[Woodcarver] (no subject)

[Classic Carving Patterns]

Hi Mary Jo,

Your might want to invest in a can of sanding sealer.  This stiffens
those fuzzies so that they can be removed more easily.  Most hardware
stores carry it.  Also I have a great set of rifflers and small files
that are just fantastic for getting into the funny little tight spots.
Rifflers come not only in lots of different grits but also in different
shape profiles.  So you will be able to find one with just the right
curve for those tucked in corners and under cuts.

The newer styled padded nail files that you can get at the drug store
are also wonderful for your carving kit.  Again, they come in a small
but usable variety of grits and can be cut as needed to fit into
specific areas of your work.  When I get new nail files for my kit I
tend to cut the first fittings extra long.  That way when the grit is
gone or if I have to reshape them I have lots of file left.  One nail
file cutting can be reused and reshaped many times.

The other alternative to removing fuzzies is to tuck them back into
their respective areas.  Turn your bench knife over so that you are
using the blunt, unsharpened side of the blade.  Then pull that side
along the joint of the cut giving it a little pressure as you pull.
This presses those fibers back into the cut.  Wood has an impressionable
memory ... Where you add pressure to the wood fibers the fibers will
tend to 'remember' that and return to the shape that the pressure
created.  So by pressing into the joint with the back side of the bench
knife you 'teach' the fibers to remain where the knife put them ...

That doesn't sound very clear ... Let's try this.  If you fold a piece
of paper and crease the fold, then open the paper back up, no matter how
well you push down on that crease the crease remains!  If you put the
paper in a humid situation the paper will begin to slightly fold back to
the original crease ... That's what wood fibers do.  Once you 'crease
the joints' with the knife the fibers return to the crease.

Pressed designs are create this way.  The wood is stamped under pressure
forcing the fibers to break along the stamp lines.  These pressed
designs remain true for many many years.

I have never used a router for carving as I do smaller works by hand ...
Talk to Bill as he is excellent with router techniques.

Hope this helps a little.

Susan Irish

Carving Patterns Online
Designs Online Since 1997!
Classic Carving Patterns By L.S.Irish
http://www.CarvingPatterns.com
http://www.WoodCarvingPatterns.com



-----Original Message-----
From: woodcarver-bounces at six.pairlist.net
[mailto:woodcarver-bounces at six.pairlist.net] On Behalf Of mary jo tiger
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 8:04 PM
To: woodcarver at six.pairlist.net
Subject: [Woodcarver] (no subject)


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Hi Folks,this is Mary Jo again.I'm trying to do a relief carving in 
Basswood.I need to know how to smooth off the little Fuzzy places.I've
tried 
using a sanding stick but some of the places are to small to get in.I've

also been reading that alot of carvers use a trim routers to rough out
the 
background on the beginnig of the pattern.Does anyone think thats a good

idea and if so where could  I get a book that would give me the 
information.I read the list everyday and am grateful for the advice I've

received so far.Thanks for all your help.Mary Jo


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