Wood carving tools. Wood turning cutters DIY wood turning knife
Cutting tool
The quality of the tool largely depends on the grade of steel, proper hardening and sharpening.
In order not to be upset about a bad tool in the future, I advise you to pay attention and time to it from the very beginning. You will enjoy working with a good tool: the chips will be easily separated, leaving a clean, burr-free cut. If you have the opportunity to check the quality, try pressing the file along the end of the blade. It leaves a mark on mild steel. If the file slips and does not cut in, the tool is not bad.
Practice has shown which grades of steel should be preferred when making tools. This is 65G spring steel, which is used in the production of a variety of springs and automobile springs. It is good not only for cranberries. Bearing steel ШХ15 holds edge sharpening well; it is used in semicircular chisels and cranberries. Steels 9ХС, 9ХФ are ductile and suitable for wide applications. High-speed steels P18, P9, etc. are also used. I note, however, no matter what grade of steel you use, if the heat treatment is not carried out correctly, i.e. hardening and tempering, the tool may not work best quality. This requires conditions and experience. If you don't have one, contact a specialist or look at heat treatment reference books.
It is impossible to determine the grade of steel at home; this can only be done in a laboratory. I would like to give this advice: do not throw away items that have become unusable due to long-term use, broken, worn out, but made of sufficiently strong steel and suitable in shape: files, hacksaw blades of different widths, taps, drills, scalpels, straight razors, springs, bearings. For small work By soft wood Even the knitting needles of an old or broken umbrella and screwdrivers will come in handy. You can give all these things a second life, but in a new quality. I know many carvers who skillfully use scraps to create their tools.
In the store, purchase a set of needle files, which come with a universal handle with a collet clamp. It is convenient to use and compact to store. Use needle files to make cutting tools for small craft projects. It is easy to make flat and oval chisels by shortening the file blade by 20–30 mm in order to reduce deflection when resting on the material. A miniature joint and knife will also not be superfluous. If you anneal a flat file on the fire of a gas stove, it will be reforgeable, and from it you can make a cranberry spatula, a miniature spoon cutter.
I advise you to use linoleum burrs when working with soft wood. Although these tools become dull quickly due to the poor quality of the steel, they have the required shapes cutting blade and are suitable for contour carving and cutting out ornaments. Surgical instruments that have become unusable can also be used. They are made from suitable steel and are shaped close to the carver's requirements.
So, let's look at the varieties cutting tool. It includes knives, jambs, flat and semicircular chisels, scratches, corners, cranberries, spoon cutters, and planes.
Knives
When in a conversation with colleagues you are interested in what kind of tool they use, first of all you ask about knives. The knife is like a natural extension of the carver's hand, an obedient executor of his plans. When I cut, there is a feeling that the arm, hand and blade are an inseparable whole, controlled by my consciousness.
I've seen craftsmen have a lot of different knives - everyone gets used to their own. There may be several of them - each carving technique has its own, but there is always a favorite, universal, and most convenient to use.
Photo 7. Knives
For many years now, I have been cutting most of my work with a homemade knife with a blade 4 cm long. It cuts off excess material, creates a plastic form, cuts out large and small parts, applies ornaments, and leaves a mark during the final processing of the surface. Of course, I can’t do without other tools, but a considerable percentage of the work falls on this humble worker. It has been successfully tested in my work and with many of my students. Everyone who uses it confirms its versatility and convenience.
To make such a knife you will need a straight razor. A hacksaw blade of suitable size or a scalpel will also come in handy. The knife making process is simple. Let's consider it using the example of using a scalpel (Fig. 3.3, a).
Adjust the length of the handle according to your hand so that the back of your head rests in the center of your palm while working, and your thumb and index fingers clasp the handle at the beginning of the blade. I don't cover the handle of the knife with anything. Of course, it gets dirty quickly, but it slips less in your hand and absorbs the sweat of your palm better when you work a lot. The feeling of touching an unvarnished handle is more pleasant, it is not distracting, and in long-term and serious work, every little thing matters.
Rice. 3.3. Knives: A– universal from a scalpel; b- Bogorodsky; V– blade shapes; G– ways to hold a utility knife
Once the handle is ready, start sharpening the cutting edge. Grind both planes of the blade on an emery wheel while rotating the shaft onto the tool. When grinding near the edge of the blade, the sound will be higher. Learn to recognize it. In the future, when sharpening, this will help to accurately determine whether you are touching the edge of the rotating wheel. When lowering the canvas into water to cool, hold it there a little, allowing it to cool. By the time of sharpening, there should be a drop of water on the edge of the blade; when it boils and evaporates during the sharpening process, lower the blade into the water again. If you still fail to protect the blade from burning, grind off this area and sharpen again. After successful sharpening, make finishing touches on a diamond or fine-grained corundum wheel with the shaft rotating from the tool, then proceed to straightening on a felt or leather wheel lubricated with GOI paste.
Photo 8, 9. Two techniques for holding a knife
To check the degree of sharpness, make several cuts on wooden block soft rock along and across the grain. Carefully examine the cut surfaces. They should be clean, without grooves or burrs, with a slight shine. A sharp tool cuts in without any extra effort, leaving a pleasant feeling of overcoming. Sharpening and straightening of a knife can also be done on whetstones or whetstones. This method is acceptable, although it requires a lot of time, which is not always enough.
Having sharpened a knife, you must understand that not only reliable assistant, but also a dangerous weapon. Beginners, forgetting about this, often injure their hands, especially the left. The blade enters the wood under significant force; in inexperienced hands it breaks off, hitting the hand or fingers. The cuts can be significant.
