Official Luthiers Forum!

OK. Big expensive tools necessary here. One 'V" palm tool with a slight bend in shank is what I prefer.. Cost: $7.50-$12.00. Any woodcarving tool supply has them. Don't buy the cheapest tool on the page. Buy one presharpened (if possible) so you know what it's supposed to feel like. Then...Learn how to sharpen a "V" tool. It's tricky. Learn how to use this tool to make even line and depth cuts. As you see with the 3 rd. photo I use the meat of the hand to stabilize the tool on the surface. It also controls the angle of the blade to the wood and allows consistent pressure by rotating the wrist and pivoting the hand on the surface. Make sense? Practice makes perfect. There are different V shapes with varied degree angles of the V. I use (see photo) a med. V angle. Good for lots of types of carving.
A piece of birch plywood is a good test wood for practicing. It has a med. hardwood feel and will let you know (via cut through first veneer) when your cut is too deep.
Good luck with the Harp project.
Kent Bailey

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Wood Creations by Kent A. Bailey
EXCELLENCE IN SCULPTURE, CARVING, LUTHIER, ARCHITECTURAL MILLWORK AND DESIGN

http://www.kabart.com

Very slick Kent. In photo #1 it looks like you are doing a draw stroked, is this your usual technique or do you combine it with a push as well? With metal work I've seen more of the push stroke but with a shorter tang on the tool so it just sticks out of the hand when gripped in the palm. Also, do you try to do each cut in one pass or do a light alignment cut first followed by the refinement cuts?

Last of all, do you think Alan has enough questions and do you think he will ever shut up?

Alan D.

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What ever works is the ticket.

However on the other hand....

Me very much prefer the large V or parting tool and using the other hand as well...that wood make two hands doing the work on a push away from the body with the right hand ~ and a break with the left and not pointing a blade at your body....which I feel offers a greater control and to be safer.








Even when using a small palm V parter, I still use the right for the push or cut and one finger of the left for control.







But ya know...what ever works...do it!


The one handed wrist control method that Kent has mastered just don't seem to allow me the flexability of producing long gracfull curves that a two handed, wrist, arm shoulder and body moving, dancing with the chisel affords.

So there you go dudes...two ways to feed the cat...of course there is the dremel to which me say


blessings
the
Padma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Padma, you are a creative genius.

Thanks all for the tool concepts.

Mike

Mike, please, not of these things be speaking.
Lock up dudes like me they do.
Then what?



blessings
the
Padma

_________________
.

Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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