Carving a Tudor rose.

[MikeG.]

I'm not really a carver. I own no specialist carving tools, but I own chisels and a couple of gouges. That should be enough, I reckon, to carve a half-reasonable Tudor rose or three in oak for my stairs. Rather than set it out with compass, ruler and pencil directly on a piece of wood, I drew it on the computer and printed it:

Gummed into place with a bit of Pritstick, I then cut through it with chisels so I had all the principle lines, and cut out the shape on the bandsaw. I then rounded over the outside edge, and lowered the five little pointy leaves:

I would have made things a lot esier for myself if the radii of the curves of the design matched the radii of the curves of my gouges. They don't.

If you can chisel, you can carve. It just requires the ability to read the grain. Which direction do I take this cut? Anyhow.......

Here's the first one "clamped" in place with the glue drying. One down, two to go.......

 

[AndyT]

Very nice Mike.
Coincidentally, I was reading this blog post by Mary May earlier this morning. Ideal for anyone with plenty of oak and a few gouges...

https://www.popularwoodworking.com/arti ... old-panel/

 

[MikeG.]

My dad cut his forefinger off in a circular saw accident making a set of panels which he then carved with linenfold. [/aside]

I love linenfold, especially in oak.

 

[MikeG.]

Getting better, I think. Certainly quicker:

As I don't have a shallow gouge, I deliberately left the tool marks in the outer ring of petals. You can't hide them. Anyway, after slicing it down to thickness I stuck it in place:

The first one, deliberately at knee level, looks OK I reckon:

I really should get around to cleaning up the filler on those stairs!

 

[AJB Temple]

Looking good Mike. I am tempted to try a bit of carving. I have no gouges though.

VERY much like that door. Did you make that as well?

Adrian

 

[Bm101]

VERY much like that door. Did you make that as well?

Wickes.

Nice work as always Mike.

 

[lurker]

VERY much like that door. Did you make that as well?

Wickes.

Nice work as always Mike.

Do you reckon they might still have some in stock?

 

[MikeG.]

Looking good Mike. I am tempted to try a bit of carving. I have no gouges though.

I picked up two for a tenner on Ebay last year because I have some thumbnails planned for my dining suite when I eventually get around to making that.

VERY much like that door. Did you make that as well?

Adrian

Thanks. Yes, I did. It's covered in this thread.

 

[AJB Temple]

Thanks for the link. I am working my way through. Interesting approach to the door build with an insulation layer. Might copy that concept.

 

[Lons]

Did you climb over the clamps or limbo under them Mike?
Carvings look ok to me btw.

 

[Blackswanwood]

I think you need to edit your opening line on the first post Mike ... it would be more accurate to say you didn’t realise you were a carver. They look great. =D> =D> =D>

 

[Racers]

Nice roses Mike.

Would a spot of hot melt and wood glue fix them in place with out the need for bracing.

Pete

 

[MikeG.]

I actually had a good look at that Pete, but the hot melt just didn't allow the wood to sit close enough together. There was a visible gap all round during a trial fixing. I only needed those props/ braces for about half an hour or an hour, and protected them by putting a step ladder in front of them. It didn't cause a nuisance as we were both outside for the afternoon.

 

[owen]

I know it's down to personal taste nut I prefer the stairs without the roses. You've done a cracking job of the stairs but with the roses I feel it takes away from the cleaness of it all. If you like them though that's what matters

 

[MikeG.]

.......If you like them though that's what matters

:lol: I guess you're not married! :lol:

 

[owen]

Haha! Actually no I'm not, yet! :lol:

 

[John Brown]

I am in awe, as usual.

 

[Chisteve]

Like them they look good

 

[El Barto]

Very nice, especially like the tool marks.