The utility knife is held in two ways (Fig. 3.3, d). In the first case - with the blade away from you. In this case, the edge of the knife at the moment of cutting is supported by the thumb of the left hand, which simultaneously holds the workpiece. The blade, moving forward, follows a radius. The second method is reminiscent of cutting potato peels, as housewives do - hold the knife with the blade towards you. You should learn to cut so that the blade passes higher after cutting the chips thumb right hand, otherwise, if it falls off the material, it may injure your hand. If you are left-handed, all actions, accordingly, change in this and all subsequent technologies for handling the tool.
To protect against injuries and calluses, sew or glue finger pads out of leather and put them on your thumbs while working.
Remember: the goal of your first woodworking is not so much to create an artistic craft, but to acquire skills in handling a cutting tool and understanding wood as a material (its layering, varied hardness and other qualities).
For safety and to prevent dulling of the cutting edge during storage, make a rubber or leather safety case that you put on the blade after finishing work - it will be convenient to take the knife with you for work outside the workshop.
Leaving the principle of making a knife the same, the blade can be made in various shapes (Fig. 3.3, c).
If you are accustomed to a different design and shape of the cutting part of the knife, then I advise you to use the Bogorodsk knife with caution: it has a long cutting part of the blade, and if you are not used to it, you can injure your hand.
A carver accumulates knives over time various shapes and sizes: shoemaker type, as well as with a long and narrow blade or with a long handle resting on the shoulder - for cutting plywood and thin boards. All of them are useful in certain processing processes - each in its place is sometimes simply irreplaceable.
Blunt knives
This is a type of flat chisel with a beveled cutting edge. Shoe jamb knives with a blade beveled at an angle of 30° are available for sale. They can be used, but the cutter often needs jambs with an angle of 50-70°. The chamfer is sharpened on both sides and on one side. Double-sided jambs are mainly required when carving flat reliefs.
In Fig. 3.4, and shows a small joint, convenient for working on initial stages training for cutting out simple geometric and contour patterns. It is made from a hacksaw blade 14–16 mm wide and 0.8 mm thick. Easily enters the wood, spreading the layer slightly, which allows you to avoid chipping small parts.
The small joint should be held in your fist while working (Fig. 3.4, c). Place your thumb on the back of the handle - this makes it easier to press and insert the blade into the mass of material. When cutting towards yourself, place the nose away from you and vice versa.
For larger elements of geometric patterns, the blade needs to be made wider and the size of the handle needs to be increased according to your hand. Will come in handy metal sheet 15–25 mm wide and 2 mm thick, blade exit from the handle is up to 100 mm, chamfers are sharpened to 6–8 mm.
A jamb with one-sided sharpening (Fig. 3.4, b) is useful for removing material, cutting out ornaments, and finishing three-dimensional surfaces. It can be used instead of a flat chisel: thanks to the angled cutting edge, it is easier to cut off excess. It is easy to make it from a flat chisel, grinding off the cutting edge at an angle of 60°. The width may vary, but 15–25 mm is most suitable.
You need to hold a large joint with two hands: the right one holds the handle, pressing the center of the palm into the back of the head and creating force in the direction of the intended cut, the left one covers the canvas from above, clasping it with all fingers.
Rice. 3.4. Blunt knives: A– double-sided ( 1 – heel; 2 – spout; 3 – shank; 4 – handle handle; 5 – back of the head); b– one-sided; V– ways to hold them: 6 – double-sided; 7 – one-sided
The thumb is also on top, touching the beginning of the handle. It is not advisable to keep it at the bottom, since it will touch the workpiece at the time of cutting. Left hand, while holding the tool, restrains the forward movement of the jamb so as not to cut off excess. At the same time, if necessary, with the lower part of the hand at the wrist (I call it the “heel”), resting against the product itself, it holds it.
If the workpiece is small in size and the cut is made from the edge, then the jamb is held with the left hand from below. To do this, place the canvas on your left palm and cover it with your thumb. With the index finger of your left hand, simultaneously hold the tool at the moment of cutting and press the part against the stop. The method of holding flat and semicircular chisels is the same. This is convenient when processing products that are not secured with a clamp or other method - it is easy to change their position, the left hand is out of danger, since it does not fall under the cutting tool (an important point, and it should be constantly remembered).
Over time, it is advisable for a carver to learn to work with his right and left hands. There are places where it is inconvenient to cut with the right, and that’s when the ability to operate with the same skill with the left comes in handy.
Flat chisels
Chisels with a flat, unbeveled cutting edge will always be needed in your work. They will be needed in a variety of widths - from 2 to 30–40 mm - depending on the work being performed and the size of the material. In small products, chisels with a narrow blade are used; the mass of wood is cut using the force of the hand. For the manufacture of large products, generalized parts, as well as cutting large masses, stock up on wider chisels. When working with them, you need both strong hand pressure on the chisel and a blow with a mallet. To make homemade chisels, use anything that is made of good steel and close in shape.
I suggest one of standard options flat chisel. Look carefully at its shape and dimensions in Fig. 3.5.
Rice. 3.5. Flat chisels: A– without sides ( 1 – cutting edge; 2 – chamfer; 3 - canvas; 4 – shank; 5 – emphasis; 6 – neck; 7 – heel; 8 – handle handle; 9 – back of the head; 10 – rubber nozzle); b– with side; V– sharpening methods ( 11–13 – correct: 11 – double chamfer; 12 – single chamfer, 13 – double-sided chamfer; 14 - incorrect)
Industrially produced chisels are sometimes produced with plastic handles, but practice has shown that this is inconvenient - under the blow of a mallet, such handles produce unnecessary noise, do not absorb hand sweat, and if the mallet is wooden, then it itself wears out faster. More practical solution– make the handle wooden without varnish.
Photo 10. Flat chisels. In the center there is a rubber tip from crutches, it protects the handle from being hit by a mallet, reducing noise, which is desirable in a home environment
Flat and other types of chisels produced by the industry are made with cone-shaped shanks, which is impractical. During operation, repeated blows with a mallet can cause a chisel with a conical shank to jump out of its handle. For homemade chisels, I recommend grinding the shank down to a square section. Several shallow cuts are made on its ribs. The handle is given an octagonal shape by chamfering the corners of the block using a chisel and file. Don’t forget to make the handle narrower towards the stop and round the back of the head. Now pour glue or epoxy resin into the hole and firmly push the handle onto the shank until it stops.
