1. Wood carving technique
2. Let's make it ourselves
3. Blade
4. Lever
5. Sharpening

Knives for wood carving are a must-have accessory in the arsenal of a craftsman who makes decorative objects from natural wood.

Such tools may have Various types and shape, which directly affects the specific processing of individual parts. The most famous cutter, which is very popular among our craftsmen, is the Bogorodsk knife.

Wood carving technique

Wood carving is a complex but very interesting technique for decorating products, known since ancient times. Getting started, as a rule, consists of creating a blank, or, more simply, a deck or blank. Next, a rough surface treatment is performed, during which it is leveled and all sorts of defects are removed. Then comes the turn of artistic work, which the master carries out using wood carving cutters. Technically, this process looks like removing a piece of wood, which allows you to give the workpiece relief and volume. This stage can be called the main one, because it determines what the final appearance of the product will be. Finishing decorative item consists of sanding wood and impregnating it with antiseptics and paints and varnishes.

For execution self made of this type, cutting devices with different blade configurations can be used. The purity of the ornament on the wood depends on their quality no less than on the skill of the carpenter, so it is necessary to ensure that the chisel blade is strong, sharp and free of jagged edges. If experienced craftsmen can eyes closed To determine the type and quality of carpentry knives, then choosing wood cutters for beginners can be a difficult task. For those who are not yet fully familiar with the features of choosing and manufacturing cutters, we suggest that you familiarize yourself in more detail with their main varieties and method of application. You can also learn how to make wood cutters yourself by asking them required dimensions and shape.

Kinds

It is believed that master virtuosos can get by with one or two cutters, however, as practice shows, it will help to achieve the best result and make work easier good set special carpentry tools, which include chisels with blades various forms. Experts in this industry recommend adding the following items to your arsenal:

Along with devices for cutting openwork elements, there are also additional items that no carpenter can do without. Such tools include hacksaws, jigsaws, drills, wood hacksaws can be intended for roughing or finishing work (reciprocating saws, bow saws).

Those craftsmen who work with large-sized structures acquire not only hacksaw tools, but also include hatchet cutters, or, as they are also called, figured adzes, in their arsenal. Their operating principle is similar to that of cutting tools a smaller sample with the only difference being the scale and purity of the process. Beginners who are just beginning to learn the craft do not understand the types of instruments as thoroughly as experienced craftsmen, so the main thing here is to observe Golden Rule– quality is above all. Since buying high-quality knives can be expensive, many people make cutters on their own, especially since today it’s easy to find on the Internet suitable videos and photo lessons. Next, we will tell you how to make knives for figured carving with your own hands from scrap materials.

Let's make it ourselves

Let’s say right away that a high price does not always force a carpenter to take radical measures. Often good experienced master cannot choose a tool for himself that would meet his requirements, and this also becomes a reason for independent work above the incisor. In principle, this problem is solved quite successfully, the main thing is to know what to make the cutters from and what technology to use in in this case.

Blade

In most cases, ordinary wood or metal cloth is suitable as a raw material for self-harvesting. You can make an excellent jamb knife from such material - just break it off by hand or cut a segment of the blade on a lathe, and then form a cutting edge. The wood saw blade also has decent characteristics suitable for our product, because it is very important what steel the knife is made from, and here we are dealing with a carbon metal that is easy to sharpen and remains sharp for a long time even when working with hard rocks tree.

If your future homemade cutter is intended for cutting wood, it should have a semicircular blade shape, and in this case it is better to make it from a punch, which can be found in almost every home workshop. In private carpentry workshops you can find homemade bearing cutters, which have also proven themselves to work well.

Lever

When the cutting part of the chisel is ready, you can begin making an equally important part of the tool - the handle. Here we will need a wooden block, and it is better if it is hardwood, from which we will need to cut a holder with a hole in the end. Please note that the shape of the hole must correspond to a similar parameter of the metal shank of a knife for wood carving, made with your own hands from a canvas or disk.

If a handle consisting of two parts is used to make a wood cutter, it is recommended to additionally fix the blade with fasteners and carry out the gluing process using a vice or clamps.

Sharpening

A carver can achieve a decent result in his artistic craft only if the tool he makes is sharp. When carving wood, knives tend to become dull, so a properly sharpened joint can work for a long time without re-processing.

A woodcarver's tool is everything! The success of all work depends on its quality and sharpening. Therefore, many craftsmen prefer to work exclusively with knives self-made. 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 comfortable 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 in the handle and fill it epoxy resin(photo No.4).

