up to my Swiss marked tools and determine which sweep it is most like and then write on the handle the equivalent Swiss marking. For example, I have a Henry Taylor gouge marked as a #3. Since this is the first curved gouge in the Sheffield system, it is equivalent to a #2 Swiss system gouge and that’s what I’ve marked it as (see the second picture - you can clearly see the #3 on the blade and my markings on the handle).

I take a metric rule and measure the width of the Sheffield gouge and use that measurement as the second number in my re-marking of the gouge.

For those people who are metric phobic, don’t think about that second number as mm – just think of it as a descriptive number that represents the width, just like the first number represents the sweep (curve) of the gouge. If a #2/5 gouge is too narrow, grab a #2/10 gouge and don’t even think about what that all means.

In the Swiss system, the gouges with sweep run from #2 to #9, but there are essentially no #4 or #6 sweep gouges. In the Sheffield system, the gouges with sweep run from #3 to #10 and there are gouges at all numbers. All of these gouges are arcs of a circle (see the third picture which shows a #9 gouge "head on"). That is, if you were to draw a circle of the right diameter, you could lay one of these gouges on it and it would match the circle. Of course, every gouge would require a different diameter circle. A #3/5 will match a different circle than a #3/25 gouge (for example).

When you have a circle to carve, all you can do is keep trying gouges until you find one that comes close to matching the circle you want.

When using a gouge, you never want the corners of the gouge to get under the wood or the wood will split on you. But what if you want to carve a deep channel? Well, there are special gouges for that called veiners. These gouges are #11 in both systems and are shaped like a “U” instead of the arc of a circle (see the fourth picture). A veiner allows you to go deeper while still keeping the ends of the gouge above the surface of the wood.

The other required tool is a V tool. As its name suggests, this tool is shaped like the letter “V” and it’s used to cut along lines and to outline carved elements. There are a variety of different included angles in the V tool, but the most commonly used V tool is a 60 degree tool. Other included angles are 45 and 90 degrees. V tools also come in different widths and different carvers have their own preferences. I like a 6 mm as a general purpose V tool. The 60 degree V tool is a #12 in the Swiss system and a #39 in the Sheffield system. See the fifth picture which shows a #12/10 V tool "head on".

The above description of carving tools will get you started. There’s a number of what I’ll call “specials”, such as fishtail, backbent, frontbent, and others - there’s even one called “macaroni”. I won’t discuss these tools because you don’t really need them when you’re beginning.

Which tools are the best?

From the point of view of the steel, essentially all modern “name brand” carving tools are about the same. The major difference is the handle. You should try to handle different tools and decide which ones fit your hand the best.

It’s difficult to mix brands of carving tools because the sweeps of different manufacturers are different, even if they use the same system. A Sorby #5 will likely be a slightly different sweep than an Ashley Iles #5 of the same width, even though they both use the Sheffield system.

So once you find the tools you like, you should stick to that brand.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please post here and I'll try to answer them.

Mike

Jacob Reverb
05-01-2008, 5:43 PM
Nice, informative writeup, Mike. Thanks for taking the time/trouble to do it.

I'm a new carver, and this information was real enlightening to me.

Dave McGeehan
05-01-2008, 5:45 PM
Terrific post, Mike, for both beginner and experienced carvers. I've never seen any info in the tool catalogs explaining the difference between the Swiss numbering system and the Sheffield numbering system.

Dave

Mike Henderson
05-01-2008, 6:15 PM
One other thing I always tell my students - put your initials on the handles of your carving tools.

Sooner or later you're going to be working with other carvers - either on a project or taking a class. Now, all of you can be as honest as anyone can be. But there's a tool laying somewhere and no one knows who it belongs to. And maybe the person who it belongs to doesn't remember if they had that tool and they're afraid to claim it. Or someone else thinks they had one of those and claims it.

As you get better at carving, you'll sharpen your tools a certain way - the way you like them. So now, you're in class and you're working with someone else and you take his/her tool and s/he takes yours. Next time you go to use that tool, both of you are going to be dissatisfied with the way it's cutting and you'll resharpen. So both of you will waste steel length and time.

Put your initials on the handle - I use a black marking pen - and you won't run into those problems.