When working with wide chisels, the force of the hand is often not enough for the chisel to enter the material. In such cases, carvers use a mallet, making single, double blows on the handle or a series of blows. This quickly wears out the back of the handle. And the sound when hitting the handle with a mallet is loud. To prevent this from happening, purchase several rubber tips for crutches at the pharmacy. They are sold in two or three sizes. Choose one whose diameter matches the thickness of the neck of the handle. For more commonly used chisels, put on a personal tip (Fig. 3.5, 10), and for rarely used ones, have two or three replacement ones, put on only when necessary. You can also purchase mallets made of thick rubber or stuffed on the end wooden mallet skin.
As many years of practice have shown, a handle equipped with a rubber tip, in addition to allowing you to get rid of excess noise and preserve the back of your head, has another important quality - under single and serial blows, the cutting edge enters the mass of wood not sharply and hard (dry), but softly and to a shallow depth. A series of blows merges into one smooth movement, such as when using a jackhammer. The left hand, holding the chisel, regulates its direction, moving along the volume of the product, easily bypassing bulges and depressions, preventing excess from being cut off.
In wood carving, the principle “better under than over” is of no small importance. I hope that the rubber tip carving technique will help develop a feel for the material and allow for more precise processing.
When the handle is made, proceed to sharpening. With flat chisels, as with jambs, pay attention to the correct chamfering. They can be of various shapes.
In Fig. 3.5.11 shows a double chamfer. Its first, slightly concave section is made on the oval edge of the grinding wheel. Its length, if the steel is of good quality, is 2.5–3 times the thickness of the blade. For weak metal, make the chamfers shorter, i.e., in two thicknesses. This will require more force to cut the material, but the edge will last longer. Sharpen the second section in the next step on the flat side of a sharpening wheel, a disk with a diamond mandrel or on fine-grained whetstones, and finish on a felt wheel or whetstone. A double chamfer is made more often on chisels used for precise work, without the impact of a mallet, which is performed mainly by hand.
Another option is a single chamfer, from the heel to the cutting edge flat surface(Fig. 3.5, 12). Grind it down on the sides of the grinding wheel and finish it, as in the previous version. A single bevel can be slightly shorter and stiffer. This gives it greater reliability in cutting hard, transverse layers and knots that occur when you have to work with a blow with a mallet.
Sometimes a beginner, due to inexperience, fills up the chamfer (Fig. 3.5, 14), as a result of which it turns out without a heel (which is a stop when the cutter comes out of the wood mass). When inserting such a chisel into the workpiece, you have to raise the handle too high. This entails the need to overcome the excessive resistance of the material, with the danger of chipping off the excess.
After sharpening, try making several cuts on the block along and across the grain. A well-sharpened cutting edge easily enters the wood, leaving a pleasant, shiny, scratch-free cut.
Semicircular chisels
There is a great variety of semicircular chisels, varying in width, radius of curvature of the cross section of the blade and the shape of the cutting edge. Such chisels have a wide range of applications - from rough removal of a mass of material from large volumes to the creation of plastic images, cutting out ornaments, reliefs, small details and final finishing of the surface texture. In all cases, they easily remove chips, forming cuts on the wood surface of the same radius as the bend of the blade. To avoid scoring, they are inserted into the material so that one or both edges remain above the plane of the workpiece.
The cutting edge is usually sharpened from the outside. Depending on the purpose and for convenience, the thread can be straight, curved, concave and elongated. The latter is used in turning and staple carving.
Rice. 3.6. Semicircular chisel: A– design; b– width and radii of cutting edges ( 1 – sloping; 2 – average; 3 – cool); V– edge shapes ( 4 – straight; 5 – radius; 6 – concave; 7 – elongated)
There is another option for sharpening a semicircular chisel, when the cutting edge is chamfered from the side of the inner plane. Such a tool is necessary for expanding and cleaning bottlenecks in internal volumes, where it is not possible to hold a chisel at an angle to the plane. For example, a narrow neck of a vessel, a narrow opening in volume.
Photo 11. Radius chisels
You can buy it in stores a large number of various semicircular chisels. But, if possible, do not neglect the services of a competent craftsman or give yourself pleasure - try making them yourself.
It is not difficult to make a good chisel from a metal tap - you need to patiently remove the excess thickness from the end of the blade with sandpaper and sharpen the chamfer. Such a tool does not dull for a long time, even on dense wood it gives a clean cut.
Any tool should only be made of good steel, especially for a beginner, as this is the key to success, a guarantee that the amateur carver will not be disappointed in his hobby.
Photo 12. The first way to hold an oval chisel
Photo 13. The second way to hold an oval chisel
Photo 14. The third way to hold an oval chisel is with both hands
Due to the fact that the blade of semicircular chisels is curved, when sharpening them you need to carefully ensure that the chamfer is sharpened evenly over the entire surface. To do this, touching the rotating abrasive wheel with the edge of the tool, tilt the latter from left to right and in the reverse order, without stopping along the entire edge, so that bald spots do not form. Burrs with inside remove surfaces using sandpaper on a stick of the required radius or fine-grained bars with a rounded edge. You can use felt and leather circles with GOI paste.
Rice. 3.7. A - tsarazik; b - corners and their varieties: 1 - spicy; 2 – radius; 3 - concave; V - Possible sizes of corners and walls
Sloping chisels are useful for finishing the surface treatment, giving it softness and smooth transitions. Sloping chisels cut shallowly, as if dressing the product in rhythmic, low-contrast scales.
During operation, a semicircular chisel is held in the same way as a flat one.
