Chip Carving Lessons and Videos
Posted by Webmaster on
May 22, 2009
By Patrick Sikes
For carving, you’ll hold the cutting knives one of two ways. To begin, sit down in a armless chair, and hold the work piece on your lap.
Position Number One
Grasp the knife in your right hand (or left if you’re left-handed). Place the first joint of your thumb, at the blade end of the handle, and wrap your fingers around the handle as shown. Turn the inside of your wrist toward your body and rest the tip of your thumb, the knuckle of your index finger, and the point of the blade on the work piece. This lays the blade at about 65 degree angle to the wood. Move your hand and the knife as a unit; don’t flex your hand to draw the knife toward your thumb. Maintain a constant angle between the blade and the work. This is used for the first and third cuts of a three-cornered chip. You will also use this grip for all the other cuts when carving including curved and compound curved chips.
Position Number Two
Position two is used for the second cut of a three-cornered chip and making a “flip-flop” notch. Tilt the top edge of the knife toward you, and place your thumb along the back of the blade. Rest your index finger knuckle on the carving to maintain a 65 deg. tilt of the blade, shown.
Cutting a Triangular Chip
Traditionally, the “foot” side of the triangle or the cross grain cut is the last cut. To begin cutting the triangular chip, cut in first position down the right (or left for lefties) side of the triangle towards the foot. Next, flip to position two, turn your work piece 180 degrees and cut from the start of your first cut, down the opposite side of the chip. Switch back to position one and make the foot cut.
The idea here is that you are trying to take out a perfect 3 dimensional chip where all three cuts meet perfectly in the bottom of the chip.
The triangular chip may be not exactly a triangle. As in the photo to the left, the chips in the half rosettes at the top, the first and second cuts curve around the curve of the petals.
Cutting a Curved Chip
To cut a curved chip like the ones on the outer leaves of this rosette, you will use the first position. Start with the knife at a more perpendicular angle to the work piece. Start the pull the cut down the line, as you drop the angle of the knife back to 65 degrees, and then back up to around 80 degrees when you hit the end of the cut. Repeat the cut to complete the chip.
Changing the angle of the cut allows for a clean end point. This is especially important when making cuts at the center of a rosette. Remember that you are looking to achieve a straight line down the center of the chip where the two cuts meet.
Compound Chips
Some chips require both of the techniques to execute. Remember, you can always bisect the chip into smaller pieces to complete a clean chip.
Video Lessons from www.MyChipCarving.com:
