Hello to all homemade lovers, every specialist knows well that the tool plays a big role in the work, namely its reliability and build quality. Thinking about this topic, thoughts arise to make the perfect handy tool do-it-yourself, in this case, these are wood cutters, and cutting patterns with their help is quite an exciting activity, which cannot but rejoice. The main thing in creating incisors is to be more careful, since you will have to work with sharp objects, namely with the cutting part. The idea of the author to make wood cutters with his own hands was accompanied by the fact that there was no such tool in the vicinity, and there were none in local stores either.
Properties that should be good knife for woodcarving the following:
High-quality steel, which increases the life of knives and maintains sharpness for a long time.
Ergonomic (comfortable) handles.
Relative ease of manufacture.
Reliability.
To create this homemade product, you don’t need any hard-to-reach materials, they shouldn’t be here, since it was planned in advance that all the details were easily accessible to most carpenters and woodworking enthusiasts.
Required materials and tools:
* Pieces band saw, made of durable steel, which from experience confirms their long shelf life of sharpening.
* Remains of oak planks left over from past works, since oak itself is durable, beautiful and technologically advanced in its own way.
Of the tools you will need:
* Electric sharpener.
* Belt sander with a grit of about 40, as well as sanding paper (grit 80, and for finishing - 240, 800 and 1000).
* Hacksaw.
* Respiratory protection - respirator (gauze mask).
* Joiner's glue.
Here are all the details from the right tools ready, now proceed to the phased assembly.
Step one.
The first step is to make a blade. From pieces of a saw blade about 8 cm long, the author turned metal blanks of blades desired shape, and for the blanks he supplied shanks, their length is about 4.5-5 cm, these dimensions guarantee sufficient strength for attaching the blade to the handle.
For greater reliability of fixation (protection against loosening and falling out of the knife from the handle), I made semicircular cutouts on the sides of the shank.
The cross section of the knife blade has a wedge narrowing, the angle of which ranges from 10 to 15 degrees from the butt to the cutting edge, which is the descent of the blade. Well, the cutting edge is given this shape with a small chamfer, i.e. a large narrowing, and therefore an angle already at 25-30 degrees near the blade of the blade.
A large chamfer on the knives must be done even before the moment when the shank is not glued into the handle. The shape of the chamfer must be given on both sides, while observing a certain angle, the grinding of the metal must occur symmetrically. It is known from materials science that during intensive turning, the metal heats up, which causes it to be tempered, and this leads to the fact that the metal becomes softer and loses its ability to maintain sharpening. To prevent this from happening, the workpiece to be turned must be periodically cooled in water, thereby avoiding overheating. It is most convenient when the container with cold water is nearby and lowering the workpiece is not difficult. To finally form the blade, as well as sharpen and polish it, you need to install the handle, which actually will be next.
Step two.
After long work with metal, we proceed to the manufacture of the handle, oak bars were well suited for this, the dimensions of which were 12 by 22 mm in cross section, and the length was slightly more than 120 mm. These bars were selected so that the surfaces to be glued were even. To simplify the work, we make a selection of the socket for the shank in one of the halves of the future handle.
First, the shank is processed with a grinder along the edges in order to get rid of burrs. Then, attaching the shank to the prepared bar, we circle it with a pencil. With the help of chisels, we select the nest to a depth that is equal to the thickness of the workpiece, periodically assembling the structure assembly dry to check the fit of the bars to each other. In case of insufficient depth of the socket, the handle will either not stick together or, if the connection is poor, it will simply split when used. Also, too deep a socket will cause the blade to walk from side to side, which leads to undesirable consequences, namely cracking of the handle or deformation of the shank. Therefore, when selecting a socket for a shank, show maximum accuracy.
After you have made sure during the “dry” control assembly that all parts fit tightly, in this case the shank, and also in the absence of gaps between the bars-halves of the handle, you can start gluing. We apply the carpenter's ley on the surface of the bar and in the nest under the shank, since it is unrealistic to achieve accuracy in depth when manually selecting the nest, then just in case it is better to fill it with glue, after which the shank dries out due to its hardness, in case of inaccuracy. Glue must also be applied to the adjacent part of the handle, but with a smaller layer.
Step three.
Then we combine the parts (you need to connect the ends of the bars located closer to the blade as accurately as possible), and tighten them with clamps. Remove excess glue with a damp cloth and leave for 12 hours until completely dry.
Step four.
Now let's fit the handle to a suitable shape for the cutting tool, usually a slight bend on the back to stop thumb.
But you can’t do without the features of these pens, they differ in that
their back part is wider and more rounded than the one closer to the blade, because of this, all the blanks for the handles in the first stage of processing look more like a truncated elongated pyramid, and there is also a recess for the index finger.
