Chip Carving

For our final session in this in-depth, step by step seminar on Chip Carving, we will look at a classic carving layout for a needle-arts styled Sampler layout.  This layout can easily be adapted to use any border, line, or motif chip carving pattern.

Chip Carving Seminar by Lora Irish

Chip Carving Seminar
Chip Carving Supplies
Chip Carving Graphed Patterns
Chip Carving Hand Positions and Grips
Chip Carving – Triangles and Square Chips
Chip Carving – Straight-Wall Chips
Chip Caved Game and Chess Board
Chip Carving Sampler Pattern Layout
Chip Carving Common Mistakes
Chip Carved Shortbread Cookies

Creating a Progression Practice Board

There are several ways to learn and practice your chip carving.  The first is through the use of practice boards.  We have discussed this idea several times during this seminar, but it is worthy of one more look.  In the sample board to the right I have worked a series of progressions using the simple 3×2 grid diamond motif that has been shown throughout these pages.

The grid pattern was penciled directly to the basswood practice board using 1/4″ squares.  Each 3×2 grid motif was marked using a darker pencil line.  As I worked each row of the practice board I treated that basic 3×2 diamond differently in how many times I divided the diamond into triangles, the style of cut, in the positive and negative space, and in the addition of accents.

As you look at the photo sample you will see that the first two diamonds in each row show just the cuts used to create the diamond.  The last two diamonds show the accent chips and cuts that can be used.  This creates 9 variations of the 3×2 diamond and 9 possible borders.

Our Chip Carving Pattern Package contains four patterns which show 36 variations of just the 3×2 diamond motif that can be used to change, alter, and vary any of the larger pattern layouts using both triangle, and straight-wall cuts, as well as negative space.

Classic Needle-Arts Sampler Layout

The sample shown right is a finished carving from our Chip Carving Pattern package, available at Art Designs Studio.  It is also available in our Chip Carving E-Project, a 37-page PDF file e-book and 110 chip carving chip variations and patterns.

Beginning in the 15th century needlework samplers became a way in which young women could show their skills with a needle and thread.  Small patterns, motifs, and borders decorated the linen cloth as a record for future use.   In essence, a needlework or needle-arts sample is similar to the practice boards we create for our wood burning, wood carving, and in this lesson our chip carving.

The layout pattern is very simple and perfect to practice and experiment with small chip carving patterns.  The top rows will be small border patterns.  The central area of the sample is used for larger, individual designs or rows of similar sized motifs.  The bottom rows return to the border patterns.  This places the largest visual units at the center of the layout and the small designs at the top and bottom areas finished work.

Sampler Layout Chip Carving Pattern

The Sampler Chip Carving Pattern, shown right, uses the needle-arts layout.  Please click on the image for a full-sized, printable pattern.

The top row uses double straight-walled chips with stab knife accents.

The second row uses the classic triangle chip cut with small oval free-form chips worked from the 3×2 motifs into the un-carved background space.

The third row shows the first large motif area and uses both free-from long line work as well as large triangle chip cuts.  The central rectangle area can be used for a name, date, special event, or for a small free-from pattern.

A thin, small border line of triangle chips with stab knife accents fills row four.

A 6×6 square motif is used in row five and separated with a small mirror-image 3×2 straight-wall chip cut.

Row six uses curve-edged chips along the bottom edge of the border pattern.  It also makes use of negative space, captured between the 3×2 motifs as well as both cut oval and stab knife accents

The last row, number seven, combines a simple alternating square chips border with a triangle chips motif.  It shows on the two sides of the triangle motif how easy it is to adjust the triangle chip sizes to fit into a specific space.

I hope that you have enjoyed this free, online Chip Carving Seminar.  Please feel free to drop me an email note if you have any questions.

Today we are going to put it all together as we work through a Chess Board – Game Board Chip Carving layout.  We will use triangle, square, curve-edge, and free form chips to cut this 13″ square board.  I will be working a small practice board using 1/4″ basswood.  This small sample allows you to learn and experiment with each chip style used to create the larger board.

The finished sample, right, is a composite image made from my smaller practice board to show how your finished large board will look.

Chip Carving Seminar by Lora Irish

Chip Carving Seminar
Chip Carving Supplies
Chip Carving Graphed Patterns
Chip Carving Hand Positions and Grips
Chip Carving – Triangles and Square Chips
Chip Carving – Straight-Wall Chips
Chip Caved Game and Chess Board
Chip Carving Sampler Pattern Layout
Chip Carving Common Mistakes
Chip Carved Shortbread Cookies

Supplies for a practice board

4″ x 8″ x 1/4″ basswood practice board
printed copy of the practice pattern
removable spray adhesive
large chip carving knife
320-grit sandpaper13″ x 13″ x 1/2″ to 3/4″ basswood plaque is needed for a full-sized board.

