Scoops in wood: how to create them?

[roweathers]

I would appreciate advice on how I might create scoops in wood surface similar to the photos in these links. http://www.davidhurwitzoriginals.com..._detail_lg.jpg
and http://www.davidhurwitzoriginals.com...2/dhgrnped.jpg
Many thanks,
Ron

[bob vaughan]

Just guessing, but a die grinder would be good for that kind of thing. Usually they are air, but the air ones need a lot of air. The electric ones are big and bulky.

[thesource]

I think the tool is called an adz, or adze.

[mshel]

For the size of the furniture, I would say carving gouges are what he used to create the pattern.

Mike

[nelsone]

Carving gouges. Looks like about a 5 or 7 sweep.

[CarvedTones]

Gouge if done by hand, Foredom Typhoon burr if done with a rotary tool (die grinder). I suspect the turning and planing was done twice; in other words the cavities were carved until they met and then another couple of passes through the planer (for flat surface) or some careful scraping on the lathes (for the leg) produced the "veins".

[roweathers]

Very insightful. Many thanks to you all.
Ron

[stave]

Those are carving marks most likely the large were made by a #5 and the smaller made by a #7 gouge. The piece was then stained and lightly sanded after the stain had dried completely. You cannot get this effect with grinders of any kind and minwax stains will not work either. A good quality wiping stain is what I use. I use this technique on my relief carvings and animal carvings to bring life to fur, bark or foliage.

stave

[CarvedTones]

While I agree that a gouge was most likely used, I disagree about not being able to get the effect with a grinder. I have used the Foredom Typhoon for initial hollowing of spoons and other similar small cavities. It is hard to control and I finish up by hand or with better detail tools to get a good shape. But if I were after somewhat random shapes like that. it would be perfect. You would just have to be careful about the direction you worked in so it is always trying to run away from the work you have already finished. Anyway, after the first couple of passes the cavities it makes look almost exactly like that.

[PeteM]

Sometimes the easiest way to get an answer is to "Ask the Expert" !

So . . . Is sent an email to David and got this response:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hi Peter,

Thanks for your interest in my work. How did you find out about it?

I don't mind sharing my techniques, as long as you are not reproducing my designs. Here's how I carve: For my large forms, I rough out the basic form with power tools - bandsaw and an angle grinder with chainsaw tooth carving wheel, or kutzall carving wheel. Depending on the piece, I also use larger sculpting gouges to carve out the rough form, and in some cases a rasp, rifflers, a surform or microplane rasp for the general shape. Once I have the form clearly defined, I then go over the surface and apply the hand carved surface treatment with a smaller carving gouge (the size of whatever texture I'm going for - in some cases it's a small / finer texture, in other cases it can be a coarser, chunkier texture). I just carve it one chip at a time, starting at the top of the grain and working in the right direction so that it tears out the least. If I'm carving the texture on a flat surface where the grain tears out in either direction, sometimes for each chip of the texture I have to carve in half way with the gouge, and then carve in from the other direction the other half. I mostly use a mallet to do that texture, but sometimes if I want a more uniform and controlled texture (without the lines from each blow of the mallet), I will do each chip by hand, pushing the gouge without the mallet. That is much more time consuming though, and tiring on the hands if it's a large piece. The key is to have a really sharp carving gouge, and resharpen periodically while working. Even with a sharp gouge, the texture may come out a little rough and fuzzy in some woods, so I then clean it up with a little light hand sanding, being careful not to flatten the high spots too much.

Beyond that there's not a whole lot to it. It just takes a little practice and some trial and error. I'm not sure if that helps at all, but hopefully it will.

Good luck with your work.

Cheers,

David


David Hurwitz
David Hurwitz Originals
Unique, handcrafted woodwork and design
23 Randolph Ave.
Randolph, Vermont 05060
phone: 802-728-9399
www.davidhurwitzoriginals.com

Member:
The Furniture Society
Vice President, Guild of Vermont Furniture Makers
Vermont Wood Manufacturers Association
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pete

[nelsone]

Way to go Pete! Who'da thought to ask???

[roweathers]

Hi Pete, I appreciate your reaching out to the actual artist...great idea... You had better luck in getting a reply than I. Just for the record, I did send Mr. Hurwitz an email asking him for his advice. Unfortunately I did not hear back from him... hence I reached out to North Carolina Woodworker. I am pleased to report that I have had great success following North Carolina Woodworker advice by using a die grinder and Kutzall sphere burr with medium grit.

My project is a craft table for my wife. I am using Federal Blue milk paint and plan to use black or white milk paint as an overwash...So far things are going quite nicely. If I can figure out a way of uploading a photo on this site I will share my work in progress.

Mucho thanks
Ron

[CarvedTones]

Glad to hear that. If you had followed my advice (and as a Kutzall is pretty much the same thing as a Typhoon, I kinda feel like you did), wrecked your project and then found out Hurwitz did it with hand tools, I would feel pretty bad. A little late to offer this additional advice, but one thing I have noticed with the Typhoon is that it is easier to use with my low power high speed Dremel than with my higher powered variable speed hanging motor tool. Gets too dang much traction at low speeds with high power.