Woodworking Education & Museum Quality Furniture
The triangle marking system has been around for centuries, but many woodworkers just don’t get it. Throughout the years, I’ve seen nearly every possible incorrect application of this simple organizational system. The key to getting it right is simplicity. If you’ve done the thing correctly, there should only ever be a partial triangle on any[…]
Years ago, as I wandered the rooms at Winterthur, a carved detail on some of the Chippendale furniture caught my eye – gadrooning. Although you may not be familiar with the term, you’ve probably seen this type of carving. It resembles a rope with alternating hollows and rounds. And while gadrooning is found on high[…]
I get it; all the prep work in the world isn’t as exciting as seeing the carved details. That’s why, after several weeks of presenting the foundational steps to carving a scallop shell, I’m offering the final segment in the series. If you’re a details person, this post is for you. And if you’ve been[…]
Like many other types of carvings, you need to establish a topography by excavating the scallop shell. In other words, you’ve got to form the blank to a general shell shape before you can carve the details. I use bench chisels for the vast majority of this excavation, but you could certainly use larger, flatter-sweep[…]
There are a handful of carving tool cuts every budding woodcarver needs to know. They’re essential because they help you remain in control during the cut, ensuring your carving turns out as planned. It’s all about control. Learning the fundamental cuts (push, pull, slice and chop) combined with an understanding grain direction puts you in[…]
Carving is one of those peripheral skills many woodworkers ignore, but you can add depth to your projects by including even a modest amount. In the video below, I walk you through scallop shell layout and the necessary tools to carve it. Honestly, carving a scallop shell is far simpler than it looks, and it’s[…]