Tsaraziki
These are semicircular chisels with a small (1–3 mm) bending radius of the blade and high, 5–10 mm parallel sides (Fig. 3.7, a). Convenient for cutting deep grooves. Used in reliefs, contour and ornamental carvings.
Corners
Two flat chisels connected at an angle form a corner. Small in size, with an angle of 20–50°, a side height of 5–8 mm, they are convenient for cutting contours, tracing grooves, and making geometric patterns. Large angles with an angle from 50 to 140° and high sides (10–30 mm) are used for deep cuts in large works, reliefs, and also when removing large masses of material. If a flat chisel or knife has to make two cuts, then the corner does this job in one movement - it cuts off both edges at once, forming an even groove. This simplifies and speeds up the carving process. I offer a drawing of a small corner and size options (Fig. 3.7, b, c).
In Fig. Figure 3.7, b shows the profile of a concave corner, with which you can, where necessary, make the walls of the grooves convex. This will give your ornament greater artistic expressiveness.
Photo 15. Different types of corners
Carvers mainly use angles with a straight cutting edge, which is perpendicular to the axis of the blade, but some work is more convenient to perform with elongated or beveled angles. Sharpening occurs in the following order. Sharpen each surface as you did with a flat chisel. External side Grind the corner with a rounded chamfer. When doing this, be careful: it is easy to burn or drain more than necessary; cool it in water more often. To remove burrs from the inside of a corner, prepare a stick with a sharp edge wrapped in sandpaper. Finish the edge of the planes with a diamond or on a felt wheel with GOI paste or on a whetstone. Sharpening a corner correctly requires some skill.
Klukarzy
To select complex ornaments, deep volumes, bas-reliefs, you will need flat, semicircular, corner chisels with a short or long curved blade and neck, which allow you to process places that are difficult to reach with conventional chisels. Cranberries are complex in shape, so they are difficult to manufacture, but they greatly facilitate the labor process and improve the quality of work. Replacing them with some other tool is not always possible.
Photo 16. Various types of cranberries
There are several types of cranberries.
Spoon cutters
These are knives with a curved blade (Fig. 3.9, a), which have been used since ancient times to cut containers for spoons, ladles, and bowls (bratin). Convenient when working with soft wood.
Sharpening spoon cutters and rings is not very convenient; this work requires a certain skill. The difficulty is that the cutting edge is located in a circle. Be careful when touching the grinding wheel, turn the edge evenly, achieve an even (same width) chamfer without bald spots. Finish the finishing with a touchstone, sandpaper on a pencil, a stick or a felt circle with GOI paste.
Rice. 3.8. Klukarzy: A– stepped; b– with a short cloth; V– with a long cloth; G– concave; d– application
Rice. 3.9. spoon cutter ( A), ring ( b), hooks ( V), small plows ( G)
Required set of cutting tools
We looked at the main types of cutting tools. Based on what is proposed, you will be able to gradually acquire or manufacture the tool that is necessary for your work. Some carvers, forgetting that there is quite a a wide range of, they make do with a primitive set (3-6 chisels) and are clearly robbing themselves. I won’t argue - to each his own, but practice has shown that a sufficient variety of tools facilitates and speeds up the process of creating a work, and improves the quality of work.
Rice. 3.10. Basic forms of cutting tools: A- knife; b– knife-jamb; V– flat chisel; G– chisel with sides; d– sloping chisel; e– medium chisel; g – steep chisel; h– stepped chisel; And– cranberry with a short blade; To– cranberry with a long cloth; l– reverse cranberry; m– tsarazik; n– corner; O– spoon cutter; P- ring; R– small plow
I am providing a short list of the tools most used by carvers in the production of decorative and sculptural works. I recommend purchasing those in bold first. This set will open up wide opportunities for beginners.
Knives with blade length 40 , 60 mm
Jambs 10 wide, 15 , 22 mm
Flat chisels width 2, 5, 12, 18 , 25 mm
semicircular sloping 6, 12 , 20 mm
average 6, 12 , 18, 25 mm
cool 12 , 18, 22 mm
Carrion 2.5 mm wide
Angles 30°, 50°, 90°
Flat cranberries 5.15 mm wide
semicircular medium 18 mm
steep 12, 20 mm
Once again I would like to remind you that you should purchase cutting tools made only from good steel, of suitable shape and size, with comfortable handles. Monitor its condition, sharpen it before work, store it in a visible place, and protect the cutting edge from becoming dull. Remember that the cutting tool is not only your first assistant in carving, but also a highly dangerous item. Treat him attentively, carefully and even with respect - he will answer you in the same way.
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A wood carver's tool is everything! The success of all work depends on its quality and sharpening. Therefore, many craftsmen prefer to work exclusively with knives of their own making. Moreover, making a chisel or the same cutter yourself will not be difficult for an experienced person. The main thing is to have suitable materials at hand.
My toolbox contains quite a few chisels, cutters, knives and other wood carving tools. And I must say that most of them are handmade, that is, made by me personally. One feature distinguishes them all - special form handles. I always do it with finger pads so that it is comfortable to hold the knife in your hand and convenient to work with.
We will need:
- old chair leg for handle
- metal cutter for cutting part
- cardboard for templates
- epoxy resin
Note: The shape of the leg can be either rectangular (this is what I use) or round.
Tools:
- hacksaw
- straight and semicircular chisels
- Bulgarian
- vice
- drill
Making a template
Before I start working with the material, I always prepare a template. I advise you to follow my example.
We will make it from thick cardboard. The shape of both the handle and the cutting part can be chosen arbitrarily. The main thing is that it is convenient for you.
For the handle, I personally am going to make this option, as shown in photo No.2. As for the cutting part, I intend to make the “heel” of the future knife with an oblique, so that in the future it can be used for cutting recesses and slits.
We transfer the templates to wood and metal and cut them out.
If you have already noticed, I make two tools at the same time.
