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It's funny what sticks with you from childhood. One of my earliest woodworking memories is of my Grandfather carving Roman numerals into the edges of wooden window frames and their matching storms at the cottage using a jack knife. Since each window was a little different, the numbers let him reinstall the storms in the right spot every fall -- a service they're still providing today. The half-hour I spent watching him more than 25 years ago has not only influenced my woodworking, but it's the reason you're reading this now. It's astonishing how small actions can sometimes launch far-reaching ripples into history.
I've since refined and expanded Grandpa's incised letter/number carving idea and use it on workshop projects I especially like. A date, a name, initials or a fun label add a dimension to woodworking that you can't get any other way. I've also brought my computer and the photocopier into the process to speed and improve results.
Side-Step the Hardest Part
Carving incised letters and numbers is a two-part process: First there's drawing of the shapes, then comes carving. But no matter how skillful you are with tools, your letters will look ugly unless you follow an accurate, pleasing pattern. And drawing those patterns freehand could take as long as the carving itself, with no guarantee of success.
But the patterns I follow never involve any drawing, are always perfectly proportioned, and take just a few minutes to prepare. I make them on my computer screen, then print them out and glue the paper to my work piece with rubber cement. I then carve right through the paper into the wood. After I'm finished, I peel and sand off the remaining paper. It's easy, and the results look great.
There are three advantages to computer-generated carving patterns: First, you can choose any shape of letter you like. There are thousands out there (called fonts in computer talk), so it's easy to get the look you want. Second, you can optimize letter sizes instantly, on-screen. Any word processing program offers an enormous range of letter sizing options. And third, making computer carving patterns is fast. It takes just minutes to get exactly what you want.
Choosing Your Font
If you've never carved before, it won't be obvious what separates a carver-friendly font from a carving-impaired one. The drawing at right shows the differences between my favorite carving font -- something called IMPLICITCA PSSSI -- and a woodcarver's nightmare, Cooper Black Italic. You probably won't have these specific fonts on your system, but you will have other similar choices, some great, some not. Look for letters with serifs, those little pointy parts that cap each corner or letter-end. They make it easy to maintain crisp end cuts.
Tools of My Trade
I use only three tools for carving incised letters and numbers: a large Alpine chip carving knife, a 1/2 #7 straight carving gouge, and a 1/4 #5 straight gouge. The tool collection that's ideal for you might vary from this list, depending on the style and size of letters you like. But regardless of what you settle on, tools won't be a big expense -- $50 or $60 will let you make a lifetime of letters. |
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The hallmark of any carving style is bold, clean tool strokes. And unless your tools are sharp enough to cut cleanly, without tearing, your work will be fuzzy, indecisive and second-rate. I use an electric buffing wheel, not stones, to sharp all my tools. The process only takes a few minutes, and produces the keenest possible cutting edges. See Laid to Rest in the July 1994 issue of Canadian Workshop for more details.
Technique Tips
Some woods carve better than others, and as a novice you want to give yourself every chance for success by using the best carving woods. My first choice is basswood, because it's not too hard or soft, and has a tight, interlocking grain that holds no surprises. Unfortunately, even though basswood grows widely in deciduous forests, it's rarely sawn into lumber. You'll find it easier to get some knot-free pine, a good second choice. Stay away from hardwoods, at least initially. Oak and ash are particularly troublesome because of their porous grain structure. Very soft woods aren't great either. Eastern white and western red cedar are so soft that it's difficult to create crisp carved edges.
Start practicing on some simple letters or numbers with no curves. The letter V or number 7 are good choices. You can take one of two approaches, depending on how you want the letters to look. Either use the chip carving knife to follow the letter outlines in a smooth, continuous stroke, or take many overlapping downward nibbles with the straight gouge. The subtle, dish-shaped cuts of this second method are visually pleasing, and say hand-carved pretty plainly.
Either way, start in the middle of the letter, with your first tool strokes starting 2/3s of the way from the centerline of the letter to its outer edge. The idea is to work your way closer to the outer edge of the letter in multiple passes, first along one side, then the other. All tool strokes must also angle down towards the middle of the letter where they'll converge into a sharp point at the bottom of the incised trough that forms the letter body. The cardinal rule here is to never venture beyond the outer edges of your letter's pattern.
Variations on the Theme
Manufacturers spend millions of dollars building and promoting corporate logos, and it's fun to add these to projects. Kids especially like the enhanced cool factor that comes with the symbols and brand names that are constantly drummed into their heads via TV, billboards and magazines.
I've built toy storage boxes with the Lego and Meccano insignias carved into the sides following photocopied patterns taken from instruction manuals. The carvings have the same feel as the printed logos. It's neat to see them in wood.
Like the computer, photocopiers can be used to vary final logo sizes to suit the object you're carving into. But since it's rarely convenient to bring a project-on-the-go into a copy shop, get several sizes of logos so you've got a choice when you get back to the workshop. |
