Tackling bigger carvings

[chagorhan]

Hi everyone. I got a Harley Refsal book and wanted to try a “big” flat plane carving, but am very intimidated. Besides the one cut at a time, how do other people tackle 6-8” carvings.

for reference I’ve only ever did little 2-3 inch guys as seem in other posts, or the 5minute wizard

Gord

[Tom Ellis]

Gord, Just make your chips twice as big as the three inch guys.

[Brian T]

Question: have the flat planes expanded in proportion to the increase in carving size?

This time, I think you should figure out a way to tie the carving down. With the forces involved, not a hand-held project. Mallet? 1" chisels? 1/2" pair of skews? Possibly a 2/30 gouge?

Buy a roll of that non-skid kitchen cupboard liner stuff. Sort of a foam rubber mesh. I've always got a piece under every carving I'm doing. It loses its "stick" with wood dust but washes up just fine with fresh soapy kitchen dish-washing suds.

Rig up some kind of padding to use with a really big 'C' clamp.

[Nebraska]

Congratulations for choosing to tackle a different challenge.

First recommendation is to use a carving vise it has lots of advantages. I’m partial to Wilton pow-r-arms. But there are lots of options.
52E4F372-6046-451C-95A5-35B1DF4292D6.jpeg

More to your question I carve from photo or sketches the are scaled to the size of the carving I’m doing. These become my reference material. If you print them on a transparency you can hold it to the wood to mark where to cut next. Also using calipers you can take measurements from the photo to the wood.
3BAD7D23-E018-49B0-9AFE-67079E746707.jpeg

[chagorhan]

Gord, Just make your chips twice as big as the three inch guys.

Thats what im terrified about, making big chips! with the little guys i usually just end up with sawdust

[chagorhan]

Congratulations for choosing to tackle a different challenge.

First recommendation is to use a carving vise it has lots of advantages. I’m partial to Wilton pow-r-arms. But there are lots of options.
52E4F372-6046-451C-95A5-35B1DF4292D6.jpeg

More to your question I carve from photo or sketches the are scaled to the size of the carving I’m doing. These become my reference material. If you print them on a transparency you can hold it to the wood to mark where to cut next. Also using calipers you can take measurements from the photo to the wood.
3BAD7D23-E018-49B0-9AFE-67079E746707.jpeg

Ed I like the idea of the transparency. I started by tracing the pattern to a piece of paper then cut out the bulk on the band saw. Then i stopped and stood back and questioned whether i bit off more then i could chew

[chagorhan]

Question: have the flat planes expanded in proportion to the increase in carving size?

This time, I think you should figure out a way to tie the carving down. With the forces involved, not a hand-held project. Mallet? 1" chisels? 1/2" pair of skews? Possibly a 2/30 gouge?

Buy a roll of that non-skid kitchen cupboard liner stuff. Sort of a foam rubber mesh. I've always got a piece under every carving I'm doing. It loses its "stick" with wood dust but washes up just fine with fresh soapy kitchen dish-washing suds.

Rig up some kind of padding to use with a really big 'C' clamp.

Brian I have never used any other tools besides some palm gouges my grandfather had and a couple of the lee valley/ craft store knives.

[Merle Rice]

I think you are making it more Difficult than it really is and loosing Confidence in yourself . The Best way to get Answers for your Questions is to find a Design that is the size you like and has a Simple Procedure to complete. If it doesn't turn out as good as you want , throw it away and get another Piece of Wood and go at again . Just remember it's just a Piece of Wood . Relax and Enjoy this Hobby . Practice , it will come . Merle

[chagorhan]

I think you are making it more Difficult than it really is and loosing Confidence in yourself . The Best way to get Answers for your Questions is to find a Design that is the size you like and has a Simple Procedure to complete. If it doesn't turn out as good as you want , throw it away and get another Piece of Wood and go at again . Just remember it's just a Piece of Wood . Relax and Enjoy this Hobby . Practice , it will come . Merle

Great kind words Merle. Yes it is JUST wood, I started this for pleasure and to continue in my grand fathers footsteps.

[DiLeon]

Making it bigger.... means more chips. What may take one chip in a small carving, may take three chips in a slightly larger one, the bigger it is the more chips you have. Flat plane carvings are often small size carvings, once you up your size then you will have changed the finished look with more cuts which may lead you to a different kind of carving less flat plane and more round. This is how one style of carving leads to new ones....as they say, that you never know what kind of carving and style you will have down the road as it often changes as you learn the ropes of carving.

When you bandsaw an item make sure you do not cut off too much wood, when I cut depending on the size of carving I draw extra width outside my pattern to cut....this gives me room to carve without too many mistakes.

I will note as you learn, you will get more tools suited to the direction you are going. Remember one thing you are always learning new things and better ways and some things don't work out you throw in the fire woodpile, the next one will be better.... it still happens to me and is a normal part of the process of learning. Never focus on the I can not do it thoughts, but the learn how... will always make things easier. All of us have made major mistakes in carving it is very much a part of the process. I have had projects with tons of months pour into it, only to do something wrong and destroy it.....I mutter loudly and rave, and then start over count it as a lesson learned. I decided at some point I was going to learn to carve no matter how long it took me, might as well accept the fact that sometimes you get sawdust.

[Nebraska]

Merle is right ultimately it’s just a piece of wood and the forest is full of it.

[Randy]

For the most part the basics of carving a head or a figure are the same what ever the size. If the tools you are are using are for smaller projects then you may need to consider adding a few some tools that will be more efficient. You can copy a pattern and enlarge it to the scale you what. This will help you to maintain you proportions. The attach picture is a 6" carving but it is an example of one way to do a carving. But as Ed , Merle and Dileon have said it is a learning process. We learn from each new challenge. That is the fun of carving for me. You are always learning and the more you challenge your self the more you learn. About the wood the tools and how to use them together.
et1.jpg

[chagorhan]

UPDATE: heres the attempt. not very good paint job, blame the bad weather? Shot a picture of what it was supposed to turn out like.

[Claude]

Looks great to me!

Claude

[Twigger]

I agree with Claude: looks fine to me, too.