Cutting out the cutting part
We place the cutter in a vice and use a grinder to cut out the part we need. We work carefully, not forgetting about safety rules.
Preparing the handle
Using a hacksaw, we cut out the shape of the handle and process the wood. We make cutting movements in a circle and under the arm.
When the handle is almost ready, we begin sanding. We carry out this process with sandpaper until the surface of the wood becomes smooth.
Then you need to drill a hole into which you will insert metal part knife We use a drill for this. Moreover, the resulting hole should be slightly larger in size than the tail of the knife.
Assembling a knife
Now you need to secure the cutting part and the handle. We insert the metal blank into the hole of the handle and fill it with epoxy resin (photo No. 4).
You can buy it in the store and easily prepare it yourself (included in the kit). After 1-3 hours, the mixture will set and the joint knife will actually be ready. If you want to shorten this wait time, add a little hardener to the resin.
And the last steps - before use, the knife handle must be varnished (I choose nitro varnish for these purposes), and the cutting edge must be sharpened. That's it: our tool is ready to go.
Alexander Tsaregorodtsev, Tomsk. Photo by the author
Knives with blades of different shapes found the most wide application. Traditionally they are associated with contour and geometric carving, but can be very useful for working out elements of flat-relief carving. The knives are made from high-quality hardened steel. The following types of knives are distinguished: jamb knives, cutter knives and spoon knives (Fig. 2).
Blunt knives(Fig. 2, A) are intended for performing geometric and contour carvings, cutting out ornaments. For such knives, the bevel angle plays an important role, which can vary from 30 to 80°.
The required bevel angle is determined by both the labor intensity of the work and its complexity. Knives with a bevel angle of 60–80° are designed for cutting large straight ornaments. For smaller work or making curved designs, knives with a smaller bevel angle are suitable.
Knife cutter may have a different shape depending on the type of thread (Fig. 2, b). In geometric carvings, they are used to make rosettes and various curved elements; in contour carvings, all kinds of roundings and bends are used. Cutter knives are indispensable when performing slotted overlay threads and profile work. Cutters can be wide or narrow.
Spoon knives (spoon cutters)) have a spherical surface and are used mainly for the manufacture of carved dishes, since they can be used to sample the inner surface of the product (Fig. 2, d).
Rice. 2. Making knives from a saw blade for metal and mounting them with cuttings: A– knife-jambs with different angles bevel; b– cutter knives; V– cutting line on a large hacksaw blade; G– making a handle for a large knife; d– spoon knives; e– gripping the knife when carving.
Knives are widely used in the practice of a carver both when performing rough work (usual cutting of wood with a full blade) and in cleaning threads with the tip of a knife. At home, it is impossible to harden a knife made of good steel exactly along the entire blade. Therefore, they use either a successfully purchased ordinary pocket knife (which is rare), or a homemade one.
Typically, craftsmen make knives for wood carving themselves from the blade of a mechanical saw for metal, a file or a straight razor. The easiest way to make excellent knives is from a hacksaw blade for metal, and both a small fragment and a completely dull blade are suitable for this. Such blades are narrow and thin, used in hand saws, and wide, 2 mm thick, which are used in industrial machines for cutting metal. The former are used to make small joints and cutters, while the latter are used to make large knives for rough processing of large workpieces, sculptural carvings and other large-scale works. Depending on the thickness of the steel strip, the size of the knife is determined. It is advisable to have 2-3 knives different sizes and with different tip shapes: from sharp (about 30°) to rounded.
Thin sheets are simply broken in the right place using pliers or a vice. In the same way, you can break off small unnecessary parts from a piece of fabric. But with machine-made canvases they act differently.
It is necessary to mark on the workpiece desired angle bevel (Fig. 2, V) and cut it off on the edge of the sharpener, making grooves on each side along the cut line, or using a grinder with a cutting wheel. If you are careful enough, you will end up with two pieces at once in the shape of large knives. You cannot knock down this angle with a hammer, holding the blade in a vice: the direction of the chip line may turn out to be the most unexpected, or the impact will result in hidden cracks in the cutter, and fragments flying off with force can cause injury.
The resulting edge is smoothed on a sharpener. Then, at a distance equal to the width of the cutter, at the same bevel angle, you need to mark the boundary of the first chamfers. The first chamfers are removed on the wheel symmetrically on both sides so that they are parallel to at least half and form a thin working part of the cutter: when you press the tip of the cutter with your thumbnail, it should spring slightly.
It is useful to correct the thin cutter plate obtained in this way on the flat side surface whetstone, especially its end - the working part. Also, on the plane of the stone, the second chamfers are removed on each side of the working part of the cutter at an angle of about 8°. The second chamfers form a blade with an angle of 15–16°.
In order not to go beyond the specified angle of 15°, you need to monitor the lifting height of the end of the cutter. It should be equal?–? cutter length.
Subsequently, when adjusting the tool during operation, the angle of its blade is dulled to 20°, which is still acceptable for carving, but at the first opportunity it must be adjusted again.
On a sharpening wheel, knives are not sharpened to a sharp edge. To avoid the risk of spoiling high-quality steel by overheating, final sharpening and finishing is carried out using a whetstone.
If the sharp tip of a knife breaks off while working with wood, it is not necessary to sharpen the entire blade again. It is faster and more convenient to make the tip of the knife sharp again by selecting a semicircular depression at its end from the side of the butt of the knife. This can be done with the edge of an emery disc or a needle file, preferably a diamond one.
A jamb is a type of flat chisel with a beveled cutting edge. Most often, the carver needs jambs with an angle of 50–70°. The chamfer is sharpened on both sides and on one side. A jamb with one-sided sharpening is useful for removing material, cutting out ornaments, and finishing three-dimensional surfaces. Thanks to the angled cutting edge, it is easier for them to cut off excess. Double-sided jambs are mainly required when carving flat reliefs.
