Let’s talk about woodcarvingAdministrator2020-02-03T16:00:40-05:00
Discussions on this forum are membership-run. I (Mary May) will monitor conversations and will try and contribute as needed. However, I can't guarantee that I will always have time to keep up with the discussions. Please feel free to contribute, as the only way this forum will be successful is if members get involved! I will also be the "judge and juror" with inappropriate, rude, or offensive behavior, so play nice!
Ball and barrel (aka bead and sausage) molding
Dan Krager@dank
20 Posts
Quote from Dan Krager on June 14, 2018, 9:19 pm
This molding will be installed on a toy chest/hope chest. I've searched the web over and either my google fu is misfiring or there is a dearth of videos showing how it's done. I'm using the technique Mary described in her book where she was schooled how to do this production style! The standing bead is cut with a #45 multiplane. I'm using a 7mm #9 sweep with a place, rotate up, and stab hard (rinse and repeat) action. I'm finding it difficult to get the beads to be a nice looking hemisphere. Is it just a matter of more practice? Suggestions welcome.
This molding will be installed on a toy chest/hope chest. I've searched the web over and either my google fu is misfiring or there is a dearth of videos showing how it's done. I'm using the technique Mary described in her book where she was schooled how to do this production style! The standing bead is cut with a #45 multiplane. I'm using a 7mm #9 sweep with a place, rotate up, and stab hard (rinse and repeat) action. I'm finding it difficult to get the beads to be a nice looking hemisphere. Is it just a matter of more practice? Suggestions welcome.
Uploaded files:SmokyRick Crawford and Greg Messick have reacted to this post.
SmokyRick CrawfordGreg Messick
Matthew Mizner@mattm
242 Posts
Quote from Matthew Mizner on June 15, 2018, 10:12 am
Dan,
You definitely have the technique right. I’ve done a slew of beading, so I can attest to practice making perfect.
Something I use that might help you getting the hemisphere right on the beading is to try using a #9 gouge. Since they are a perfect half circle, I’ll use one that is the width of my beading and stab down on the left and right of the bead. Then use your #7 to round over and clean things up. If my horrible explanation doesn’t make sense, let me know and I’ll add a pic.
Good luck!
Dan,
You definitely have the technique right. I’ve done a slew of beading, so I can attest to practice making perfect.
Something I use that might help you getting the hemisphere right on the beading is to try using a #9 gouge. Since they are a perfect half circle, I’ll use one that is the width of my beading and stab down on the left and right of the bead. Then use your #7 to round over and clean things up. If my horrible explanation doesn’t make sense, let me know and I’ll add a pic.
Good luck!
SmokyRick Crawford has reacted to this post.
MaryMay@marymay
453 Posts
Quote from MaryMay on June 15, 2018, 2:19 pm
That's looking good, and I think your method is "spot on". I think I'll do a lesson on this and also the rope molding. I know there are some similar lessons, but not just focused on a basic molding.
I have always thought the "bead and sausage" molding was invented by some poor, panicked apprentice who was ordered to carve hundreds of feet of bead molding, and they were running behind... "How can we speed things up?" "How about skip a couple of beads and make a new design in the process." Maybe I'm thinking that because that would have probably been me...
That's looking good, and I think your method is "spot on". I think I'll do a lesson on this and also the rope molding. I know there are some similar lessons, but not just focused on a basic molding.
I have always thought the "bead and sausage" molding was invented by some poor, panicked apprentice who was ordered to carve hundreds of feet of bead molding, and they were running behind... "How can we speed things up?" "How about skip a couple of beads and make a new design in the process." Maybe I'm thinking that because that would have probably been me...
Russell Wagner has reacted to this post.
Dan Krager@dank
20 PostsTopic Author
Quote from Dan Krager on June 20, 2018, 1:42 pm
LOL, Mary @shortcuts. It is tedious, but refined my process a bit in the following ways. First, swapped gouges. I picked up a #11 sweep thinking it was a #9 sweep, so went to the stash and found the proper #9. Much better. Then, from a video of a Japanese production carving shop I found that a short stick of rectangular hardwood was the perfect mallet. The video was fun because you could hear all the different carvers tapping their chisels and each stick produced a different frequency. The total effect was like music...very interesting. Using very light taps to start the cut, I increased the force of the taps through the arc of the chisel handle to a sharp blow at the vertical to establish a good stab cut. Each pass on a 72" stick took 15 minutes, and two passes completed the job...once to the left and once to the right, left and right hand use. There was no place to rest one's wrist, so this technique did two things: one, it didn't require so much support from the support hand, and two it greatly relieved the heavy strain of making the stab cut with muscle.
I have two pictures, so I'll try to upload them. The limit is pretty tight for phone cameras, so I may have to edit them. I didn't see any warning that the picture was too big this time, but it didn't upload.
LOL, Mary @shortcuts. It is tedious, but refined my process a bit in the following ways. First, swapped gouges. I picked up a #11 sweep thinking it was a #9 sweep, so went to the stash and found the proper #9. Much better. Then, from a video of a Japanese production carving shop I found that a short stick of rectangular hardwood was the perfect mallet. The video was fun because you could hear all the different carvers tapping their chisels and each stick produced a different frequency. The total effect was like music...very interesting. Using very light taps to start the cut, I increased the force of the taps through the arc of the chisel handle to a sharp blow at the vertical to establish a good stab cut. Each pass on a 72" stick took 15 minutes, and two passes completed the job...once to the left and once to the right, left and right hand use. There was no place to rest one's wrist, so this technique did two things: one, it didn't require so much support from the support hand, and two it greatly relieved the heavy strain of making the stab cut with muscle.
I have two pictures, so I'll try to upload them. The limit is pretty tight for phone cameras, so I may have to edit them. I didn't see any warning that the picture was too big this time, but it didn't upload.
Uploaded files:SmokyRick Crawford has reacted to this post.
Dan Krager@dank
20 PostsTopic Author
Quote from Dan Krager on June 20, 2018, 1:49 pm
Won't upload two files at once even though they are well below the 3 MB limit. Third try.
I forgot to mention that I also used a small steel wire brush to clean up the stray chips.
Won't upload two files at once even though they are well below the 3 MB limit. Third try.
I forgot to mention that I also used a small steel wire brush to clean up the stray chips.
Uploaded files:MaryMay, Matthew Mizner and 2 other users have reacted to this post.
MaryMayMatthew MiznerSmokyRick CrawfordGreg Howlett