After gluing the workpiece, the back part is sawn off with a hacksaw, to a size of 12 cm.
Then tape grinder we grind the ends of the handles, do not forget to use personal protective equipment - goggles and a respirator, since oak dust can cause allergies.
Grinding is carried out to start with a grit of 40, and then in ascending order until the workpiece is smooth.
Coated with nitro lacquer.
Step four.
We finish the cutting part, we need a small chamfer, the sharpening angle of which is approximately 25-30 ° for these knives. To form a small bevel, the author uses sandpaper of different grits, gradually increasing the grit, starting from 240, moving to 800, and then to 1000, eventually everything is polished on a leather belt clamped on a bar. If the sharpening is successful, then the wood should be cut both along and across the fibers without much effort, while the cut surface should be even and shiny, the so-called "oil" cut.
Several knives were made using this manufacturing template, in general they are quite reliable and easy to use, which is very decent for a non-professional.
One of the best materials For decorative design The interior was and still is wood. Being completely natural, the tree does not emit substances harmful to health either during processing or during operation. Wood is practical, wood is beautiful. Taking advantage a simple tool, you can create a unique carved decoration: panel, casket, figurine.
Carved woodwork - the best decoration own house and a 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 woodcarving.
What a beginner carver can't do without
Anyone who is lucky enough to be in the workshop of a real wood carving master will be horrified - he uses so many different tools. It's just eyes wide open. The master will easily determine how to perform this or that stroke, which is best for this or that detail. Choice the right tool for carving largely determines the quality of the product.
It is not at all necessary for a beginner carver to purchase a complete set of tools; for the manufacture of entry-level products, you can get by with a few of the most versatile knives and chisels. This will provide an opportunity to gain work experience, develop your own style, and then acquire exactly the tool that will really be in demand.
Knives-jambs
The most common wood carving knives are shovel knives. They are used by both venerable professionals and novice carvers. Knives of this type have a beveled blade, which makes it convenient for creating small indentations. Their use is justified both for flat-relief sampling and for creating three-dimensional compositions.
A separate type of jamb is a flag knife. It looks like a triangle with one corner stuck into the handle. This knife is universal, in work all zones of the blade are used.
Knives-jambs differ in the angle of the cutting edge and the width of the blade. According to the type of sharpening, single-bevel and two-bevel sharpening are distinguished. A novice carver should have several of these knives in his toolbox: at least three of different widths.
Cutters for geometric threads
In the manufacture of embossed panels, one cannot do without another common carver knife - a knife-cutter. Due to the longer blade, this knife is ideal for creating ornaments that have the shape geometric shapes. It is convenient for them to process curvilinear figures 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 bulk products. IN skillful hands a small cutter can be compared to an artist's brush.
Bogorodsky knife, "Tatyanka"
The phrase "Bogorodsk toy" is familiar to many. This is a wooden figurine. self made. Almost the entire process of carving, from preparing the workpiece to smoothing out small irregularities, is performed with a special knife, also called Bogorodsky. Such a knife must certainly be in the carver's workshop.
A modification of this knife, popularly called "Tatyanka", is widespread. When cutting soft wood full cycle jobs can be done with just one tool. It is great for carving "by force", thanks to a comfortable handle it perfectly transfers force to the blade.
Chisels for woodcarving
It is convenient to make samples of a wide variety of configurations using chisels. Carvers use various tool but the most common are:
- straight chisels;
- semicircular or radius;
- cranberries, semicircular chisels with a bend at the cutting edge;
- bracketed, having a U-shaped profile;
- corner.
Unlike knives, the use of chisels for woodcarving 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; hard wood carving requires percussive technology. Here the master will come to the rescue wooden hammer, mallet.
In addition to differences in profile, chisels are also distinguished by 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 woodcarving - a chisel. They can do beautiful artwork.
Other Required Tools
A carver cannot do with knives and chisels alone. It is necessary to acquire another tool designed for woodworking. The list can be very extensive, it all depends on the qualifications of the master and the list of products that he plans to make. In any case, you will need:
- hacksaw or electric saw for cutting the workpiece;
- hatchet for roughing;
- planer and rasp for preparing the surface of the board;
- a set of patterns for transferring the image to the workpiece;
- drill, manual or electric;
- nichrome wire for burning thin elements;
- sanding paper of different grits for final finishing products.
It is also useful to worry about safety when carving with a sharp tool. For fastening 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 true for beginner carvers. If the work involves multiple movements with a sharp knife “on yourself”, you should purchase an apron made of thick leather.
Tool sharpening
In order for wood carving to bring pleasure, and the created masterpieces to please the eye, the tool must be sharp. If an increase in material resistance is felt during work, it is necessary to take a break and sharpen the tool. This will allow you not to apply excessive force when carving and guarantees the excellent quality of every stroke, every groove.
