[Woodcarver] Cleanup fuzzys and router question

[Joe Dillett]

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 that's 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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Hi Mary Jo,

What types of tools are you using, rotary power tools or hand tools like
chisels and knives? Power tools tend to leave fuzzy areas because the tooth
of the rotary in not razor sharp like a chisel and, because of the direction
of tooth or the rotary tool will not reverse direction so some cuts are
fighting the grain. If the tool is cutting into the grain rather than out of
the grain it will make a rougher cut. The suggestions you are receiving
here, for cleaning up the fuzzes, are excellent, especially from Susan
Irish. Another technique you might try is scraping. Putty knives make
excellent scrapers. You can quickly grind them to fit the shape you need.
Sharpen the scraper by leaving a burr rolled over the edge. When you pull
that burr over the wood it will plane the surface smooth to whatever shape
you have on your scraper. I have some putty knives ground into very small
shapes for scrapping out small areas.

If you are using hand tools perhaps they are not sharp enough or you are
cutting in the wrong direction, into the grain rather than out of the grain.
If you are using hand tools make sure your cutting edges are razor sharp, so
sharp you can shave with them. Also make sure they are completely free of
nicks. If your tools are not sharp they will not make a clean cut and will
rough the surface. If your tools are sharp and still leaving a rough surface
try switching the direction of cut. The grain might be trying to pull the
cutting edge into the cut and switching directions the grain will allow the
cutting edge to plane the surface without digging in. This will result in a
much smoother cut.

Another key to clean cuts is to not exceed the depth of your stop cuts. By
first making a clean stop cut, to protect a high area, you will be able to
make clean cuts to remove the background down to the depth of the stop cut.
If you exceed the depth of the stop cut you will brake the fibers at the
stop and result in fuzzy edges.

Sometimes I do use routers and other types of power tools for roughing out
large areas. Most of the time I never route the whole surface. I route a
series of stop cuts perpendicular to the grain, perhaps a couple inches
apart, stopping just short of the finished depth. This method allows me to
still have the original top surface for the router base to ride on and gage
the depth of the cut. This also allows me to split out the wood between the
stop cuts in large chunks resulting is saving time and lots of cleanup. I
prefer to use a tapered "lettering bit" rather than a straight flute router
bit. It is so much easier to guide a tapered bit, by hand, than a straight
flute bit. The straight flute bit wants to chatter in the hole and a tapered
bit will not chatter. I use a carbide 60-degree lettering bit for most of my
routing needs.

Although I consider myself more of a traditional carver, using hand chisels
for more than 95% of my carving, I do use power tools when it will save
time. Drills, saber saws, routers, air hammers and anything else that will
do the job. One of the upcoming issues of Carving Magazine, in my Ask Joe
column, I discuss how I use about 20 different types of power tools in the
interest of saving time.


Joe Dillett
The Carving Shop
645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3
Somonauk, IL. 60552
(815) 498-9290 phone
(815) 498-9249 fax
http://www.thecarvingshop.com
jdillett at thecarvingshop.com
http://www.carvingmagazine.com Carving Magazine web site and Readers Forum
http://community.webshots.com/user/joe_dillett
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