While trying to resolve the issues with the door trim ( see other post) I started on a pair of relief panels going to the same job.
The panels are 19" X 32" in basswood. There is a rabbeted lip around the edge that will allow them to sit in recesses cut into their woodwork. There are some areas of the carving that will extend beyond the frame of the carving and these will be added separately then carved in. It just facilitated making the panels much easier.
Once the panels were done ( thicker than the perimeter frame) I simply routed out the waste material prior to carving. The center large leaf will have to be much fuller than the rest of the carving so a section will be added here as well. Here too this was done for speed and ease of carving.
When doing panels this large and only carving the face it's pretty much a given they will warp. And these did as I was removing the waste with the router. They lifted nearly 1/4" on each edge. Not good!
To remedy this I just cut slots spaced 1" apart al across the back of the panels lengthwise with the grain. As I was making the cuts on my table saw the panels went completely flat just that quickly!
Here you can see the design suspended for viewing as I carve the panel fastened to a hydraulic swivel vise.
The pattern itself. One of the 2 routered out. And an upper quarter of the design getting carved.
These now are on the back burner as the door panel moldings are needed first and I now have an approved sample to finish that part of the job .
Reply With Quote
Please help support the Creek.