I "Carve Out" Independence, Satisfaction, and a Respectable Living

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HOW TO CARVE THAT FIRST SIGN

Now you're ready to begin carving . . . almost. First, however, let me list a few simple rules designed to make the work go smoothly and safely:

One: Hold the carving tool as shown in Fig. 2.

Two: Use a jig (Fig. 3) or C-clamps to firmly and positively help you hold the board you're working on.

Three: Always push the cutting tool away from the hand with which you're steadying the board.

Four: Turn the wood as frequently as necessary so that you're always carving in the most comfortable and relaxed manner possible.

Five: Don't be discouraged if the tool doesn't always go exactly where you aim it . . . "the touch" will come with practice. Getting to know wood on an intimate level—its grain, its texture, its idiosyncrasies—takes time. (It's also one of the major satisfactions of carving small signs by hand.)

OK. Start by carving away the wood around and adjacent to the traced rooster (as shown in Fig. 4, Step 1) using either a V-shaped gouge, a small U-shaped gouge, or a straightbladed knife (make slanted cuts).

Next—with the aid of a large, U-shaped gouge—clean away the entire background surrounding the design, making long strokes with the grain (Fig. 4, Step 2). If your tool consistently digs too deeply into the wood, reverse the board and start from the other end. (Note: You may find your shoulders tensing up during this phase. If so, make a conscious effort to relax. In the future, as you become more familiar with the wood and the tools, you won't "stiffen up" quite so easily.)

Once you've cleaned away the background, go back to the V-shaped gouge and carve shallow grooves along any interior lines—in the case of the rooster, this would be the eye and the tail feathers—of the design (Fig. 4, Step 3).

At this point, you may like the sign "as is" and not wish to do anything more to it. I prefer to give my plaques added depth, however, by repeating the first two carving steps (that is, Steps 1 and 2 of Fig. 4).

THE FINISH

Before staining, painting, or varnishing the plaque, smooth out its rough spots with your tools and lightly sand the design itself until all its corners and edges are professionally "slicked up". (I like to leave deep grooves in the background of my relief plaques, but you may prefer a flat—or textured—surface.) Then wipe away all wood dust and break out the brushes . . . you're ready to stain your masterpiece.

I finish my work with a water-based stain—my favorites are Deft Walnut and Spanish Walnut—which is fairly dark (so the paint will contrast nicely with the dusky wood).

Coat the entire sign—front, back, and sides—with the finish. (Believe me, you'll drive yourself zonkers trying to stain just the grooves in the background without touching the design itself!) Then allow the carving to dry thoroughly.

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