Janel Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 My bench has seen me, finally. I've begun carving after all the goings on of this autumn season. It feels good to be back at it. With the wonerful works being posted lately, I'm a little shy about presenting this simple piece. It is not yet completed. The wood is Pink Ivory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ford hallam Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Morning Janel, i don`t think anyone should be shy of presenting an unassuming piece of work like this at all. It appears to me to be quite confidant and has no need to "be" anything more than it is. And that is a very satisfying, apparently tactile, and intelligent carving. That pink ivory is an amazing material, what does it work like? Thanks for that, Ford What size is your pink leaf? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janel Posted November 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Thank you, Ford, and good morning! It is still dark here, and quiet about the house. The leaf, unmeasured as of yet, is about 2.5 inches in length. The wood is quite hard, with an unpredictable nature. The piece seems to be from a burly area with a branch inclusion and shifting grain. The remainder of the piece of wood has a bit of the growth ring area showing. It is interesting to work a wood with so much personality. I've discovered a thick leather strop which I aquired decades ago with a set of kitchen knives, and am trying that for touching up the tools as the wood dulls the cutting/scraping edges. The leather's more knappy surface was charged with a glinting powder (decades ago), the other, less knappy side I have rubbed the stick of honing compound on it. So far it has been helpful at producing or maintaining a sharp edge. I still wonder though about the thickness and give of the leather causing a rounding of the tool's surface over time. Any tips for use would be appreciated. (I never received hands on instruction about this technique. Perhaps we all learn by osmosis, feel the Force and find the way!) Janel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ford hallam Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Hi Janel, I think sharpening chisels and the like is made a bit over complicated at times. Before you begin, the potential of the tool is established by the actual angles of the cutting faces. This, of course, is dictated by the material to be cut and I would suggest, to a certain extent by the shape of the tool. For instance, a scraping tool will judder ( tech` term ) if the tool is too thin, not a great example perhaps but you probably get the idea. Actual sharpening is simply the process of creating an accurate, and smooth interface of 2 or more planes. While shaping these planes, steel molecules are effectively rubbed up and over the edge, thus creating the burr, once all the planes have been honed through that point the burr ought to be removed as it can interfere with the cutting action. Also, to create a slightly more resiliant cutting edge it is in effect actually minutely blunted by the stropping action. I may be wrong but I get the impression that you periodically strop your chisels while working, perhaps this will dull the edge over the course of the day. From my experience stropping is something that you do after you`ve actually sharpened the tool on a stone. As I mentioned earlier ( on another thread ), in the jewellery trade I was taught to simply stab the side of the bench ( only if wood ) to remove the burr, after sharpening a graver. I rarely, if ever feel the need to strop but will touch the edge to the stone whenever I feel it is not biting as I expect. I don`t know if any of this is of any help but perhaps it might stimulate an exploration of the process for everyone on the forum. I`m pretty certain there are all sorts of variations on the theme. as always, Ford p.s. looks as though I`ve made it as clear as mud, 2 minutes to demonstrate and half an hour to write about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janel Posted December 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Ta-daaaa! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toscano Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Hey I like that! Very nice colours. How did you ensure that the colour won't change over time, after all? Very nice, Janel. -t Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergey_osipov Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Wow! The ecstasy!!! S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janel Posted December 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 It is likely that I did not ensure color shift prevention. <_ if it changes will be like the autumn leaves.> Janel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Kelso Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Lovely little piece. Your use of the brown color(is that the branch inclusion?) is brilliant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janel Posted December 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Thank you all. Yes, Jim, the brown/snail is a branch inclusion that went pretty much in the right direction to be used as it was. I have to get the dimensions and description added to the forthcoming web page, then you all can see other sides of the piece when it is uploaded to my site. I'll put an image on my home page when all the pages are linked and updated...and a link/note here. Shucks, I'll add another here, it will be a little while before the pages are updated. It has himotoshi, and could function as a netsuke, but won't likely, because I've added a delicate element with the stem... I chose to simplify the detail of the veins, to allow the wood to prevail when being looked at. There is so much character with a subtle chatoyance and shifting of grain, that any more definition would have complicated the view. IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Bonham Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 "If it changes, it will be like the autumn leaves." Janel Hi Janel, What a beautiful piece. I think that any color change will just extend your ability to capture the beauty of nature in your sculpture. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DFogg Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Ahhh...thank you Janel. That is a beautiful work, I love the form and natural colors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsterling Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 Nice one, Janel! Wish I could fondle it in person. About the stropping rounding the edges - it will over time, since the strop is charged with abrasive and is flexible. That's the reason the edge eventually stops working correctly. All stropping really does is abrade away the wire edge produced by sharpening and produces a finer edge, and slightly restores the edge in between the sharpenings. It will only keep the tool going for a while until the edge angles become too steep for good carving, then you have to revisit the sharpening stones and re-establish the proper angles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rik Palm Posted December 16, 2005 Report Share Posted December 16, 2005 That's AWESOME!! Janel It just begs to be held!! Rik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Delaunay Posted December 22, 2005 Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 hi Janel, very nice! beautifull work on beautifull wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert weinstock Posted December 25, 2005 Report Share Posted December 25, 2005 Hi Janel, Stunning peice of work. The wood looks so rich and sensual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Twilbeck Posted December 25, 2005 Report Share Posted December 25, 2005 The Peice looks just like it should. Beautiful! Now as far as stropping, try stroping on a peice of wood. I have a 1/2" thick piece of poplar, loaded with compound. I use it for all my tools, works well. The edge does not roll over, stays flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janel Posted December 26, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2005 Thanks to you all! I have not yet tried wood as a strop, and will try it. I've got some good candidates for the job. I hope that you all have a great last week of the year! Janel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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