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

[Joe Dillett]

Hi Robert,

If a 2-mm Veiner were made with 6-mm high wings that would be the ticket for 
those grooves. The problem is that a 2 or 3 mm Veiner only has about 3-mm 
high wings. As soon as you bury the wings you chip out the top surface. I've 
looked through my catalogs and couldn't find a 2-mm Veiner with 6-mm high 
wings. Maybe someone knows of a manufacturer who makes one?

The Laminate trimmer that Paul suggested is one good option. Or the Roto-zip 
that Steve suggested is another good option. Foredom makes a narrow tapered 
spiral bit that might work. A tapered bit is much easier to control because 
it doesn't have a tendency to chatter like the straight bits do, so it is 
much easier to control. The tapered bit Foredom makes looks like about a 
10-degree taper.

I have a 45-degree carbide lettering bit from Eagle with a ¼-inch shank. It 
is tapered to a sharp point with 5/8-inch diameter at the top. If you could 
get by with a 45-degree groove (.2 mm width at the top with a .28 mm depth) 
it would fit into a Roto-zip or a Laminate trimmer. This bit is available 
from Eagle (800-872-2511) http://www.eagle-american.com .

An oscillating saber-saw (where the blade moves back and forth as well as up 
and down) is capable of cutting a blind slot. If you took a narrow, fine 
tooth, 2-mm width blade and ground it so it's maximum depth of cut would be 
4 mm it would cut that narrow slot to depth however some small surface 
chipping would be expected because it cuts on the upward cut.


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://www.carvingmagazine.com/chat/chat.shtml Live Chat for Carving 
Magazine.
http://community.webshots.com/user/joe_dillett
http://www.citizenactions.org
**************************************************


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <RbrtHillier at aol.com>
To: <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2005 6:50 PM
Subject: [Woodcarver] How to carve a deep , long , narrow , winding groove



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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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