Why is wood carving so popular around the world? Because one day you can dare, take a penny knife into the hands, cut out the figure from the branch - and you are already a carcass on a tree. Of course, in order to become an experienced master, you will need to work well, but if the knife is in hand, and after several cuts of the soul of Pope - it means that it is your business.
A tree is one of the most democratic materials in the world: a lot of wood, very different, and wood carving as a passion does not require significant financial investments in the first stages. In addition, wood is warm, beautiful material with a graphic surface rich in texture and a wide color palette. After grinding and finishes, very spectacular products are obtained that are not ashamed to give friends and acquaintances. After working out a good experience, you can cut products for sale and even turn the hobby into a profession or business.
In this series, we offer you the chapter from the book of Oleg Smirnov "Tree carving. From a spoon to sculpture "released by the publishing house" AST ". The book is built as a practical guidance on the basis of master classes of varying degrees of complexity and will serve as a useful guide to the beautiful world of wood thread.
Homemade tools
Often you have to hear from newbies: "Ah, I would have a good tool, and then ...!". Alas, this is an excuse. You can start cutting with a peer knife and gradually increase your toolkit. For Americans, for example, there is a whole direction in wood carving - Whitling (Wheatling, cutting figures from a tree with one knife). Let's see which of the tools can be made independently at home.Rubber knives
Source metal - old hazardous razors, metal sheets for mehpil, cutting discs. If a blank of a small size, then cut the form on a sharpening machine. From large blanks, the initial shape can be cut through the bormer with mini-cutting discs or grinder with cutting discs for metal.
The photo below is a few of my homemade cutters. Source materials: Old file, tap, disk mill, broken chisel. The handle of my favorite mini-knife is injected with a decorative insert from the Mammoth's beavna.
Important : Do not forget to continuously cool the metal during cutting.
The handle can be made of two wooden planks, cutting the groove under the shank blade and putting it on epoxy glue. Second version: Drill the seat hole under the shank in the handle, and then pour the epoxy assembly.
Chisels
Flat chisels can be made from any suitable quality metal strip. For example, from the old thin file or from the Nadfil of Soviet production. I made my first semicircular mini-chisel, crawling on the eatter for metal.The tap on the working surface there are three semicircular grooves: two of them are stepping, one leave, and a good profile turns out.
About handles
Cutters are joking: if the blade for the tree, then the handle for yourself is a loved one. Make or customize the handles of knives and the chisels for yourself. Many masters decorate handle threads to work nice. Wrapped with lacquer or oil handles, or not to cover, opinions diverge - this is a matter of taste and convenience in work. It is not bad in the hand of undetented and stabbed handles.
For example, the Swedish knife Frost №120 initially did not fit. Later, I crushed the handle, burned with a gas burner, stamped the charred layer and impregnated with flaxseed oil. The burned handles acquire a velvety texture and do not make a hand.
Bat bag
Bag-clutch ("twist") can be sewed from tarpaulin, leather or other dense material.
Such a roller is indispensable for storage and transportation (carrying) chisels, knives and other auxiliary tools.
Genuine leather
I recommend to make a "eternal" image of genuine leather (see photo above). Such a kiyanka will serve you for decades and remain children and grandchildren. Make a monolithic handle from ash, thick leather discs. Put on the handle, like on the skewer, proof with each other and tightly press the entire "sandwich" to the handle through a large puck with a powerful screw. The leather bore is slightly on the cone, so the image can knock on the chisel's handle with any grip. It turned out a powerful, weighty kiyanka; When attacking does not bounce - the bore is good "sticks out" to the chisel. The skin does not break the handles of the chisels, and the sinus itself is not broken. Conventional monolithic ingots made by turning out of solid wood, over time, are omitted and losing their qualities.
Alone, you can make a lot of other necessary tools and equipment: stationary table workbench, sculptural workbench, finishing for finishing and polishing blades, apron, grinding snap for wood, etc.
This is the economy of budget, and the involvement in the process, because the manufacture of a homemade tool is also fascinating creativity. Throughout the book, I will acquaint you with various homemade tools and snap.
