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Chip Carving Chip carving has become for the woodworker an art form complete in itself. This technique uses triangular shaped cuts that create intricate and intriguing designs dancing across the surface of the wood. Patterns for chip carving are defined by a few basic elements, as the triangle or free form line, yet by varying the size and position of these elements new patterns are created. Because the chip carving technique employs such a few shapes it would seem that the patterns created would be static, however this is far from true. The triangles can be long narrow shapes or very short and fat in appearance, even curves are included within the triangles outlines. Chip carving is extremely appropriate for ornate jewelry boxes, shelf supports, and bread boards that will decorate your kitchen. This technique is basically created with the chip knife. I highly recommend Moor's Chip Carving Knives. This set of three are specifically designed for chip carving work and will last you a life time. Moor Stabbing Knife 5
3/4" in length Chip carving as an art takes two direction. First is the pattern that is created from triangular shapes or traditional chip carving. Free Form chip carving is made with fine cut lines that vary in their shape and direction. In the Section of mistakes you will see a recipe box that has a Free Form bird pattern on the lid accented with a Traditional chip pattern along the sides. Traditional chip carving can be broken down further into fine chip carving and large chip carving.
Fine Chip Carving With fine chip carving most of the right angled triangles that you will be working on are about 1/4" or less in size. So the first two basic cuts are not pull cuts but instead a push or plunge motion into the wood. The knife is held at a 65 degree angle to the wood surface with the blade of the knife facing you. You will be making this first cut toward you. Let the tip of the knife rest at point A, then push or plunge the knife into the wood toward point B. This creates a cut into the chip that is deepest where the point enters and shallow at the intersection of the next angle of the chip. Back the knife out of the cut, do not pull it out in the direction of the line. This will create a fine cut past the end of the line where you do not want it.
Flip the knife over in your hand, the blade will now be facing away form you. Turn your work so that it is opposite it's original position. You are ready for the second cut which will be a push cut into the wood. Begin again at point A, holding the knife at 65 degrees. Again, push or plunge the knife into the wood along the chip line toward point C. Then bring it straight out from the cut. Just as with the first cut, the second one is deepest at point A and becomes shallow toward the next intersection.
The third cut is a pulled cut. Return the knife to a position in your hand where the blade faces you. Place the tip of the blade at Point B, 65 degrees. Now slowly push the knife into the wood, pulling it along the line. As you reach the center of the line begin to bring the knife out of the wood until just the tip makes the cut at Point C.
The chip should now slip off the wood. If not, recut the chip, do not pry or force it. This can cause splitting in your work of the lost of the fine crisp edges that you are trying to achieve.
Long Tapered Triangles and Free Form For triangles that have long tapering sides and free form lines you will need to pull slightly for the first and second cuts to reach the end of the chip. Work from the tightest point of the triangle toward the more open side of the chip. In long tapered triangles begin with the knife in an upright position, almost 90 degrees to the wood. As you make the cut slowly drop the blade back down to the 65 degree angle. This will keep your points crisp with less pop out sections where the tapers meet in the center of the rosette. I prefer to work all tightly tapered chips away from the narrow point. It is helpful to pre-score the cutting line of a tight taper. Just gently cut a fine shallow line before you do the actual cut of the chip. This can reduce pop outs in the work. For free form lines use the same almost upright position to start the stroke. As you pull the line begin to drop the blade down toward the 65 degree angle at the center of the line. Past the center point again bring the knife slowly back into an upright position. Your hand will roll slightly during the entire pull stroke. This keeps the cut tight at the points but allows it to belly out in the middle of the stroke. As you work free form designs varying the width of each cut and position of the belly within the cuts will add interest and movement to the work. Keep the lines changing in form and shape.
Large Chip Carving For some designs you will want the triangle chip to be fairly large. Trying to cut large chips can be difficult because of the long pull strokes needed to reach from edge to edge and the depth at which they need to be cut. I have found it easier to make three small chips into one large one. With Traditional chip carving, the pattern that you trace will be made up of many triangles. For large chip designs each triangle will be sectioned into three smaller triangles that you will cut down toward a central point. In fact, each triangle unit that you trace will become three triangles to carve.
The pattern above on your left shows the original tracing lines. The pattern on your right shows how each triangle unit will be subdivided into three sections. Once the pattern has been traced, with a red pencil mark a dot where the center of the unit seems to be. With a blue pencil pull a line from this red dot to one corner of the triangle unit. Pull blue lines for the remaining two corners of the unit. Since everything inside the units outlines will be carved away neither the red nor blue pencil lines will show after the carving is complete, but by using different colors than the basic pattern you will not become confused as to where the next carving area is. Only the basic outlines of the tracing will remain after the chip carving has been done. Take care to make each cut within the unit so that the outlines remain crisp and straight. Each small triangle within the unit is treated separately. Begin carving with your bench knife at the red dot, this will be the deepest point of the stroke. Cut along the line toward the corner gradually tapering the cut up to the surface of the wood block. Take this stroke right to the corner of the triangle. Keep the cut as vertical as possible on this stroke. Return to the red dot and repeat this stroke toward the second corner of the small triangle, again tapering upward to the point. Again hold the blade in a vertical position.
Place your bench knife blade at a 65 degree angle along the outer edge of the small triangle so that the point of the blade reaches toward the red dot. Gently remove the chip. This stroke will begin shallow at the point of the triangle, become deepest at the red dot, then taper back toward the surface of the wood block as you reach the second point of the triangle. When you have completed the chip you will have a three dimensions triangle that reaches deep into the wood surface. Repeat this process with the remaining two smaller triangles of the unit. Each of these will also use the same red dot as their deepest points.
These three chips create the look of one large chip when you are finished. The sides of this chip may be straightened with a skew blade or by scraping the walls of the small triangles with the edge of your bench knife. Smooth walls and crisp lines, both in the depths of the chip and at the top edge where one chip connects to another, is what creates excellence in this technique.
A Few Quick Tips 1. Keep your hand from resting on the work during cutting. Only the tip of your thumb should come in contact with the wood. Letting your thumb ride along with the stroke lets you guide the cut both in direction and depth. 2. Try to keep your wrist straight during the curved cuts. Make the curve with your elbow, not the wrist. This will make the lines smoother and avoid sudden angle changes in the curves. Treat your hand, wrist, and elbow as one unit! This is extremely important when you are working on long straight border lines. 3. Gang cut your work whenever possible. If you have a long line a similar triangles to cut, make all of the Position One cuts first, then return for Position Two cuts, and finally the third cut. Using gang cutting will keep the triangle even and straight, avoiding variations in the work. 4. If your hand has begun to tighten up on the knife or even hurt, STOP! Take a few minutes to rehone the blade. This gives your hand a chance to relax. A relaxed hand makes a smooth cut. And, of course, you can never hone your knife too many times during carving. 5. When I work on chip carving I use a terry cloth towel on my lap to catch the chips. It makes for very easy clean up later and keeps the wood clean during the working process. 6. Personally, I do the worst first. For some patterns there are cuts that I find myself holding my breath as I make them. I prefer to get those chips out of the way quickly. The hardest work is then accomplished while I am very fresh and excited about the project. 7. I keep a practice board in my kit. Before I begin work on the project I will make a small line of chips on this board, just to loosen my hand and to get the feel for the condition of the knife blade. This only takes a few moments and has often avoided miscuts at the beginning of any session. 8. Have fun, that's what it's all about. Chip Carving Positive and Negative Space Practice Pattern for Chip Carving GO TO OOPS! WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES Article Courtesy of Classic Carving Patterns We Are Proud to Offer
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