Practice Board Pattern

Click on the practice board pattern to the right for a full-sized, printable pattern.

Step 1

Lightly sand your practice board with 320-grit sandpaper.  Work the sanding with the direction of your wood grain to avoid fine cross-grain scratches.  Remove any dust with a clean, dry cloth.

Step 2

Make a printed copy of the practice pattern.  Following the directions on the label, spray the back of the pattern paper with an even coating of spray adhesive.  Place the paper pattern onto the board, aligning the edge of the pattern with the edge of the board.  Rub the paper gently to insecure that it is in full contact with the wood.  Allow the spray adhesive to dry thoroughly, about one half hour.

Step 3

Begin your practice session by checking the sharpness of your chip carving knife.  Work your knife over your sharpening stones as needed to create a low bevel to the cutting edge.  As you work through steps 4 to 6, try to keep the angle of the chip knife the same for each side of the triangles.  This will keep the depth of the chip wells consistent throughout the motif.

We will work the border motif square from the center out towards the curve-edge chips.

Full-sized Chess Board Chip Carving Pattern

This pattern shows one quarter of a full-sized chess board layout.  Please click on the pattern for a full-sized printable pattern.

Step 4

The first area that we will work is the square motif created with triangular chips.  This motif is made up of three rows of alternating triangles around a diamond shaped negative central area. Following the directions for cutting Triangle Chips, working one triangle chip at a time, cut the three sides of each inner row triangle.

Step 5

Work the next row of triangle chips in the square motif.  Cut the side of the new triangle that shares the side of the inner triangle first, then cut the remaining two sides. By cutting along the side of a triangle that has already been worked in a previous chip you reduce the minimize the chances of that side breaking or chipping out.

Step 6

Work the remaining, outer row of triangles in the square motif.  Again, work the side of the new triangle that shares a pre-cut side with the previously worked triangle first.  Then cut the remaining two sides.

Step 7

Next we will cut the small square chip rows that create the side border of the pattern. These small squares are worked holding the chip knife at the same angle to the wood as you did for the larger square motif triangles. For this design the small squares are alternated with small squares of negative space.

Step 8

The curved edge chips on the sides of the large square motif are worked next and treated at three individual chips to make to complete chip pattern.  There are two three-piece curved edge chips on each side of the large square motif.  Begin by cutting the straight sided triangle that joins the large square motif.  Cut the side of this triangle that touches the cut area of the large square motif first, then cut the remaining two sides.

Step 9

Work one curve-edge triangle at a time. For the first curve-edge triangle cut along the straight side that touches the triangles cut in step 7 first.

Next, gently roll or curve the direction of the knife blade to match the curve of the pattern line for the next side of the curve-edge triangle chip.  Cut the remaining curve-edge side of this triangle.

Step 10

The inner row of this border pattern is created using small triangles and is cut in the same method as the large triangles in the design. So far we have cut each triangle as an independent chip, working through all of the sides of one complete chip before moving to the next.

You can gang cut chip shapes instead of working them one by one.  In gang cutting you cut all of the matching sides of the triangles in an area or group at one time. Example, you can cut all of the small triangle accents along the side that touches the large motif first.  Then, rotating the board you cut all of the sides of the row that are at 90 degrees to the main border pattern.
The last cutting session works all of the diagonal line cuts for each of the small triangles.

Gang cutting reduces the time need to cut each triangles individually, and reduces the time needed to rotate the board for each and every cut.

Step 11

The inner negative space diamond in the large square motif is worked next by making a small two-cut chip that cuts the inner leg of the inner row triangles.

Lay your blade, at the 45 degree angle, onto the wood at the center point of this inner triangle leg.  Push the knife down to cut a small line that goes through the chip wall and into the un-carved diamond area. Turn the knife blade over in your hand and angle the blade away form the first cut at the 45 degree angle. Cut along the same line.  This releases a small triangle of wood from the diamond.

Step 12

Repeat steps 3 through 11 to cut the game board squares.  Work the large square motifs first, followed by working the alternating squares areas.

Step 13

When all of the chips have been worked remove the paper pattern from the wood.

Check your work for any small problems and correct as necessary. I will note here that in my experience no two chips will ever be exactly alike.  In any chip carving there always seems to be a few chips that are not exactly on the pattern line, or perhaps have a little deeper or shallower well.

Unless you are placing your chip carving into a contest or carving show, you are the only person that will ever inspect each and every chip that you carved in a full design.

Make what adjustments that you need to but do not become over obsessed with re-working each and every chip that you have carved.

Consistency comes with practice.  So for the new chip carvers I suggest that instead of spending a great deal of time re-working one practice project that you move onto your next.  In time most of the small problems or errors will resolve by repeated chip carving.

