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

[Joe Dillett]

Hi Robert,

I just tried it and it works. I used my Roto-zip with a 1/8-inch diameter 
Standard Point Drywall bit designed for easy control. I cut a 1/8-inch wide 
(3.18 mm) to 1/4-inch (6.25 mm) depth in 4 passes in cherry. There was no 
chatter and very easy to control. I tried it at full speed 30K RPM with just 
a little burning. I tried it with a speed reducer, reducing the speed to 
about half, with no burning.

The Roto-zip is not the type of motor designed for speed reduction however 
I've been using a speed reducer on mine for years. I will say that it is not 
recommended and could shorten the life of your Roto-zip. The speed reducer I 
use is cheap. It a Router Speed Control 110V/15Amp for universal (AC/DC), 
series DC, motors (15 Amps max).

These dry wall bits are high speed steel, not carbide, so you'll be using a 
few to cut all those grooves.

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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