It is best to make a jamb knife from a hacksaw blade 14–16 mm wide and 0.8 mm thick. Such a tool easily enters the wood, slightly moving the layers apart, which makes it possible not to chip small parts.
To make it, you need to cut or break off a piece of blade 100 mm long, use a sharpener to remove the teeth from one end to half the length, and cut off the end from the same edge at an angle of 60° so that the sharp nose is on the side opposite the teeth. Sharpening chamfer – 2 mm. When sharpening, you need to cool the blade in water more often so as not to burn the nose.
For larger elements of geometric patterns, the blade needs to be made wider. You can remake a flat chisel by grinding down its cutting edge at an angle of 60°. But most often, a large jamb is made from a machine blade 15–25 mm wide, 100–160 mm long and 2 mm thick, the chamfers are sharpened to 6–8 mm. A 60 mm long shank is ground down to a width of 10–15 mm and notches are filed, thanks to which the blade will be held in the handle.
It is advisable for a carver to learn how to work with his right and left hands. There are places where it is inconvenient to work with your right hand, and that’s when the ability to operate with your left hand with the same skill will come in handy.
Spoon cutters are knives with a curved blade, which have been used since ancient times for cutting containers of spoons, ladles, bowls (bratin); Convenient when working with soft wood. You can make a spoon cutter from a rod or strip of carbon steel 150–200 mm long, 10–15 mm wide and 2 mm thick. It is necessary to sharpen an end 50–60 mm long into a single- or double-sided blade without finishing so that the chamfers are on the same plane of the blade. Then you need to bend the sharpened end along a radius of 15 mm so that the chamfers remain on the outside, leaving a neck 80 mm long. The 60 mm long shank must be made flat.
After the metal part of the tool is made, you need to think about its handle. A temporary (also the fastest) option is to wrap the knife with thick adhesive tape, drive it into a thick rubber hose or copper tube, or even just get by with a piece of thick fabric, tied with a rope. But a wooden handle will be more convenient. You can press the workpiece tightly into the finished round wooden handle and secure it. The longest, but most convenient option for the carver is to make a handle from two halves. This especially applies to large knives, for which it is advisable to find a shape that is convenient for the cutter’s hand. wooden handle. Working with a large knife usually involves planing into a full blade using force, so with a comfortable handle, your hand will get less tired and the likelihood of calluses on the palm will decrease. It is easy to determine the optimal shape of a knife handle using plasticine, holding a piece of it in the palm of your hand in the same way as the handle of a knife is compressed during planing (Fig. 2, e).
The handle of a large knife from two overhead wooden halves can be tightened with a screw for metal, the diameter of which corresponds to the hole at the end of the saw: the screw goes into the hole of one half freely, into the hole of the other - a smaller diameter - it is screwed with force (Fig. 2, G). To recess the screw head, select a socket for it using a semicircular chisel or countersink (countersinking with a drill does not give an even chamfer and tears the wood). The protruding part of the screw on the other side is cut off with a hacksaw and cleaned with a file. Subsequently, after the wood of the handle has dried and compacted, the screw can be tightened. It is clear that to tighten the halves of the knife handle, you can also use a screw with a nut, which can be easily sunk into a hole made according to its shape.
The upper part of the handle is tightened with nylon thread or strong linen thread with glue. The turns of the thread should fit into a recess machined on the assembled handle with a round rasp and coinciding with the recess on the knife blade, previously selected on the sharpening wheel. During the thread winding process top part It is better to tighten the handles in a vice.
The handle for a small jamb knife is made in the same way. The exit of the thin blade from the handle should be no more than 25 mm, otherwise it will bend when pressed when trimming parts. The output of a 2 mm thick blade from the handle of a jamb knife can be up to 45 mm.
For a small short knife, it is not necessary to make the handle short. After all, you will need to freely maneuver it, holding it in your palm in different positions. This is especially necessary when processing the internal surfaces of crafts, cavities, bends of threads, etc.
It is easiest to wrap very small knives, for example sharpened from a needle file, with adhesive tape so that the turns of the winding partially extend beyond the end of the handle. This will protect the winding from slipping during operation, and the hand will be protected from swelling.
A long-worn topic, making mini cutters from self-tapping screws. But again, maybe someone will need it.
The chisel can be made in 30 minutes.
For information, steel in self-tapping screws is used 10, 10 kp 20, 20 kp about these steels you can look at the steel brand (Google to help) It is hardened in water (can be in salt water) to approximately 55-63 HRC units.
See each photo for a description of the process.
A self-tapping cutter can be made on a gas stove or using gas burner. The cost of such a cutter will cost approximately 2-5 rubles (self-tapping screw - approximately 2 rubles)
We take the largest self-tapping screw, it has a cross-section of approximately 3.8 mm and cut off the head.
We heat it and flatten it with a hammer on some piece of iron.
To make a semicircular profile you need to take a corner as in the photo, it can be of different sizes, the profile will be different. The corner has a rounded inner part.
It is better to form a semicircular cutter with a hammer with a round nose.
It turns out something like this.
The wider you flatten, the wider the cutter will be, but the thinner the cutting edge will be.
You can work with the form as you wish and your imagination, as long as there is enough metal. Treat the inner part with sandpaper of different grain sizes from 100 to 1000
You can make cranberries using 2 pliers. We need to heat it up and while the metal is hot we make the shape we need. But don't forget to make a semicircular profile.
Using a sharpener, we shape and make a cutting edge; if you don’t have a sharpener, you can make it using a file or needle file. And we sharpen it on a stone until it is in working condition and harden it in water.
Hello to all lovers of homemade products, every specialist knows well that the tool plays a big role in the work, namely its reliability and build quality. Thinking about this topic, thoughts arise to make the perfect handy tool with your own hands, in in this case These are wood cutters, and cutting out patterns with their help is quite an exciting activity, which is good news. The main thing in creating cutters is to be more careful, since you will have to work with sharp objects, namely the cutting part. The author’s idea to make wood cutters with his own hands was accompanied by the fact that there was no such tool nearby, and there were no local stores either.
