Greetings From Daz

[DarrenK]

Greetings!!

I am a New Zealander , currently living in Ireland.

I have been carving on and mostly off for about 5 years and it has so far been a solitary venture. I would like to express my delight in discovering this website and it's many wonders. I have already gleaned so much from the small bit i have been reading and understand i have a long journey of discovery ahead.

There sure is some talented people out there, and i am glad to share in your stories and beautiful art works.

Thanks

Daz

[Billy]

Some lovely work. Welcome Darren.

[DarrenK]

Thanks Billy, i stand in awe of your work. Beautiful !!

i am on a mission now to make some gravers, i think they will change everything, any tips?

[Janel]

Hello Darren, and welcome.

 

I have carved bone only once, using the tools I use for carving wood which were just find for the bone. They are somewhere here on the forum but I am drawing a blank for the topic title at the moment. We are heading out within the hour for the holiday family gathering. Somewhere I posted an array of the most used tools, mostly self-made, that are used as scrapers and knives, of different sizes for differing degrees of detail or removal of material. I will try to figure out where it is, unless someone else finds it first and can post a link to it.

 

More later,

 

Janel

[Billy]

Cheers Darren. Appreciate your kind words. I'll excuse the pun (tips)

 

Here's a link to my blog that covers my graver use:

 

http://toi-rongomau.tumblr.com/post/29924296635/heres-a-quick-overview-of-the-gravers-i-use-the

 

They aren't that difficult to make yourself. I was just lucky enough to be in contact with these guys who knew what I would need to get going, 8 years on I am still using them. But if you get some cobolt steel driil bits at the thickness you want, drill them into a graver handle you can get at jewellery supply shops, then glue that same end into the handle, you're ready to shape a new graver.

 

You could get a tool maker to help, but if you grind it to the shape you want ( I used Stephen Mhyre's book on bone carving for the shapes) then sharpen on a 600 grit stone, you should be getting pretty close to as nice set of gravers.

 

Hope this helps. If you want to buy them I recommend contacting Ian Thorne ( http://www.carving.co.nz/tools.php) or Owen Mapp ( http://www.art-jewelery.com/contact.htm). They might be able to help you when they can.

 

Ka kite ano, Billy (Gareth Barlow)

[Janel]

Hi Darren,

 

Here are a few links, a few from this forum and one to my web page showing tools that I use most often:

 

Tom Sterling compiled several posts/topics regarding tools in this post found in Getting Started and Resources, the last Topic group in the main queue: http://www.thecarvingpath.net/forum/index.php?/topic/818-making-and-using-small-carving-tools/page__view__findpost__p__6874

 

http://www.thecarvingpath.net/forum/index.php?/topic/2299-making-of-tools/

 

http://www.thecarvingpath.net/forum/index.php?/topic/2299-making-of-tools/

 

http://www.janeljacobson.com/toolsstudio/tools2012.html

 

 

There are other topics covering tools found through using the SEARCH function at the top right of the forum window.

[DarrenK]

Thanks Janel and Billy, much appreciated !

I am an engineer, so making these shouldn't be a problem , thanks for your help.

Manaakitanga

[Tony N]

hi and welcome love yor stuff far bette han mine any way I work with a dremel or micro die grinder I don't use gravers just a thought any good luck keep up the good work hope to see you back in nz soon

[Christophe]

Ka Kite Darren,

 

Welcome around.

Congratulations on your work, I, especially like the first top one.