Guidance, grain and me...advice

Aloha sprites and nymphs,

Having my first project come out gangbusters, without doing any study or research-will post pix later, I am am having a crisis of technique.

My current project is a protype of our first (!) house mug. I've got the design sketched, and because it is small, I went and got knives and book and stuff. After reading proper techniques, and spending alot of dough, I'm not happy.

Evidently, you can't carve WITH the grain. You carve across the grain. And without my beloved chisels and mallet it is taking FOREVER to get down to work area. And I'm really not digging using the roughout knive at all. I also got a 11 piece FlexAll interchangable chisel set. I'm finding the hand thing isn't working for me, either.

This mug is 4" wide and 4.5" tall. I'm working in basswood, while my first project was oak. I've resorted to my mallet to roughout the shape, but am not looking forward to the fine work, because I'm not confortable with the techniques put forth by the FlexAll booklet and How to Carve Wood by Richard Butz. Should I stay with what I'm comfortable with? Should I stick with bigger stuff? Should I quit whining and learn 'the right way?'

help me. please. tim nothavingfun

Get the flexshaft recriprocating handpiece. It acks like a little jackhammer and moves wood only you apply pressure to the edge of the chisel. IDEAL For small stuff . You hold the tool in one hand and the mug in another. Way much easier. Way much Faster Way Less tireing.
WayWayWay more fun..Hear that?/FUN??
Happyhappyhappy

I Forgot with this recripricating handpieceyou can..get this now..Go With the grain,,go against the grain...go across the grain...

Yup, Bens right (as he always is - we love you ben!)

If you have a dremel lying around the house you can use that too, with the carving bits and grinding bits.

FUN that's what it's all about. If it ain't FUN don't do it.

have FUN

Thanks for using the fun word, you guys; and for the good advice. I got so much enjoyment out of the first one I did, I was wondering wha' hoppen. I had a dremel, then got a wizard, much happier thanks; but don't really like the 'feel' or result as much as the chisel/ mallet thing. I had to use it on my sign

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=10547&forum=2&start=15&25

for the smaller lettering. I will definately pick up the flexshaft Ben speaks of. Is it a FlexAll product? for use with the teeny chisels I just got? Thanks for the moral support guys, sun is over the yardarm, time for some other fun...Tim

The other issue may be the wood. My first projects were done in hard woods and I had a blast working with the chisels. I later tried "practicing" with basswood and was very disappointed. Basswood is so soft that I found razor-sharp knives worked better than chisels or rotary tools. Stay sharp and post pictures!!

I Really Love that sign, especially the way you left the outline jagged and un-finished, Beautiful. The overall finish was very rich too.
When you speak of "Flexall" are you meaning Flexcut? They produce a Great line of chisels that can be used by hand with an adapter OR in a recriprocating tool.
If you are going to be doing signs then you want to find a few Spoon gouges. Flexcut makes some but not very small. You may find the "Scorps" to work well also bor cleaning out the bottom of the sign.
http://www.flexcut.com/shop/customer/home.php?cat=322
Keep up the good work and lets see some pic's?
Oh Yes, and AlohaStation is Right on about the basswood. If you want a dissapointing time, try basswood. For some applications it is Very good like if you carve ducks and are going to do a lot of burning in of detail and then Paint the piece, but to keep it natural is very difficult.

[ Edited by: Benzart on 2005-02-18 10:20 ]