You can buy it in the store and easily prepare it yourself ( detailed instructions included with 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 handle of the knife 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

One of the best materials For decorative design The interior was and remains wood. Being completely natural, wood does not emit substances harmful to health either during processing or during use. Wood is practical, wood is beautiful. Taking advantage simple tool, you can create a unique carved decoration: a panel, a box, a figurine.

Wood carving – best decoration own home and great gift. Carving is not difficult, anyone can become a woodworker, you just need a little talent, a lot of perseverance and, of course, good tools for wood carving.

What a beginner carver can't do without

Anyone who is lucky enough to be in the workshop of a real master of wood carving will be horrified - he uses so many different tools. My eyes just widen. The master will easily determine how to perform this or that stroke, what is best suited for this or that detail. Choice the right tool for carving largely determines the quality of the product.

A novice carver does not necessarily need to purchase a full set of tools; to make entry-level products, you can get by with a few of the most versatile knives and chisels. This will give you the opportunity to gain work experience, develop your own style, and then acquire exactly the instrument that will really be in demand.

Blunt knives

The most common knives for wood carving are jamb knives. They are used by both seasoned professionals and beginning carvers. Knives of this type have a beveled blade, making them convenient for creating small recesses. Their use is justified both for flat-relief sampling and for creating volumetric compositions.

A separate type of joint is a flag knife. It looks like a triangle, one corner stuck into the handle. This knife universal, all zones of the blade are used in the work.

Blunt knives differ in the angle of the cutting edge and the width of the blade. Based on the type of sharpening, a distinction is made between single-bevel and double-bevel. A beginning carver's toolkit should have several of these knives: at least three of different widths.

Geometric thread cutters

When making relief panels, you cannot do without another common carver's knife - a cutter knife. Thanks to the longer blade, this knife is ideal for creating ornaments in the shape of geometric shapes. They are convenient for processing curved shapes and roundings. So, triangles and other shapes are cut out with a hatchet knife.

In addition to creating flat reliefs, cutters are widely used for three-dimensional products. IN in capable hands a small cutter can be compared to an artist's brush.

Bogorodsky knife, “Tatyanka”

The phrase “Bogorodskaya toy” is familiar to many. This is a handmade wooden figurine. Almost the entire carving process, from preparing the workpiece to smoothing out small irregularities, is performed with a special knife, also called a Bogorodsk knife. Such a knife should definitely be in a carver's workshop.

A modification of this knife, popularly called “Tatyanka,” is widespread. When cutting soft wood, the full cycle of work can be completed with one tool. It is excellent for power carving; thanks to its comfortable handle, it ideally transfers force to the blade.

Chisels for wood carving

It is convenient to make samples of various configurations using chisels. Carvers use various instrument, but the most common are:

• straight chisels;
• semicircular or radius;
• cranberries, semicircular chisels with a bend at the cutting edge;
• stapled, having a U-shaped profile;
• corner

Unlike knives, the use of wood carving chisels allows you to make a groove of the required depth and profile in one pass. When working with soft wood, the chisel is pressed in by hand; carving on hard wood requires a striking technique. Here the master will come to the rescue wooden hammer, mallet.

In addition to differences in profile, chisels also differ in size. There is a tool with a working edge from two millimeters to several centimeters.

In addition, there is another type of tools for engraving and wood carving - a graver. They can produce beautiful artistic works.

Other necessary tools

A carver cannot get by with knives and chisels alone. It is necessary to acquire another tool designed for processing wood. The list can be very extensive, it all depends on the qualifications of the master and the list of products that he plans to produce. In any case, you will need:

• hacksaw or electric saw for cutting the workpiece;
• hatchet for roughing;
• plane and rasp for preparing the surface of the board;
• a set of patterns for transferring an image onto a workpiece;
• drill, manual or electric;
• nichrome wire for burning thin elements;
• sanding paper of different grits for final finishing products.

It would also be a good idea to worry about safety when carving with a sharp tool. To fasten small products, a carpenter's vice or several clamps are needed. A protective glove made of steel wire will help protect your hands from injury; this is especially important for beginning carvers. If the work involves multiple movements of a sharp knife towards yourself, it is worth purchasing an apron made of thick leather.

Tool sharpening

For wood carving to be enjoyable and the created masterpieces to be pleasing to the eye, the tool must be sharp. If during work you feel an increase in the resistance of the material, you need to take a break and sharpen the tool. This will allow you to avoid using unnecessary effort when carving and guarantee the excellent quality of every stroke, every groove.

