50 Australian Wood Review
WOODCARVING- As a helpful guide, you might prefer to make up this
template. The vertical lines are 10mm apart, with the depth
of each numbered. Please note the template is only true in
three places because the form is asymmetrical – the centre
point is not in the middle of the template. - This useful jig was made to hold the block while I carved
it. It is a bench hook, about 250mm wide and around
400mm long. I drilled 4 x 12.5 mm holes as shown, to take
four lengths of 12.4 mm dowel. Make the fit of the bowl
inside these dowels a little loose so it can be easily moved.
The holding power of the dowels will be increased with a
thick bottom board made from 50mm stock. Protect your
hands with a pair of gloves. Older style cycling gloves are
ideal, as they have generous padding in the right areas.
(Newer, hi-tech ‘designer’ gloves are predictably stingy on
the padding.) When you carve, the end of the tool handle
should be pushed by the centre of the palm of your driving
hand and new carvers will quickly develop a blister without
a glove. Your other hand can also take a battering, so it will
help to protect it as well.
7. The deep gouges (No’s 7, 8 and 9) can remove a lot of
wood, very quickly. The 7 and 8 gouges shown in this
picture are from 18 to 30mm wide. They can be powered
by hand, or by mallet. I use a mallet to begin with, and
switch to hand when closing in on my final shape.
8. Start carving by gouging out a hole in the centre of the
block. I used the 8/18 gouge (No.8, 18mm wide), working
along the first set of marked lines. You will find the process
much easier if you can keep your work as neat as possible.
9. Here you can see what I mean by neat. With practice,
you can work very quickly, but still place your cuts neatly
beside each other, and keep them roughly the same shape
and depth. I work around at least twice on the outer series
of cuts, until the shape is continuous from top to bottom.
It is most important to visualise the shape you are after,
and try to make the cutting edge of the gouge trace out
that shape as it moves from top to bottom of each cut. You
cannot carve a curve if the gouge is moving in a straight
line. Practically, this means beginning with the handle of
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