Woodchuck question - symmetry in carving?

S

Snuffy

Joined
Jun 14, 2000
Messages
186
Hellp!

Is there an easy way to do the design on a handle, or other oddly shaped piece of material? I've got some more project ideas, (both carving and bluing) but I'm limited by being able to get the design onto the material - for example, how can I get the celtic knotwork on a carved hilt to line up properly? Or the flames I'm bluing onto the socket of a spearhead?

What do other people use? Trial and error? I don't trust my eyes to maintain the symmetry in the layout...

Thanks in advance...
 
You could get fancy and use a grapic computer layout I suppose.

I've laid out the design on a grid, like graph paper.

Then pretend that the grid was stretched/shrunk around the handle. Then draw out the deformed grid on paper. (Measure the handle circumference every 1/4" or whatever, center the lengths on paper spaced every quarter inch, divide all the lengths into equal number of sections and connect with curves.) If you want, you can space the handle measurements closer together where the handle is smaller in circumference.

It's like the graph paper was made of rubber...you stretch it around the handle until it lines up. If the handle is fatter in the middle, you can ignore that, or stretch in both directions.

Lay out a grid on the handle that matches.

Tranfer of the picture on the graph paper to the deformed grid on paper shows what the design would look like if stretched to fit the handle.

OR
Draw the design straight onto the deformed grid made from the handle measurements and use the underlying grid to transfer to the handle. This doesn't stretch the design to fit the handle shape.

Which looks best depends upon the design and the handle shape.

Hope that made sense, think of those maps that put the globe on a flat sheet of paper to get the idea.
 
I use this method as well, and a few others. Not to be redundant, so here's yet another one:

TAPE - I use maskinng tape or electrical tape (it is stretchy and thus a bit form-fitting), then draw my guide lines, then transpose the drawing from the graph paper onto the knife.

My fave: If you want a pattern aligned off axis (ie, diagonally, so as to make diamonds oinstead of squares), then spiral the tape around the handle then trace th line on one side of the tape.

Keith
 
Cool, I thought what I wrote might be interpreted as gibberish.

I've seen descriptions of using the spiral method (with wire, or sticky waxed string) to lay out the pattern for spiral-fluted handles. Tape or hose-clamp them with even spacing at one end, wind, with equal turns to even spacing at the other, and that's it.
 
I dunno, Ive tried making patterns and then transferring them onto the wood, but I always end up not liking it, and tweaking it a bit free hand. My best advice would be to draw in pencil, have a good eraser, and be patient.
 
Thanks for the advice all! It seems it comes down to eyeballing it (to some extent) after all, which is what I was wondering. From your descriptions I think I have a better idea of the process involved. The pictures I've seen of the work you all do has inspired me to give it a shot - I'll let you know if my ideas pan out...
 
Have fun with it snuffy, and you'll do just fine.

This thread has some really good summaries of these techniques. Good posts, all!

Keith
 
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