Woodcarving
Tools, Materials & Equipment - Volume 2
by Chris Pye
Softcover
210 x 275mm
175pp
Published by Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd, East Sussex UK
R.R.P.$39.90
ISBN 1-86108-202-9
This book was originally in one 356pp volume. The new revised edition has now been split into 2 volumes. The review below is of the single edition version. The contents below is for the new Volume 2.
As reviewed in The Australian Woodworker Issue 64
There have been a number of new book titles on woodcarving recently and virtually all of them concentrate on woodcarving technique and project ideas. Woodcarving Tools, Materials & Equipment is, however, a very different publication, with over 250 pages on woodcarving tools alone plus another 35 on devices and aids and 40 pages on wood selection. If you have an interest in woodcarving and feel that you should know more about the basics of tools and timber for carving work, then Woodcarving Tools, Materials & Equipment should be fascinating reading and an essential reference.
The section on woodcarving tools begins with a short history and follows on with the development of the Sheffield List, the design and manufacture of a quality carving tool, assessment and correction of faults, function of different styles, care and maintenance, sharpening, selection of mallets, files, knives and other items, and modification of tools for specific applications. Each subject is covered in great detail, yet the text never becomes too technical or uninteresting for the hobbyist carver. The use of appropriate photographs and clear line sketches on almost every page ensures that the reader clearly understands the concepts outlined.
In the chapter on holding devices, there is a survey of the types of store-bought holding devices and other aids available, and also some interesting ideas for homemade items and alternative holding methods.
The last major section deals with the general criteria for the selection of wood for carving. After a quick mention of how wood grows, is cut and then seasoned, there is specific information on warping, splitting, knots, shakes, grain direction, figure, glue-up, durability, decay and pests. A short survey of finishes available completes the book.
Woodcarving Tools, Materials & Equipment is highly recommended as an extensive treatise on the selection and use of woodcarving tools.
Photos: Colour
Contents
Acknowledgments
Health and safety
Foreword to the first edition
Foreword to the
new edition
Part
I: The Workshop and its Equipment
Aims of Part 1
Accessory Tools:
Mallets
Shapes
Materials
Size and weight
Making a mallet
Using the mallet
Care
Abrading tools:
Rasps
Files
Rifflers
Microplanes
Tungsten carbide
Using abrading tools
Care
Sanders
and power files
Sandpaper
Carpentry
tools:
Handsaws
Planes
Spokeshaves
Hand routers
Other
tools
Specialized edge tools:
Knives
Adzes
Scorps
Punches
and frosters
Scratch stocks and scrapers
Marking-out equipment
Power Tools and Machinery:
General workshop tools
Bandsaws
Scrollsaws
Disc and belt sanders
Routers
Portable power carving
tools
Angle-grinder cutting discs
High-speed flexible-shaft machines
Hand-held high-speed motor units
Reciprocal carvers or power chisels
Modifying Tools
Why modify tools?
The possibilities
Basic procedures
Cold procedures
Hot procedures
Hardening, tempering
and annealing
Quenching
Equipment
Heat source
Vice
Anvil
General tools
Bench grinder
Safety
Overview of the hot shaping
process
Bending
Forging
Some examples of tool modifications
Cold shaping
Skew chisel
Skewed fishtail chisel
Hot shaping
Knuckle gouge
Backbent V-tool
Small V-tool
Summary
Holding
Devices
The workbench
Height
Strength and weighting
Proportions
Fittings
Alternatives
Construction notes
Bench discipline
Individual holding devices
Fundamentals
Holding panels
Holding
work in the round
Holding turned work
Summary
The Workplace
Features of a workplace
Position of the bench
Flooring
Lighting
Tool and equipment storage
Heating
Wood storage
Cleaning
Beginner's syndrome
Safety in the workplace
First-aid box
Part
2: Preparing to Carve
Understanding Wood
How trees grow
Hardwoods and softwoods
Wood as a material
Conversion
Seasoning
Movement
Defects
Decay
Woodworm
Storage
Qualities
of wood
Grain
Hardness
Figure
Texture
Durability
Suitability of design and material
Choice of wood
Sources of wood
'Free' wood
Buying wood
Gluing up
Fundamentals
Types of joint
Basic procedures
Summary 7 FINISHING
Finishing
Reasons
for finishing
Protecting
Sealing
Enhancing
Some simple finishes
Shellac
Oil
Waxes
Colour
Water-based stains
Oil-based
stains
Spirit-based stains
Fuming
Safety
Research
and Design
Research
Drawing
Why draw?
Materials
Getting
started
Types of drawing
Photographs
The 'morgue'
Plaster
casts
Clay modelling
Why model?
Clay
Buying and storing clay
Alternatives to clay
Tools and equipment
Basic modelling
How
to use the model
Transferring work to the solid
Some Parting Cuts
A Glossary of Woodcarving Terms
Photographic credits
Metric conversion
tables
About the author
Index