My first attempt at carving (finished, in situ)

[Blister]

Ooo

very swish :lol:

had to do a double take when first looking

what the hell is

eepers ottage :shock:

 

[dickm]

Nice lettering that. I spent yesterday afternoon doing a joint sign for ourselves and the neighbours who share our drive, but on a piece of slate using a Dremel. Didn't look too bad, I thought, till SWMBO pointed out that I'd put our neighbours' house as WestWOOD, not WestBROOK..........

Talk about senior moments......

 

[MikeG.]

OK here's a bit more on this little project..........

1: Cleaning off the glue and pencil marks.......scraper time:

2: Progress so far:

3: M&T for the gallows bracket:

4: Gallows bracket, roughed out on the bandsaw & mocked up....a bit to do yet!

Nice to see some sawdust on my floor after months of iron filings, aluminium and plastic waste! Sorry about the poor photos......I must remember not to take them "square on" when using the flash....

Mike

 

[TrimTheKing]

Lovely looking work that Mike, well done.

Quite fancy having a go myself as people keep missing our driveway so could do with a double sided sign so people can see it from both sides. Think you have just spurred me on....

Cheers

Mark

 

[ByronBlack]

Nice work, looks very neat, just how did you do the curved bits with straight-edged tools?

 

[MikeG.]

Nice work, looks very neat, just how did you do the curved bits with straight-edged tools?

Thanks BB......

The curved bits were a series of facets well inside the lines made with the quarter inch chisel, cleaned up closer & closer to the lines. It was relatively easy on the convex bits, where you are cleaning off a "hill" (only one point of contact, in the middle of the chisel)...........but when on a concave section both edges of the chisel are making contact, and not the middle. Then, you have to turn the chisel over and follow the line of the lettering, rather than going down into the wood. You just take a deep breath, and go very very carefully! It really was a hair's breadth at a time.

Mike

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Just stunning, I can't knock it in any way and I like the design of the wall bracket if thats a proper name

You've inspired me to add a tuit to my list. :lol:

 

[John. B]

Stunning, [ =D> =D> =D> =D> ] If that is what you can produce without carving tools,
imagine what you could produce with a good set of proper carving chisels. :-k :-k :-k :-k
Super Job.

John. B

 

[MikeG.]

Thanks John, Lord N, much appreciated!

Well, John, the lack of carving chisels was a bit of a nuisance, but really only slowed me down. I would have liked something that came to a steep point, and even considered grinding on old 1/4" chisel back to say a 30 degree point, and putting an edge on each of the 2 new faces. By the time I could have done that, though, I would have done another half-hours carving, and the thought passed.........

I could really have used anything with a bit of a curve to it...........I even looked at a turner's gouge that I have, but it was way too big, and the angle of the bevel was all wrong. Turns out I could have nipped up to Sudbury to DaveL's and borrowed his set.........ho hum!!

Mike

 

[Chippyjoe]

Very nice work Mike and all the more difficult to do with out the "proper" tools all credit to you.
Just goes to show that certain work can be done without the excuse for all the right tools.
As you spent a lot of time crouched down behind them,did you consider trying to incorporate some stumps or bails into the design or did you consider that to be to "tarty"?

Mark.

 

[MikeG.]

Cheers Mark,

no, it never crossed my mind! I am quite content to have everyone think that the keeper living in that cottage is a game-keeper.

Mike

 

[Steve Maskery]

As for mis-spelling.......that would be embarrassing, wouldn't it Olly? :wink:

I think you'll find, Mike, that it is a well-documented fact that that particular cottage has belonged to more than one Keeper.....
:lol:

Excellent, I hope my first attempt will be as good. I've bought a 30mm Henry Taylor gouge today at 25% off I was tempted by a set of rifflers, down from 180 to 99, but it is still a lot of money, even if it was a bargain, so it stayed on the shelf.

Thanhks for sharing.
S

 

[MikeG.]

Very good Steve


.
.
As I built the house, though, I'm fairly sure that I'm the first and only keeper to have lived in it!!

I had to google "riffler" to find out what else I am missing from my tool collection! That seems a lot of money for some files!!!

Mike

 

[Chippyjoe]

Cheers Mark,

no, it never crossed my mind! I am quite content to have everyone think that the keeper living in that cottage is a game-keeper.

Mike

Conjures up thoughts of man inside who might have a pump action shotgun, so we will give this one a miss!!
Like the sound of that :lol:

 

[johnjin]

Hi Mike
I can only echo other peoples comments.
The satisfaction of doing something so good knowing that you are using the wrong tools but ending up with such a good result is the icing on the cake. Very well done indeed.

Best wishes

John

 

[CNC Paul]

Mike,

That is a really really nice job, do you intend to pick out the letters or leave it natural ?

 

[MikeG.]

The next phase......

Roughing out the gallows bracket:

Next comes a bit of planing, scraping and spokeshaving, the holes for the pegs, and then the final glue up.

Mike

 

[MikeG.]

John, Paul........

Thanks guys!

I know what you are saying about using the wrong tools, John, but it is a bit of a philosophical thing with me....... I have always thought that our hobby, and all skill based crafts, are much more about skill and ideas than they are about tools. My workshop is a pretty decent one, but I don't have half the kit that some do.......nor do I want it. This means that I work out a way of doing things with what I have got, which means that a whole lot of the time I am working with the "wrong tools".

Paul, I am hoping not to paint the letters. All shop-bought signs seem to have painted letters, and that is as good a reason as any to leave them wooden!! I cut the lettering really deep, and the shadows cause plenty enough contrast such that I am confident it will be clear.

Anyway, anyone who has needed to find me over the last 10 years has found me perfectly easily without a sign!!! (2nd up from the pub helps!!).

Mike

 

[Doug B]

Anyway, anyone who has needed to find me over the last 10 years has found me perfectly easily without a sign!!! (2nd up from the pub helps!!).

Mike

Definitely wouldn`t find you then Mike, i find it impossible to pass one of those :lol: :lol: :roll:
Really like the gallows bracket, your sign will look great when finally hanging.

Doug.

 

[Ironballs]

Really like this Mike, elegant and classical without seeming old hat. Don't forget the in situ picture at the end - if you do, it never got installed :wink: