WOODCARVING TOOLS, AMTERIALS & EwIPMENT V O L U M E 1 WOODCARVING TOOLS, MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT V O L U M E 1 GUILD OF MASTER CRAFTSMAN PUBLICATIONS LIE F~rset d~t~paunb lished 1994 by Gudd of Master Craftsman Pubhcatrons Ltd Castle Place, 166 Hlgh Street, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1XU Reprinted 1996, 1997,2000 Thn new edrtron m two volumes ZOO2 Reprinted 2003,2007 Text Q Christopher 1. Pye 1994,2002 Q in the Work GMC Publications 2002 Principal photography by Chris Skarbon, Q GMC Publications 2002; other photography as listed on page 234 Line drawings Q Christopher 1. Pye 1994, 2002, except where otherwise stated ISBN-13 978-1-86108-201-5 (Volume 1) ISBN-10 1-86108-201-0 (Volume 1) ISBN 1-86108-202-9 (Volume 2) (ISBN 0-946819-49-1f irst edlt~on) All rights reserved The nght of Chr~sto~herP]y e to be ~dent~fieasd t he author of thu work has been asserted m accordance wlth the Copyrrght Des~gns and Patenw Act 1988, sectlons 77 and 78. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a renieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publisher and copyright owner Whllst every effort has been made to obta~npe rmusron from the copyright holders for all matenal used m th~hso ok, the publuhen will be pleased to hear from anyone who has not been appropr~ately acknowledged, and to make the colrectlon m fume reprints The publishers and author can accept no legal responsibility for any consequences arising from the application of information, advice or instructions given in this publication. A catalogue record far th~hso ok IS ava~lablefr om the Bnt~shL ~brary Edlted by Stephen Haynes Desxgned by Ian Hunt Deslgn Cover des~gnb y Danny McBr~de Cover photograph by Anthony Badey, Q GMC Puhl~cat~on20s 02 Set m Gaudy and Tralan Colour ar~g~nauabyn V~scanG raphla (Smgapore) Prrnted and bound by Kyodo Printing (Smgapore) For Master Woodcarwer CONTENTS OF VOLUME 1 Health and safety x 3 HANDLES Foreword to the first edition xii AIMS Foreword to the new edition xiii Overview Acknowledgements xiv Improving bought handles Shapes and identification Woods INTRODUCTION Ferrules Making handles Fitting handles PART I: UNDERSTANDING Removing handles WOODCARVING TOOLS Finish Name punches CARVING-TOOL FAULTS AND THEIR * 1 TYPES OF WOODCARVING TOOL CORRECTION - d AIMS AIMS 73 Finding your way around Blades 74 The Sheffield List Shoulders 77 Numerical description Tangs 78 How useful is the Sheffield List? Handles 79 Using the numbering systems The parts of a woodcarving tool SELECTING AND BUYING WOODCARVING TOOLS P 2 BLADES AIMS 80 I' AIMS Shape and function 80 Quality of steel Straight chisels 81 The different shapes and their uses Straight skew chisels 82 A Cross section Shortbent chisels 83 Longitudinal section Shortbent comer chisels 83 8 Width Splayed chisels 84 Length V-tools 84 Summary Straight gouges 85 Shoulders Splayed gouges 88 Function Longbent gouges 88 Shoulderless tools Shortbent gouges 89 Correct shape Backbent gouges 89 Tangs Selecting and ordering 90 9 Function Making the choice 90 Types Selecting the tools 91 Correct shape A suggested starting kit 92 93 Function 93 The set of the bevel Sharpness versus strength Bevel angle 97 Flatness 97 Inner and outer bevels 99 Differences in cutting profile 101 The cutting edge 102 Squareness 104 Straightness Comers Even thickness 106 The heel 107 In brief 107 The secret of success 107 Summary 109 11 0 10 EQUIPMENT: GRINDERS 110 AIMS 111 Overview 113 Bench grinders Types Speed and fnct~on PART 11: SHARPENING Belt grinders WOODCARVING TOOLS Summary Maklng a low-speed grinder AIMSO F PARTI 1 116 Safety and care of grinders 1 8 WHY CARVING TOOLS MUST BE SHARP 11 EQUIPMENT: OILSTONES AND STROPS I AIMS 120 AIMS Effort 122 Benchstones Control 124 Artificial stones Appearance 124 Care of oilstones Safety 125 Natural o~lstones Enjoyment 126 Sl~pstones Types 9 PRINCIPLES OF SHARPENING Altering the shape AIMS 127 Care Fundamentals 127 Strops Bevels and cutting angles Makrng a benchstrop v11 Care Slipstrops Setting up Summary Using waterstones Pros and cons of waterstones 12 THE PROCESS OF SHARPENING Dlamond stones Types of dlamond stone Shaping and sharpening D~amonds lrpstones Cutting profiles Which stones to use Basic procedures Care and maintenance Grinding Sett~ngup Stoning (honing) Usrng dlamond stones Slipstoning Pros and cons of d~amonds tones Stropping Ceramic stones Slipstropping Types of ceramic stone Individual tools in detail Ceramic slipstones Flat chisels Which stones to use Skew chisels Care and maintenance V-tools Using ceramic stones Bent chisels Pros and cons of ceramic stones Gouges U-shaped gouges 14 ELECTRICAL SHARPENING METHODS Longbent and shortbent gouges AIMS Backbent gouges Sharpening machines Tapered tools Safety note Testing for sharpness Principles of power honing Maintaining sharpness Speed and its hazards Stropping Wheel shape and size Carving technique Direction of rotation Storage and care Hard and soft wheels Effect of the wood belng carved Types of honing wheel Pre-sharpened tools Abrasive 'soap' blocks The sharpen~nga rea Other considerations Summary How to use a power sharpener Achieving the correct shape 13 ALTERNATIVE SHARPENING STONES Summary AIMS 212 Waterstones 212 Metric conversion table Types of waterstone 213 Photographic credits Water slipstones 213 About the author A starter kit 214 Index OUTLIN VOLUME 2 I I: THE WORKSHOP AND 5 THE WORKPLACE ' QUIPMENT Features of a CCESSORY TOOLS PART 11: PREPARING TO CARYE llets Abrading tools Carpentry toc ecialized carving tools Punches 6 UNDERSTANDING WOOD ' WER TOOLS AND MACHINERY Growth of a tree Conversion and seasoning neral workshop tools and machines Choice of wood Sources Glu~ngu p . rtable power carving tools 7 FINISHES ODIFYING TOOLS Reasons for finishing Some simple finishes asic procedures Hardening, tempering and Using colour nnealing Some examples of modifying tools - 8 RESEARCH AND DESIGN BOLDING. DEVICES Drawing and sketching Clay rnodell~ni 'workbenches Clamps, vices and carvers' screws A GLOSSARY OF WOODCARVZNG TERMS MEASUREMENTS Although care has been taken to ensure that the metric measurements are m e a nd accurate, they are only conversions from imperial; they have been rounded up or down to the nearest whole millimetre, or to the nearest convenient equivalent in cases where the imperial measurements themselves are