Mary:
I love incise work. But I use a plunge router with a large plexiglas base to create a uniform background quickly and get on with the details of carving, especially when using hardwoods like pear.
Is that a bad thing?
Raja Atiyah
Thank you for the sharpening pointers. Will definitely steer clear of paint cans.
Also the different brands of tools. I find that most shops carry only one or two brands of tools so it has been difficult to get a couple different ones to compare. Having the brands to look for helps a lot.
Hello David,
Lime wood is the English version of "basswood", so you should be able to get this online. I have not used this since I have been back in the US, so I don't know where to purcahse it. Basswood, Lime wood, and Linden are of the same family - very light colored wood, soft but not spongy, forgiving grain, strong enough to get good details. Make sure whatever "basswood type" wood you use, that it is from colder climates. If the winters are not cold enough the grain tends to get a little stringy and the color is more yellow than white. For example, the basswood from Tennessee has real obvious grain lines, while the basswood from Michigan is difficult to even see the grain.
I have a couple questions about the frequency of sharpening tools. How often do you find that you need to sharpen tools? After each use (hour or so) or does it depend on the hardness of the wood? Do you sharpen them as you are working or at the end of a session?
Are there differences in the brands of tools that have better metals which can hold an edge longer or do most loose their edge with similar usage?
You videos are extremely informative and well shot. I have been enjoying watching all your videos and learning about the basics. Lots of indoor time this year with all the low temps and snow in the northeast.
There are several things to look at - hardness of the wood, what angle you sharpened the tools at, whether you are pushing the gouge through the wood or using a mallet, whether you use the gouge to open paint cans 🙁
It is best to sharpen as you go, but I get caught up in the carving process and just grab a gouge off the shelf that is sharp to replace the dull one. I tend to sharpen them all at once over a few days, but I also have enough gouges to access if some get dull. This isn't really the best technique if you have a limited set of gouges. So, sharpen as you go.
But on average, if I use a tool a lot, I strop it on leather every hour or so of use. After a full day of use, I usually need to put the tool to a stone again to really bring it back to a sharp edge. This is really if I am using the tool a lot.
There is definitely a difference between brands, but generally if you choose the following brands you can trust that their metal is good - Dastra (German), Stubai (Austrian), Pfeil (Swiss), Hirsch (German), Auriou (French), Ashley Isles (English), Two Cherries (German - I think). So, as you can see, any tools that are European you can usually rely on as being good quality.
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