Two new video episodes have been added to my online school on carving scrolls (or sometimes referred to as volutes). Next week I will be adding a third version (and maybe a forth after that because I just can’t stop!)
Since this design is often seen in period furniture and decorative elements of architectural carving, I focused these lessons on a variety of styles of just the scroll itself.
The first one is a style you might see on an arm of a Windsor chair or similar (but not exact) to a violin scroll. The sizes are not exact to what you might make on a piece of furniture, but these lessons simply go through the technique of getting a finished carved scroll. You can adjust these to whatever you are carving.
These are carved in basswood, cut out on a scroll saw, and attached to a backer board with double sided tape. After much testing and discovery, brushing along the edge with denatured alcohol seems to work the best to release the double-sided tape. It tends to leave the tape less sticky but releases the carving easily. It is also less smelly, but it is still VERY important to work in a ventilated area (outside is best) and use chemical gloves. Any of these solvents are nasty to work with.
Happy scrolling!