.jpg "This technique requires much patience and a bit of practice to master. A typical triangle is removed in 3 strokes or a longer stroke for letters.")
.jpg "A beautifully carved box, artist unknown.")
.jpg "Examples of my work for boxes #16 & #17")
.jpg "The 2 sets of chisels that I use for chip carving. The main workhorse is knife #2, the others in the set are used occasionally. The set on the right is awesome, I found them at woodcarverssupply.com. They are beautifully made ranging from 1mm square to 3mm gouge. There is also a honing method to keep them scary sharp. I use these for many other appications as well.")
.jpg "Fine example of a skilled unknown practioner.")
Chip Carving was an interesting find. The classic method uses a pattern of small pockets of wood which are sort of picked out in a few strokes with a scary sharp special stubby knife or long flowing cuts using your thumb as lever and stabiliser for the blade. The short stubby oval handle gives good support. The other speciality knives are then used to finish more complicated patterns like letters.
CHIP CARVING
.jpg "Typical Intarsia works use large chunks of wood that are fret sawn into smaller pieces according to a pattern, finished to differing levels and rounded edges before gluing back together again.")
.png "My first attempt was a miniature Intarsia figure for box #14. This seemed like a good idea at the time but was very time consuming, nevertheless an extremely rewarding project. Each piece is numbered on the pattern and glued to the chosen wood type. The hard wood material is 2-3mm thick chosen for interesting grain structures from various wood types.")
.jpg "Each piece is individually sanded, polished and shaped to fit adjacent pieces. The figure is built up by super glueing adjacent pieces without a backing layer. See the video clip for #18.")
.jpg "Sawing mating pieces of differing woods on top of each other creates a perfect joint. The smaller pieces, like the left arm, was cut out and shaped in one piece then glued to a sucker stick before cutting into smaller pieces again.")
.jpg "Completed figure about 100mm high before gluing to the box.")
.jpg "A typical full sized Intarsia picture that can be purchased on-line about 400mm high (www.etsy.com)")
INTARSIA
Intarsia is traditionally a mosaic of large chunks of wood that are fret sawn into smaller pieces according to a pattern, finished to differing levels and rounded edges before gluing back together again. Judy Gale Roberts is one of the founders of the craft with magnificent examples & books on this technique with classes in Tennessee. Intarsia was popular way back in 15th century Italy.