Carved Flower Tutorial

[Mike Henderson]

Not bad at all for first tries. For the center, if you have problems doming it with the carving tools, use some coarse sandpaper to dome it.

And if you have problems cutting the grooves on the dome, use a small nail set and make a bunch of holes in the dome. It actually looks more like a flower than the grooves, but the grooves are faster.

Congratulations!

Mike

[Cody Colston]

Mike,

I've read that one should never sand a carving until finished with the carving part as the sandpaper grit will lodge in the wood pores and dull the carving tools quickly. I do it anyway and just blow the piece off well with compressed air before resuming carving after sanding. I haven't really noticed any premature dulling of my tools but then, I'm not that much "in tune" with them yet.

What are your thoughts on the issue?

[Mike Henderson]

Yeah, I've read the same thing. But when you think you've finished the carving - and maybe sanded a few parts - then decide you want to change the look, you just go ahead and carve. If the tools dull, you just sharpen them.

But I never noticed that my tools dulled really fast if I carved after sanding. I think it's more of a theoretical thing.

Mike

[Dewald van Lamp]

This is a great thread.

I have just acquired a 2nd hand carving set of chisels and I'm going to try them out once I've sharpened them. These are Marples, so prolly not the best there is, but it's what I've got...

Thank you...

[Bill Whig]

This isn't the first time I browsed this thread, but I understand it better each time I visit it. I've just about finished reading Paul Hasluck's old book on carving and I'm getting more serious about getting some carving tools. I think I learned much of the Swiss system of measuring sweep this weekend, and now I find out there's a Sheffield system too! Gosh! Thank you --to Mike Henderson and everyone else who helped made this lesson educational and interesting!

I think I would like to build a decorated coffee table ("architectural relief-carving"?). That's probably a tall order, but it gives me something to think about! : ) I have found thinking about trying to "fill space with wood and space" in an artistic manner to be more intriguing than I might have expected.

1.5 years later, this thread is still teaching! Thanks!

Bill (in Indianapolis)

[randall rosenthal]

the first sentence should be put in bold letters across the top of the page. thats what its all about.

[Nick Stokes]

I realize this post is 6 years old... but it has good info in it. Recently picked up a set of pfeil chisels. This was the first link I found of a tutorial. So I carved this flower, using these directions. I carved it in a scrap piece of cherry. I don't want to carve basswood, I want to learn to do it in furniture woods, because that's what I would eventually carve anyway...

Great tutorial. I was able to get this in my first attempt. Far from perfect, but easy enough for a beginner. Thanks Mike.

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[Craig Hoehn]

Thanks for the tutorial! Just picked up a set of chisels and this was my first piece
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[Nick Stokes]

Thanks for the tutorial! Just picked up a set of chisels and this was my first piece
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Wow, that is very impressive. Good job Craig.