Sharpening should begin with leveling work surface tool. To do this, use a coarse abrasive. It quickly and efficiently removes burrs and creates an ideal cutting edge.

Note! When working, it is important not to spoil the sharpening angle of the wood chisel and the geometry of the knife blade.

When working on emery, you must be careful, you must not allow the metal to overheat, sudden changes temperature, you can “release” the cutting edge.

After large irregularities have been removed, they move on to fine-grained abrasives. During grinding, roughness that arose during rough sharpening of the carving tool is removed. The last to be used are grinding mixtures applied to felt base. They create a perfectly flat surface, reducing friction between the tool and the material to a minimum.

Selection and purchase

A novice carver naturally has a question: where to get a carving tool. Nowadays this is not a problem. The industry offers chisels and knives of all types and modifications. You can purchase several knives and one or two chisels, or you can buy a set of tools, guided by your own taste and financial capabilities.

Oddly enough, but a wide range of The carver's tool significantly complicates the choice. It's difficult to navigate and buy for real good thing. It is not difficult to become the owner of a “disposable” tool that will last for several hours of work.

Before purchasing a tool, you should definitely ask:

• grade of steel from which the tool is made;
• manufacturer;
• country of manufacture.

An instrument is an individual thing. When choosing a knife or chisel, the right thing to do is to hold it in your hands, check how convenient it is to use, and only then buy it. It would also be useful to communicate on thematic forums, where experts share their own experiences; they will be happy to give practical advice.

DIY knife

Many professionals do not accept purchased tools and prefer to work with ones they made with their own hands. This makes sense, because every knife, every chisel is perfectly adjusted to the master’s hand. This tool is convenient to use, your hand does not get tired, and it is easy to control the pressure.

This is a reasonable approach. Having experience working with metal and good steel, you can start making a universal Bogorodsk knife for wood carving or a hatchet knife. To do this, you can use a broken blade from a mechanical hacksaw with a thickness of 2 mm. A powerful electric sharpener is sufficient for the tool.

The outline of the blade is transferred to the workpiece and carefully processed along the contour. During operation, the workpiece must be periodically cooled by dipping it in a container of water.

For a person familiar with woodworking, making a handle will not be difficult. An ideal handle can be made from a cast made from plasticine held in your hand. Wood block the appropriate size is marked and clamped in a vice. Using a hacksaw (it is better to use a hacksaw for metal) remove excess. For final finishing use a rasp and sandpaper.

Sculptural composition, work by Novoselov A.V.

To perform all types of carvings, various elements of home decoration, furniture, souvenirs and other crafts, you need a special tool.

Tools for carving can be distinguished as main (cutting) and auxiliary (for drilling and sawing, carpentry, marking). Various electrified household tools and devices based on an electric motor are also widely used, which the master can make himself.

All tools must be of excellent quality so that you can easily carry out carving work of any complexity.

The cutting tool should be made of good steel, light and comfortable, perfectly sharpened so that wood cuts like butter, and it should be kept in perfect condition.

A dull tool crumbles, crushes, and does not cut the wood, and the cuts and the carving itself look rough and careless. This ruins your mood and often discourages you from finishing your work. It’s easy and pleasant to work with a sharp tool; the drawing turns out clean, precise, and beautiful. By finished product You can always determine not only the skill and handwriting of the master, but also how and how he performed the work.

Cutting tool

Bogorodsky knife, used for sculptural carving, takes its name from Bogorodsk sculptural carving.

Bogorodsky knife

Knife-jamb(chamfer sharpening angle 20°, bevel angle 35 0;45°;60°), used for flat-notched, flat-relief, relief, openwork carvings.

Knife-jamb

Knife cutter- used as an auxiliary tool for various types threads.

Knife cutter

Straight chisels(sharpening angle 18-20°); used as an auxiliary tool for various types of carvings.

Straight chisel

Semicircular chisels- the main tool used to perform all types of wood carving. There are: - flat (R˃H), medium (R=H), steep (R˂H).

Semi-round chisels

Sameski - cranberries These are chisels with a curved blade which allows, when carving, not to touch the surface being processed with the handle. There is a cranberry-flat chisel and a cranberry-corner. cranberry-semicircular chisel.

Cranberry chisels

Ceramic chisels resemble cool semicircular chisels. The width of their canvas is 2…3 mm. Designed for cutting thin veins, the cross-section of which corresponds to the profile of the tool.