The properties that a good wood carving knife should have are as follows:
High-quality steel that increases the service life of knives and maintains their sharpness for a long time.
Ergonomic (comfortable) handles.
Relative ease of manufacture.
Reliability.
To create this homemade product, you don’t need any hard-to-find materials, they shouldn’t be here, since it was planned in advance that all the details would be easily accessible to most carpenters and woodworking enthusiasts.
Required materials and tools:
* Band saw pieces made of durable steel, which from experience confirms their long-term sharpness retention.
* Leftovers oak boards, left over from past work, since oak itself is durable, beautiful and technologically advanced material in its own way.
Tools you will need:
* Electric sharpener.
* Belt sander with a grit of about 40, as well as sanding paper (grit 80, and for finishing - 240, 800 and 1000).
* Hacksaw.
* Respiratory protection - respirator (gauze mask).
* Wood glue.
That's all the details with the right tools ready, now let's start the step-by-step assembly.
Step one.
The first step is to make a blade. From pieces of a saw blade about 8 cm long, the author turned metal blade blanks the desired shape, and provided the blanks with shanks, their length is about 4.5-5 cm, these dimensions guarantee sufficient strength for fastening the blade in the handle.
For greater reliability of fixation (protection from loosening and the knife falling out of the handle), I made semicircular cutouts on the sides of the shank.
The cross-section of the knife blade has a wedge narrowing, the angle of which ranges from 10 to 15 degrees from the butt to the cutting edge, which is the descent of the blade. Well, the cutting edge is given this shape by a small chamfer, that is, a large narrowing, and therefore an angle of 25-30 degrees close to the blade blade.
A large chamfer on knives must be made even before the moment when the shank is not glued into the handle. The chamfer shape must be given on both sides, while maintaining a certain angle, and the grinding of the metal must occur symmetrically. It is known from materials science that during intensive grinding the metal heats up, which causes it to temper, and this leads to the fact that the metal becomes softer and loses the ability to maintain an edge. To prevent this from happening, the workpiece to be turned must be periodically cooled in water, thereby avoiding overheating. It is most convenient when the container is cold water is nearby and does not require lowering the workpiece a lot of work. To finally shape the blade, as well as sharpen and polish it, you need to install a handle, which is what will happen next.
Step two.
After long work with the metal we move on to making the handle; oak bars are well suited for this, the dimensions of which were 12 by 22 mm in cross-section, and the length was slightly more than 120 mm. These bars were selected so that the surfaces to be glued were smooth. To simplify the work, we make a selection of a socket for the shank in one of the halves of the future handle.
First, the shank is processed using a grinder along the edges in order to get rid of burrs. Then, placing the shank on the prepared block, we outline it with a pencil. Using chisels, we select a socket to a depth that is equal to the thickness of the workpiece, periodically assembling the structure assembly dry to check the fit of the bars to each other. If the depth of the socket is insufficient, the handle will either not stick together or, if the connection is poor, it will simply crack during use. Also, a socket that is too deep will cause the blade to move from side to side, which leads to undesirable consequences, namely cracking of the handle or deformation of the shank. Therefore, be as precise as possible when selecting the socket for the shank.
After you have made sure during the dry control assembly that all the parts fit tightly, in this case the shank, and also that there are no gaps between the bars-halves of the handle, then you can start gluing. We apply carpenter's glue to the surface of the block and into the socket under the shank, since it is impossible to achieve accuracy in depth when manually selecting a socket, then just in case it is better to fill it with glue, after which dries the shank will be held in place due to its hardness, in case of inaccuracy. You also need to apply glue to the adjacent part of the handle, but in a smaller layer.
Step three.
Then we combine the parts (you need to connect the ends of the blocks located closer to the blade as accurately as possible), and tighten them with clamps. Remove excess glue with a damp cloth and leave for 12 hours until completely dry.
Step four.
Now let's adjust the handle to a suitable shape for the cutting tool, usually this is a small bend on the back to support the thumb.
But you can’t do without the features of these pens; they differ in that
their back part is wider and rounded than the one closer to the blade, because of this, all blanks for handles in the first stage of processing look more like a truncated elongated pyramid, and there is also a recess for the index finger.
After gluing the workpiece, the back part is sawed off with a hacksaw to a size of 12 cm.
Then tape grinder grind the ends of the handles, do not forget to use the products personal protection- safety glasses and a respirator, since oak dust can cause allergies.
Sanding is started with 40 grit, and then in increasing order until the workpiece is smooth.
Cover with nitro varnish.
Step four.
We are finishing the cutting part, we need a small chamfer, the sharpening angle of which for these knives is approximately 25-30°. To form a small chamfer, the author uses sandpaper of different grits, gradually increasing the grit, starting from 240, moving to 800, and then to 1000, finally everything is polished on a leather belt clamped on a block. If sharpening is successful, then the wood should be cut both along and across the grain without applying special effort, and the cut surface should be smooth and shiny, the so-called “oil” cut.
Several knives were made using this manufacturing template; in general, they are quite reliable and easy to use, which is quite decent for a non-professional.
All beginning carvers ask: “What tools do I need first?” First we will need a small number of tools. Instead of buying a full set of cutting accessories, purchase tools as needed. Usually, when you buy a set, you don't save a penny, but there are always things left that you hardly need. Buy the best quality tools you can afford; good, sharp, high-carbon steel tools will last you a long time and save you money.
Knives
You will need good knife- one that will be comfortable to work with. There are three types of knives - with a folding blade (pocket knife), with a fixed blade and knives with a replaceable blade. I prefer to use fixed blade knives because they are the safest. Knives also vary in blade shape and steel type.
