Your First Carving Pattern

 Your First Carving Project

This simple flower, worked on a practice board, makes a great first pattern for your new craft.

The stop cut is made with two strokes to lift a v-trough of wood between two elements. In this sample carving the stop cut is used to separate the design from the background area, the leaves from the petals, and the petals from the center of the flower.

Sharp corners in your patterns can be lifted by using a three stroke cut called a chip carving cut. After the stop cut has been worked around each element of the pattern lay your knife at a low angle along the diagonal of the corner. Make a slice across the diagonal to lift a small triangular chip.

Supplies:
Basswood practice board
Basic set of carving tools:
straight chisel
v-gouge
large round gouge
small round gouge
Bench knife
Graphite paper

1. Secure your board to your work table with c-clamps, or with a non-skip mat.
2. Lightly sand the board using 220-grit sandpaper.
3. Make a printed copy of your pattern. Center the pattern to the board and secure one edge with tape. Slide the graphite under the pattern paper. Using an ink pen trace along the pattern lines.
4. With your bench knife cut along the outer e edges of the pattern lines at a 90 degree angle to the board.
5. Angle the bench knife slightly away from the pattern. Placing the knife point at the same place as the first cut, make a second cut. This will lift a small v-trough of wood along the edge of the pattern.
6. Angle the knife to a 45 degree angle at the sharp corner areas of the pattern. Slice into the corner to lift a small triangle chip.