Ceramic chisel

Chisels - corners or geismus.(angle between cutting edges 50-70°). Used to make a V-shaped groove, used to make elements of contour threads.

Corner chisel or Geismus

Stichel. Stichels always have a bend angle of 15 degrees. Their handles are most often in the form of a fungus.Used for sampling various veins when making engravings.

Stichel

Klepiki. Studs come in a variety of sizes, but they have only three sharpening shapes: sword, leaf and nail. The first two are called: sword rivet and leaf rivet.

They are used in flat-relief and volumetric carvings to clean up the background in hard-to-reach places.

Rivet-sword, rivet-leaf

Chisel-nail. Marigolds differ from ordinary rivets in the shape of their sharpening. It resembles a fingernail to them. The purpose of the marigolds is to clean hard-to-reach places and make elements of staple threads.

Chisel-nail

Spoonmen(spoon knives). The best spoon holder is a sharpened ring with a rod welded to it. Spoons are needed to remove a large amount of material in the recesses and to process the internal walls when making dishes.

Spoonmen

Punches and coins- these are steel rods with a pattern at the working ends. They are most often used for embossing backgrounds in flat-relief and relief carvings.

The cutting tool is made of tool steels:

1-carbon (U10; U12; U10A; U12A), when sharpened, are identified by a white beam of sparks with individual stars.

2-Alloyed (XB5; X12; Ch12M), when sharpened they produce yellow or orange sparks.

3-High-speed steels (P18; P9), when sharpened they give dark red sparks.

Sharpening and dressing tools

Of great importance for performing high-quality wood carving is correct sharpening tool.

Tool sharpening consists of two stages:

1- chamfering;

2- edits.

1. Chamfering. The chamfer can be removed using an electric sharpener (see figure), a manually driven sharpener, or manually using an abrasive stone.

Electric sharpener for sharpening and dressing tools: a - mechanized double-sided sharpener with devices for sharpening, straightening and polishing tools: 1 - movable stop; 2 - felt circle; 3 - protective screen; 4 - abrasive wheel; 5 - engine; b - movable stop device;: 1 - horizontal movement clamp; 2 - movable platform for selecting the sharpening angle; 3 - bolt - vertical movement clamp; c - device for straightening and polishing tools (diagram): 1 - electric motor; 2 - belt drive; 3 - felt circles; 4 - wooden circles for corners; 5 rubber wheels with abrasive; 6 - bearings; 7 - metal frame; 8 - movable stop; 9 - shaft.

The location and movement of the tool during sharpening is shown in the figures.

Chamfering: a - on straight chisels; b - on semicircular and sloping chisels: 1 - external chamfer; 2 - internal chamfer; c - on corner chisels: 1 - internal chamfer; 2 - external chamfer.

Position of the chisel when sharpening: 1 - straight chisel; 2 - semicircular and flat; 3 - chisel - corner;

When sharpening you must:

Maintain the specified sharpening angle;

Maintain the shape of the blade, the chamfer should be smooth without signs of bending;

Blueing of the instrument is not allowed (prevented by periodically wetting the instrument in water).

2. Editing. Tool straightening means increasing the cleanliness of blade sharpening, removing burrs, and improving sharpness. Microcorundum whetstones (Fig.), sandpaper, and leather are used for straightening the instrument.

Sharpening the joint: a - sharpening parameters: 1 -

chamfer; 2 - sock; 3 - blade; 4 - heel;

b - hand position when working;

For semicircular cutters, a dressing board is made from linden, and transverse grooves are made on its surface for cutters of different sizes (Fig.).

Dressing boards and belts

1 - board with a set of profile bars and touchstones;

2 - straightening board with chisel profiles;

3 - leather or canvas belt for straightening.

Before straightening, rub GOI paste into the straightening board. The inner surface of semicircular incisors is adjusted with round wooden rods wrapped in fine sandpaper or leather rubbed with GOI paste. You can edit the instrument on a rotating felt wheel rubbed with GOI paste.

A properly sharpened tool must have a given sharpening angle, blade shape, and be free of burrs.

When cutting across the grain of a pine or spruce board, the cutter should leave a clean cut without breaking the grain.

Literature:

1. Burikov V.G., Vlasov V.N.

House carving - M.: Niva Rossi together with the Eurasian Region Company, 1993-352 p.

2. Vetoshkin Yu.I., Startsev V.M., Zadimidko V.T.

Wooden arts: textbook. allowance. Ekaterinburg: Ural. state forestry engineering univ. 2012.