Carving Tools
A basic carving tool set comprises of:
A carving knife:
Specialized knife used for paring, cutting and smoothing wood.
A gouge:
a special tool having a curved cutting edge. They are used in various forms and sizes for carving hollows, rounds and sweeping curves.
A chisel:
they are available in large and small sizes. The straight cutting edge of a chisel is used to form lines and clean up flat surfaces.
A V-tool:
a V-tool is used for parting and at times used to emphasize lines.
A veiner:
it is a specialized deep gouge tool with a U shaped cutting edge.
A special kind of screw used to fix the work to the workbench and a mallet comprise the whole carvers kit.
Wood Burning:
Wood burning or pyrography is the art of decorating wood and other materials with burn marks. The marks are made by controlled application of a heated object like a poker. Wood burning is also known as pokerwork. The process of wood burning has been practiced by people of many cultures including Egyptians and a few African tribes. Wood burning is a traditional folk art of many countries of Europe. Some of the countries practicing wood burning are Romania, Hungary and the South American country of Argentina. The term “Pyrography” means to write with fire. Traditional methods of wood burning use heated tips or wires to burn or scorch designs on to wood. Wood burning can also be done using solid-point tools or hot wire tools.
Wood Working:
Wood working was first done by the Egyptians and the Chinese. Woodworking has also been depicted in many Egyptian paintings. Woodworking is dependent on the sharp edges of the cutting tools to give a satisfactory finish. Maintaining the sharpness of these tools is an important aspect of woodworking.
Choosing the Wood for Woodcraft:
Choosing the proper kind of wood in woodcrafts is very necessary. The nature and texture of the wood dictates the scope of the craftsman. Wood is an anisotropic material, that is, it is not equally strong in all directions. The direction o the wood which is strongest is known as grain. It is recommended that the delicate parts of a design are arranged along the grain instead of across it. The slender part of stalks or leaf-points should not be far removed from their surroundings. Many damaged pieces of work are evidence of the failure to adhere to these primary rules. The best kind of wood is oak. It is durable and tough without being too hard. Chestnut, American walnut, mahogany and teak wood are also good for working upon. For fine work, Italian walnut, sycamore maple, apple, pear and plum wood is usually chosen. Pine wood is used for making items that are not too delicate and don't have to be painted.
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