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

[Steve Klein]

Hi Robert,
    Have you tried a Roto-zip tool?
It is about the size of a dremel, but has a router like base.
I have used mine for outlining relief carvings.

Steve

RbrtHillier at aol.com wrote:


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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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