[Woodcarver] Fwd: What Happened??--a new topic---help

[Donna Menke]

Hi Maura-

Sorry it took me so long to answer, but I was in the Rio Grand Valley teaching all last week. 
Sandi and Joe gave you some excellent advice. It takes a lot longer to teach your students how to do it than it takes for you to do it yourself.
You didn't say what level these students would be. Absolute beginners take longer than more experienced carvers. If you allow beginners then you may have to teach them how to carve- hold the tools, etc. I require my students to have some experience because I don't usually teach the basics.
Have some step-by-step go-bys so that they can see what you are getting at. Something they can hold in their hands is a big help in understanding. I'd do one for the bossing in, one removing the background, one starting to shape the subject, and one finished. These could all be on one board with 1/4 section for each stage.
I always have some written instructions for them to take home. That way they can repeat the steps by themselves later. They can also use the paper to take notes as you are speaking.
If you keep to one design for everyone it will make it easier to teach the group- no changes for design. Transferring the design is something you could talk about and demo to them how best to do it.
To up your pay you could have extra blanks for them to buy. You could have a couple of different designs on them so that they could just take them home and do another relief.
Joe had an excellent point about the facilities being less than ideal for relief carving. I think his idea of attaching the board to be carved to another larger board that could be clamped to the table is very good. You could use some woodworkers' double-sided tape to make the attachment and it would not move.
Let us know how your class goes-
Donna Menke
http://www.woodworks-by-donna.com 
Author: The Ultimate Band Saw Box Book



----- Original Message ----

> From: Joe Dillett <jdillett at thecarvingshop.net>

> To: [Woodcarver] <woodcarver at carverscompanion.com>

> Sent: Monday, February 2, 2009 10:53:02 AM

> Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] Fwd:  What Happened??--a new topic---help

> 

> Friends in Carving: Please support our List - visit the Carvers' Campanion Shop 

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> 

> 

> Hi Maura,

>  

> There a lot of interest in relief carving classes, especially the classical 

> method. I found that a leaf design is easier to teach to a beginner level 

> carver.

>  

> There is value in having the student transfer the pattern to the wood, not 

> only to teach them the steps but it helps them become acquainted with the design 

> 

> as they transfer it. However most classes I taught it was difficult to have the 

> average student finish the most basic design even without them transferring 

> the pattern.

>  

> The difficulty with doing relief carving at most roundup's is the 

> setup isn't right. In our shop we have the luxury of clamping the piece from the 

> 

> sides leaving the top clear to maneuver the tools and the bench height high 

> enough to stand and utilize our whole body to power the tool. At most 

> roundup's they have tables, so the clamps are on top of the piece getting in the 

> 

> way of the tool. Those tables are not the right height to stand, so using 

> classical techniques it is very difficult to get enough power without using a 

> mallet. Their carving time will be longer because the setup is not 

> ideal. When I carve the project at a moderate speed I figure it will take 

> the average student 4 times longer because they don't have all the necessary 

> tools, not the right height to work, the clamps get in the way and if you have 

> more then one carver per 8-foot table it's unstable.

>  

> One thing that helps is to make a clamping setup that allows the clamps to 

> be below the carving surface. Mount the carving to a clamping board.

>  

> Many students will not have a full-size set of tools. Typically they come 

> with palm chisels, which wouldn't be to bad except rarely do they have selection 

> 

> of larger tools. I generally have to take along a considerable number 

> of tools to loan out.

> 

> 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.net [business 

> web site]

> http://www.carvingmagazine.com ['Ask 

> Joe' column]

> http://community.webshots.com/user/joe_dillett

> ******************************************************************

>  

>  

>  

> ----- Original Message ----- 

> From: linehan718 at aol.com 

> To: woodcarver at six.pairlist.net 

> Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 8:05  PM

> Subject: Spam:****, [Woodcarver] Fwd:  What Happened??--a new topic---help

> Friends in Carving: Please support our List - visit the  Carvers' Campanion Shop 

> at http://cafepress.com/woodcarving

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> -----Original Message-----

> From: Linehan718 at aol.com

> To: abkinnaman at earthlink.net

> Sent:  Sat, 31 Jan 2009 7:56 pm

> Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] What Happened??--a new  topic---help

> 

> 

> All righty I'll open up a discussion if you'd all like to help me out a  bit.  

> This year will be my first year of formal teaching at a woodcarving  roundup.  

> This is basically a free class but I can charge for the wood  blank.  What I 

> would like to teach is an introduction  to classical carving which really isn't 

> being offered much at any of the  roundups.  Classical carving, just to clarify 

> things, means some tool  specific carving.  This means minimizing the use of the 

> stop cut and  emphasizing either a veiner or v-tool to cut around and outline, 

> chisels and  shallow gouges for grounding out and gouges for doing rounding, the 

> sweep of  the gouges matching the curve of the carving, rather than whittling 

> away with  any tool till you get what shape you want. No power tools in this 

> class.   I will be touching on the history of carving and an explanation of the 

> sheffield numbering system and some advanced carving techniques, but imparting 

> t hat knowledge during the course of the day rather than giving a boring 

> lecture.  People in my class will range from beginners to  intermediates.  I 

> want to do a classical style relief carving which can  be finished by most in 

> roughly 6 hours of carving.  My original ideas  were to do either, grapes and 

> leaves, an acanthus leaf design or a traditional  shell carving.  

>  

> Now my topics for discussion are, if you were to come and take my  class.... 

> first which design would you be more interested in doing and  why.   Would you 

> rather the design already be on the wood or should  I make my students transfer 

> the pattern lines themselves?  Would you find  this class interesting?  Any else 

> you can think of would  be great and all suggestions will help alot.  Thanks

>  

> Maura

> www.Carvinginnyc.com

> 

> 

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