Mike

Dennis Peacock
05-01-2008, 7:27 PM
Thanks Mike....very nice of you to do this....even for someone like me just trying to figure out which end of those tools to hang on to. ;)

Jim Kountz
04-20-2009, 9:05 PM
Mike thanks for this it clears some things up for me. I still have a couple of questions about bent back and V tools. The v tools I still dont understand what the numbers mean. Im doing a fan carving as per your tutorial and am not sure if I have the right one. I have a D16/8. Its kinda fat and short being a "D" sized tool.
Next is the bentback gouge. Am I right in that the lower the first number the "flatter" the sweep just like the regular gouges? I have a 28/6. Would a 20/6 for example be flatter?
Finally to match the 1 1/2 diameter hub on these fans what gouge matches that best? Its the same 3/4" radius you show in your tutorial.

Thanks Mike!!

Mike Henderson
04-20-2009, 9:50 PM
Jim - I made notes within your question. Note that all the tool numbers given are Pfeil (Swiss) numbering, not Sheffield numbering. I don't know the Sheffield system well enough to give you equivalent tools in that system.


Mike thanks for this it clears some things up for me. I still have a couple of questions about bent back and V tools. The v tools I still dont understand what the numbers mean. Im doing a fan carving as per your tutorial and am not sure if I have the right one. I have a D16/8. Its kinda fat and short being a "D" sized tool.
"V" tools come in different angles between the two wings. The "standard" V tool is the 60* one which is the 12 in the Pfeil system. So a 12/6 would be a V tool, with a 60* angle between the two sides, and 6mm between the top of the two wings. The 13's are 90* between the wings, the 14's are 55* with a rounded bottom (specialized tool), the 15's are 45*, and the 16's are 35*. The "D" before your first number just means the tool is shorter than "normal" (some people like short carving tools, gives them better control). So one problem you have is the #16 V-tool - it's too flat. Get yourself a #12, and I'd recommend the 12/6. If you like the short tools, get a D12/6.

Next is the bentback gouge. Am I right in that the lower the first number the "flatter" the sweep just like the regular gouges? I have a 28/6. Would a 20/6 for example be flatter?
The bentbacks are the #25 and the #28. The 25 has less sweep than the 28. There's no #20 bentback, just the #25 and the #28. But you should be able to carve that fan without a bentback. I just use regular tools to carve it - no bentbacks. (correction - I found both #20 and #30 bentback gouges at Woodcraft. Can't say for sure how their sweep compares to the 25 and 28.)

Finally to match the 1 1/2 diameter hub on these fans what gouge matches that best? Its the same 3/4" radius you show in your tutorial.
I used a 7/25 to cut downward around the hub. Its sweep matches the radius fairly close. There may be other gouges which would match the radius but I can't tell you which they might be without going and trying a bunch.

Thanks Mike!!

Jim Kountz
04-20-2009, 10:01 PM
Ok I think Im getting it all now. I did however find at Woodcraft #20 series bent back gouges. They have them on their website. Would I be correct in assuming then that it would have less sweep than a 25 or 28 following the rest of their system?
Thanks for the info, this will help immensly!!

Mike Henderson
04-20-2009, 10:06 PM
You're right, Jim. I went to the Woodcraft site and found the #20's and also the #30's in bentback. I can't tell you for sure (since I didn't even know about them) but my guess is the same as yours - the 20's have less sweep and the 30's have more. If you have to order by Internet, send a message to check before you order - just so you make sure you get what you want.

I'm going to edit my previous post.

Mike

Jim Kountz
04-20-2009, 10:10 PM
Thats good advice. I think even better advice is to forego the bent backs altogether. So in doing that, what sizes do you find useful in shaping the rays. Rounding them over?

Mike Henderson
04-20-2009, 10:35 PM
Thats good advice. I think even better advice is to forego the bent backs altogether. So in doing that, what sizes do you find useful in shaping the rays. Rounding them over?

Since I sand the flutes, I don't need to have a gouge that matches the curve. I used a 2/8 to do the part close to the hub and a 2/25 to do the part on the outside. But other gouges would work. I think a fairly flat gouge works best.

Note the grain direction and make your cuts so that you don't cut into the grain - or you'll chip out the material. On difficult parts, cut from the top downward and you know you'll be okay as far as the grain is concerned.

The gouges will leave marks which you can sand off easily to make the flutes look smooth and even. Sandpaper is just another carving tool which should be used with the same discretion and care as you use any other carving tool.

Mike