I recommend a high-carbon steel blade with a hardness of 55 to 60 RC—it will stay sharp longer than a stainless or low-carbon steel blade. For finishing and creating shapes, I use a blade with a thickness of 4 mm and a length of 3.8 to 5.1 cm. A knife with a narrower and shorter blade would be better suited to work out the details. Some carvers prefer knives with replaceable blades, because in this case, instead of sharpening the knife, you simply need to change the blade. Another advantage is this. that the handle of such a knife can be used with small chisels.
Chisels
Chisels come in different widths and curvatures. Curvature is indicated by a number. The steeper the curvature, the larger the number. So, a chisel with number 3 is almost flat, and number 11 has a U-shape. Of course, a number 10 or 11 chisel cuts deeper and removes more wood than a number 3. On the other hand, a number 3 chisel is useful for finishing. The number 12 V-shaped chisel has a wide range from 24 to 90 degrees, but the most common chisels are those with an angle of 60 to 70 degrees.
When choosing a chisel, pay attention to the handle so that the tool does not roll onto the floor when you place it on the table. Otherwise, you will constantly have to repair the blade.
When choosing a chisel, also keep in mind the size and type of carving you want to make. For self made Palm-sized chisels are more suitable, and for small parts you will need even smaller tools. Sculpted and relief carvings require the use of standard chisels with heavy handles.
Saws
Carvers use the saws themselves different types depending on the task, but most often a bow saw (“snake”) is used.
It includes a replaceable high carbon steel blade mounted on a steel frame with handle. A bow saw can be used to create narrow, curved lines, although a fair amount of patience is required to prevent the blade from breaking or warping. The saw is also used to remove excess wood.
Special tools
The scraper is used for stripping bark and for quick, rough removal of excess wood, such as when working on furniture. The spoon knife has a double-edged round blade, ideal for making spoons, cups or masks.
Abrasives
Files and rasps remove excess wood quickly and smoothly. They differ in the nature of the surface, which can be rough, medium or relatively smooth. Always use flat, semicircular or round shaped tools with a handle. Riffler-type files and rasps have teeth on both ends and come in a variety of shapes. They are used to penetrate hard-to-reach places and remove small chips. Tools with a rough surface are used for cleaning small areas.
The flexible sanding belt is useful when working on curved surfaces. Grinding cylinders included hand drill or the press are indispensable for final finishing. Polishing tools differ in surface texture and the nature of the material, meeting a wide variety of needs. Use sandpaper only after finishing the job, otherwise abrasive particles will get stuck in the wood and your tools will quickly become dull.
Electrical tools
When you start making blanks yourself, you will need band-saw. A huge selection of blades will allow you to make the most difficult cuts with ease, far surpassing anything that can be done with a bow saw. An openwork saw will help to process the inner surface, but not every tree can handle it. Belt and disc sanders are good for both finishing and removing bark. Many carvers use rotary tools with a wide range of heads to machine parts such as feathers. There are hand-held grinders and small high-speed cutters. There are also at least four types of electric chisels with a reciprocating motion, allowing arthritic people and people with tennis elbow to enjoy carving.
Strengthening devices
If you are holding a workpiece in a vise, select a tool that will not leave marks on the workpiece (or insert some material between the workpiece and the vise). I often use a 6mm capercaillie and a wing nut to secure the workpiece to the workbench. If you are a beginner, you can wear a steel wire glove to protect your hand.
I have an old friend, also a carver, who wears a heavy leather apron when working toward the chest. When finishing or dyeing a product, you can use an awl or a paint stick.
SUPPORT
In order to hold the workpiece better when you cut wood with a snake saw, I advise you to use a support - regular board, supporting the wood during sawing. Simply attach it to a workbench or table and hold the saw vertically in the V-section as you cut the workpiece.
BENCH VICE
If you are planning to do relief carving, I suggest you also make a simple bench vise. One clamp holds the vise at the bottom in a stationary position, while the angle formed by the other two at the top prevents your workpiece or workpiece from slipping out of your hands while you work. Place a bench vise on your work surface.
Additional accessories
Electric burning tools can be used to color the product, add texture, and also to sign the work. You will need a dust mask and a vacuum cleaner. Artist's tools and various brushes are also needed if you want to cover the product with paint or varnish. To transfer the pattern to the workpiece, I advise you to use tracing paper or copying. When performing fine machining of parts, a good light source and a magnifying device are necessary.
Instrument care
You should periodically inspect your tools and wipe them with an oily cloth to prevent them from rusting. Store tools in individual compartments or wrapped in cloth to protect them and reduce sharpening time.
TOOL SHARPENING
Make sure your tools are always sharp and stop working from time to time to sharpen them. All the carvers I know have developed their own dressing system; everyone found their own procedure that was convenient for them personally. Some use whetstones with oil, others with water, and others use electrical devices.
The first step is to sharpen the blade using a fine-grained abrasive, such as diamond chips or sandpaper. First, one side is processed until burrs appear on the metal, then the other. At the next stage of editing, the surface irregularities that arose initially are eliminated. Finally, you should polish the blade with a special compound to a mirror shine, reducing friction between the blade and the wood.
How can you tell if a blade is sharp enough? Take a piece of scrap wood and run a knife across the grain. If a smooth mark remains, then the blade is sharp. If the fibers stick out in different directions and the mark is rough, then you need to sharpen the blade more.
TOOLS NEEDED
Cutting tools
Knife (preferably fixed blade)
Four straight chisels (palm-sized enough)
No. 3 sloping chisel 1/2 wide (1.3 cm)
No. 7 semicircular chisel 1/2 wide (1.3 cm) No. 11 steep chisel 1/4 wide (6 mm)
No. 12 corner chisel 1/4 wide (6 mm)
Drawing supplies and tools for applying patterns
Copier (MFP)
Bow saw (“snake”)
Support (see above)
Drawing supplies
Pencil
Copy paper