Step 14

I finished my practice board by applying two coats of linseed oil mixed 1 to 1 with turpentine.  The oil finishes deepens the wood and sharpens the shadows in the chip wells.  Allow the oil to dry overnight. Work the wood with two to three coats of paste wax, allowing each coat to dry

Chip Carving Workshop
Available at Amazon.com!

Chip Carving Workshop by Lora Irish takes you through all of the essential chip carving techniques, from tool sharpening and preparation to hand positions, chip cutting, and finishing. You’ll discover how to use both geometric shapes and free form designs to create wonderfully detailed patterns. Practice projects will have you decorating household items and creating artistic pieces in a variety of original designs. Hope chests, wooden spoons, jewelry chests, clocks, candle plates, serving trivets and decorative plaques are just a few ideas for your new chip carving skills.

Tomorrow, our last day for this Free Online Chip Carving Seminar by Lora Irish, we will look at a basic needle art style Sampler Layout using the free chip carving patterns that are posted to this thread.  Thanks for reading today!

In today’s free online Chip Carving Seminar by Lora Irish, we look at the wood carving cuts used to create triangle and square chips in your chip carving patterns.

Chip Carving Seminar by Lora Irish

Chip Carving Seminar
Chip Carving Supplies
Chip Carving Graphed Patterns
Chip Carving Hand Positions and Grips
Chip Carving – Triangles and Square Chips
Chip Carving – Straight-Wall Chips
Chip Caved Game and Chess Board
Chip Carving Sampler Pattern Layout
Chip Carving Common Mistakes
Chip Carved Shortbread Cookies

Triangle Chip Patterns

The triangle and square are the primary shapes in most chip carving patterns.  In the sample, right, you will see six different ways you can cut one 3×2 grid diamond motif using these two geometric units.  Any chip carving pattern can easily be altered by simply dividing the triangles in your pattern into smaller triangles.

In my chip carving patterns the outer edge of any chip unit is shown in black, the inner liner shown in blue represent the individual cuts that make up that shape.

In row one the diamond is cut in four separate chip cuts to create one deep well at the center point of the diamond.  The second row divides the diamond shape into two individual triangle chips and does row three.  By the fourth row you can see that this same diamond shape can also be cut using four distinct triangle chip units.

By using just these six sample diamonds you can create multiple chip carved borders or motifs.

Three-Sided Triangle Chip

The three-sided triangle chip is made with three cuts, turning the board with each new cut.  This releases a small chip of wood, leaving an inverted pyramid shape in the board.
The angle at which the knife approaches the wood determines the depth of the chip cut.  A low angle makes a shallow chip, a steep angle cuts a deep chip.

CUT 1

The first cut is made by placing the point of the blade along one side of the triangle, holding the blade at a 45 degree angle to to the wood.

The knife is pushed in to the wood until the blade edge has cut along the full length of that leg.  For large chip triangles the knife blade is pulled along the pattern line.

CUT 2

Turn the wood to bring the next leg of the triangle into position for cutting. Lay the point of the knife at the beginning point of the next leg.  Push the knife into the wood until the entire leg is cut.

CUT 3

Turn the wood to bring the last leg of the triangle into position for cutting. Lay the point of the knife into the point at the end of the last cut line which should be at the beginning of the leg.  Push the knife into to the wood until the entire length is cut.

Square and Rectangle Chips

Square and rectangle chips are created with four angled cuts, similar to the triangle chip.  This pattern of chip is excellent to add small accents to a larger designs and for large area fill patterns.

CUT 1 – 4

A square chip is worked exactly as a triangular chip, cutting each side of the square with the blade  point angled towards the center point of the well. Cut along one side of the square, then turn the board to cut the next side.  When all four cuts have been made a small pyramid shaped chip will be released. Rectangular patterns will have a long, centrally placed line in the well.  This long line parallels the long sides of the rectangle.  Rectangle chips are commonly used in chip carved lettering.

Cutting Adjacent Triangle and Square Chips

Most chips that you cut will share one or more sides with another chip.  Begin a motif with touching or shared-side chips by working the inside chip first, working each series of new chips out from the center.  In the photo sample, right, one row of triangle chips touch the inside square of the motif.  The second, outer row of triangles touch the outer square lines of the motif.

Work each new chip by cutting  the trapped angle of the chip along one shared-side line, working from the inside point towards the outside point of the triangle.  The second cut is made from the same inside trapped angle out towards the outer point of the line on the second side of the trapped angle.

The third cut is made on the free side of the triangle, releasing the chip.  Working form the trapped angle avoids the inner-trapped point of the chip from breaking out.

Today’s Free Chip Carving Practice Pattern

Please click on the image to the right for a full-sized printable chip carving pattern to use for your practice board.  You may either transfer your chip carving pattern using a pencil grid or by using removable spray adhesive.  Remember chip carving takes practice to create clean, smooth, even sides to each chip.  So print several copies.