Sharpening should start with alignment working surface tool. To do this, use a coarse-grained abrasive. It quickly and efficiently removes burrs, creates an ideal cutting edge.
Note! In work, it is important not to spoil the sharpening angle of the wood chisel and the geometry of the knife blade.
When working on emery, one must be careful, one should not allow the metal to overheat, sudden changes in temperature can “let go” of the cutting edge.
After large irregularities are removed, they move on to fine-grained abrasives. During grinding, the roughness that arose during the rough sharpening of the carving tool is removed. The last to use grinding mixtures applied to felt base. They create perfect flat surface, reducing friction between tool and material to a minimum.
Choice and purchase
A novice carver naturally has a question - where to get a carving tool. This is not a problem these days. The industry offers chisels and knives of all kinds and modifications. You can buy 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 carver tools significantly complicates the choice. Difficult to navigate and buy for real good thing. It is easy to become the owner of a "disposable" tool, which is enough for several hours of work.
Before buying a tool, you should definitely ask:
- steel grade from which the tool is made;
- manufacturer;
- country of manufacture.
The tool is an individual thing. When choosing a knife or chisel, it would be right to hold it in your hands, check how convenient it is to use, and only after buying it. It would also be useful to chat on thematic forums where experts share own experience They will gladly give good advice.
DIY knife
Many professionals do not recognize a purchased tool and prefer to work with one that they have made with their own hands. This makes sense, because every knife, every chisel fits perfectly to the hand of the master. It is convenient to work with such a tool, the hand does not get tired, it is easy to control the pressure.
This is a reasonable approach. Having experience with metal and good steel, you can start making a universal Bogorodsk knife for woodcarving or a hatchet knife. To do this, you can use a broken blade from a mechanical hacksaw 2 mm thick. From a tool of a sufficiently powerful electric sharpener.
The outlines of the blade are 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. The ideal handle can be made from a mold obtained from plasticine held in the hand. wooden block a suitable size is marked out, clamped in a vise. With the help of a hacksaw (it is better to use a hacksaw for metal), excess is removed. For final finishing use a rasp and sandpaper.
(Continuing the topic "Wood carving behind barbed wire")
I'll make it clear right away. I am not trying to sing camp romance here, but I am considering things from a purely practical side. About the hatchet cutter, cutting tool No. 1 in places not so remote, I have heard a lot for a long time. But, as I already mentioned, there were no familiar carvers from the “zone”, and the former eyewitnesses, straining their brains, drew cutters of such a configuration on paper that the most important thing for these live-cutting knives appropriate place could only be in scary cartoons. What is funny, the shape of the handle (as it turned out later) was depicted quite accurately, but the geometry of the blade did not want to emerge from memory.
I was able to find only one place on the Internet where the "hatchet" was briefly mentioned:http://forum.woodtools.ru/index.php?topic=325.75
According to the photo from the previous page of this topic on woodtools.ru, one trial “hatchet” was made, which somehow didn’t really “fit in the court”, especially since geometric carving for me, apparently, is already in the past.In the note “Wood carving behind barbed wire”, I already wrote that I would like to talk with a person who has gone through an original woodcarving camp school. And such a person appeared. Even sooner than expected. And not in the virtual, but in the very real life, in a completely unexpected way, reaching us from afar. (We should probably think of something else in LiveJournal). And it is necessary - it is with the legendary "hatchets". Here they are.
The handle of the largest hatchet is made from a guitar neck. However, even if it was made even from a Stradivarius violin, I was more interested in the blade and the methods of working with a chisel in relation to relief carving. Having “tested” the middle cutter for several hours, I made my tool in its likeness, changing only the shape, size and finish of the handle to a more familiar one.
Blade - R6M5 steel 2 mm thick. Sharpening - double-sided wedge. The sharpening angle depends on the hardness of the wood being processed and is selected experimentally, from larger to smaller, along the cut at the end of the board from the working material. Handle - birch, burnt gas burner to black and then sanded sandpaper before removing the charred layer. Lacquer or oil coating is not used. Such a handle sits very comfortably in the hand and does not stuff calluses. From my own experience, I can say that the palm does not sweat even with 9-10 hours of almost continuous work.
The geometry of the blade and the shape of the handle make it possible to use the "hatchet" as a universal tool. He cuts both “on himself” and “away from himself”. The cut can be made with a “heel” (“heel away from you” - this, in fact, is the main and most commonly used cut), it can be done with a “nose”. Cleaning verticals in recesses - "inverted nose". Different bulges are well cut by the middle of the blade.
The speed of work, the depth and cleanliness of the cut with a “hatchet” can be very high, but this already depends not only on the tool, but also on which hands it fell into.
