[Woodcarver] How to carve a deep , long , narrow , winding groove

[Paul Chittle]

>From: RbrtHillier at aol.com

>Reply-To: "[Woodcarver]" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>

>To: woodcarver at six.pairlist.net

>Subject: [Woodcarver] How to carve a deep , long , narrow , winding groove

>Date: Mon, 12 Dec 2005 19:50:07 EST

>

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>I'd be grateful for advice on this : I want to carve into the outside of a

>turned wooden bowl ( say 300mm or twelve inches in diameter )  the pattern 

>of a

>jigsaw puzzle . The figuring of the wood will then be the jigsaw's pattern 

>.

>In between the "pieces" of the jigsaw  will be the deep ,  long , narrow ,

>winding groove that I''ll carve . I'll then fill the groove with a coloured 

>resin

>. The groove must not penetrate through to the bowl's inner surface , so I

>can't use a saw . I want the groove to be narrow , say 3mm or an eighth of 

>an

>inch maximum . Depth of groove about 5mm or two tenths of an inch . The 

>"pieces"

>of the jigsaw will be about 25 by 40 mm or one by one and half inches in 

>size

>, so the groove between the pieces will be quite wiggly in order to form 

>the

>classic knobs and sockets of the "pieces" .

>

>Now for some questions - am I right in thinking that the only way to carve

>this groove is using a router ? I don't think that hand tools could do this 

>.

>

>  I've tried it with a full-size router - the problem is in shifting  the

>heavy beast  around with enough precision so that I can do the  fine detail 

>of the

>wiggly knobs and sockets .

>

>  I've also tried it with a Dremel - here the problem is that the router is 

>so

>light that  ( with the bits I've tried  ) it tends to  get dragged 

>off-course

>and the groove has lots of little wobbles in it or places where the groove

>has suddenly widened  . Keeping the tool at right angles to the surface ( 

>this

>is needed  - it's all part of a cunning plan  :>) which I'll unveil when I 

>get

>it to work ) is also difficult for me . Removing the wood in one pass along

>this ( relatively ) deep and narrow groove seems like too much of a 

>challenge

>for Dremel bits , and the tool itself . It's hard enough to guide the bit 

>in one

>pass that I recoil at the thought of having to take two bites at the cherry

>to get the necessary depth .

>

>So......what would you recommend ? And if the Dremel approach , which bits

>would you suggest ( and where do you source yours - I'm in the UK )? If I 

>botch

>the groove , I'll just turn another bowl , so I'm prepared for a method 

>which

>has its failures  , but I want to produce a crisp and neat jigsaw effect .

>

>I'd be grateful for any advice on this , apart from the obvious one - to 

>give

>up ;>(

>

>Robert,

>Poole,

>Dorset,

>England




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Hi Robert
I would use a laminate ( formica) trimmer, which is a router but small 
enough to handle with one hand but also with enough power to enable you to 
cut a 1/8" groove 1/8" deep in one pass.  You should use a 1/4" shank 1/8" 
carbide router bit. Good luck let me know how things turn out Paul