Lettering & Sign Carving Workbook E-Book

Betty Padden

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 186

Beschreibung

A contemporary look at a nostalgic craft with updated techniques and a fresh variety of styles for carving and painting a variety of signs for the home, summer cottage or basement bar.

Leseprobe

To my husband, Bob, and my children, Joe, Tom, and Brianne, for their love, support, and patience; and to my students, for the joy they bring to my life.

Betty Padden has been making a living creating handsome wooden signs since 1976. With her husband, Bob, she owns Wooden Apple Signmakers. Their signs have been displayed at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Busch Gardens, and other famous venues, as well as adorning businesses from Maine to Alaska. Betty and Bob have been teaching carving classes for 32 years at their studio. Betty also does design work for companies such as Ne Qwa Art and Blossom Bucket. Visit their website at www.woodenapplesignmakers.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1:CIRCA BOARD

› Basics of laying out a sign

› Woodcarving chisels and their use, care, and safety

› Basic letter carving and chip carving

› Beginner’s painting techniques

CHAPTER 2:WELCOME SIGN

› Gluing and cutting a sign blank

› Chip carving a more complex design

› Painting a more complex image

CHAPTER 3:HOUSE SIGN WITH APPLIED CAP AND MOLDING

› Using a computer to generate curved lettering

› Chip carving a more complex grouping

› Painting a more complex group of objects

› Adding a raised cap and molding detail

CHAPTER 4:NOAH’S ARK

› Carving a simple banner

› Using different types of wood—in this case, basswood

› Using a power carver to shape and texture

› Painting with traditional artist’s oil paints

CHAPTER 5:IRISH CLADDAGH SIGN

› Carving a more difficult banner

› Carving a complex raised piece

› Applying 23-karat gold leaf

› Using a smaltz finish

CHAPTER 6:THE NEXT LEVEL

BANNER WITH A RAISED STEIN

OVAL SIGN WITH DUCK

CABIN SIGN WITH BIRCH LOG FRAME

BEACH HOUSE SIGN

INDOOR CHRISTMAS SIGN

INDEX

A circa board is a small plaque decorated with the build date of a home or building. Although usually mounted on historic homes, there is currently a trend to put them on any home, no matter when the house was built. A circa board is a beautiful detail on your home, and it makes a nice, thoughtful gift for a housewarming. Though this project is specially designed to be easily accomplished by a novice carver, it is equally fun and useful for a more advanced carver.

Although many species of wood can be used for sign making, I am using white Eastern pine for this sign and most projects covered in this book. It is readily available at local lumberyards and even some of the big box stores. It’s easy to carve and work with, and it’s relatively inexpensive. With the proper finishes and upkeep, it also tends to weather well.

The design shape for this project is a simple rectangle, ¾" x 7¼" x 14" (20mm x 184mm x 356mm). For simplicity’s sake, I have chosen a lumber dimension usually found in stock. Please note that when you look for it, it will be labeled 1" x 8" (25mm x 203mm) x a varying number of feet long, but will actually measure ¾" x 7¼" (19mm x 184mm). The size of board is called 1 x 8 because that was the original rough-cut size of the board before planing at the lumber mill. It is standard industry terminology. It pays to remember this when ordering wood for projects. Take care to choose the best grade or quality of lumber available, and check to see it is free of warping, checks and knots, and sap pockets.

NEW TOPICS IN THIS CHAPTER

› The basics of laying out a sign

› Woodcarving chisels and their uses, care, and safety

› Basic letter carving and chip carving

› Beginner’s painting techniques

MATERIALS & TOOLS

■ Sign blank, cut to ¾" x 7¼" x 14" (19mm x 184mm x 356mm)

■ Full-size pattern of berries and leaves

■ Number sheet

■ Carbon paper

■ Pencil

■ Ruler (see-through grid ruler is ideal)

■ Tape

■ C-clamp and scrap wood

■ Non-skid pad

■ #13 6mm V-groove chisel

■ #2 8mm chisel

■ #2 16mm chisel (a #2 20 mm is also useful, but you can substitute the 16mm)

■ #5 12mm chisel

■ #5 16mm chisel (a #5 20mm is useful, but you can use the 16mm instead)

■ #7 8mm chisel

■ #7 14 mm chisel

A note about chisel sizes—whenever you run across a chisel size that you don’t have, you can substitute a smaller mm size of the same sweep number.

Arrows indicate starting pointsLines indicate stopping pointsScoop all rounded ends with a #11 7mm chisel

LAYING OUT THE SIGN

1Mark the board. Cut the board to 14" (356mm) long. Draw a line down the center from top to bottom. Next, measure 2⅞" (73mm) up from the bottom and draw a horizonal letter line. Draw a line ½" (13mm) in from the edge of the sign blank along all four edges. Draw a line on the sides ⅜" (10mm) down from the surface. Hold the pencil tip on the mark and put your ring finger on the surface. Slide your hand to mark the bottom of the bevel.

2Transfer the leaf and berry pattern. Tape the top edge of the leaf and berry pattern to the blank. Line up the centerline of the pattern to the centerline and the letter line drawn on the blank. Slip the carbon paper under the pattern. Transfer the pattern.

3Assemble the number pattern. The numbers should measure 3½" (89mm) tall. Cut apart the numbers you need. Tape together two pieces of paper. On this paper, draw a line 2" (51mm) up from the bottom, 12" (305mm) long. Tape the “c.” and numbers to the paper. Match up the lines under the numbers to the line on the paper. Tape the “c.” first, and then the last number. Notice numbers with rounded bottoms fall below the line—if those characters aren’t drawn slightly larger, they will appear too small when next to flat-bottomed characters.

4Space the numbers. Correct spacing of lettering is done by eye. Look at the overall size of the area between the lettering, and try to balance that or maintain it throughout the word. After you are happy with the spacing, you need to find the center of the entire text field to place it on the blank. Measure to find the center of the circa date. Fold the paper at this point, taking care to fold a line perpendicular to the line under the numbers. Match the letter line on the sign to the line beneath the numbers, and the centerline on the sign blank to the center fold of the pattern. Tape along one side only, as before.

5Transfer the pattern. Take a moment to thicken some of the thinner sections of the numbers and point the serifs—they are the points that extend out from the letter ends. Be consistent! If you increase a thin line by ⅛" (3mm), thicken all thin lines by the same amount.

6Add stopcut marks. When the design is on the board and all corrections have been made, draw stop cuts down the center of the numbers and angled into the serifs. Your first chisel cuts will be on these lines. As you become more skilled, you won’t need to do this.

A BRIEF DISCUSSION ABOUT WOOD GRAIN

Understanding the structure of wood grain will make working with and controlling wood much easier, resulting in a cleaner, more professional-looking carving.

The best way to think about wood grain and understand how it will react to your chisel cuts is to picture a bundle of thin hollow tubes or straws bundled together.

The bonds holding the straws together are weak—they will easily split or fracture if a knife or chisel cut starts at the end of a straw. This property is useful in splitting firewood. The surface at the end of a block or log where all the straws end is called, appropriately enough, the end grain.

Below, you will see the wrong way to approach the wood grain. After some experience, reading the grain will become second nature to you. Until then, drawing guidelines on letters and numbers helps (see page 10).

Whenever the wood starts to fracture or split as you are carving, you are probably carving against the grain. Simply reversing the direction of your cut should stop the fracturing. In the rare event that this does not work, you can carve at right angles to the grain.

Closeup of straw-like structure of wood fibers.

Closeup view.

Orientation of wood blank in tree.

The straw-like wood fibers in the wood blank are not always straight or flat—they can slant up or down, so it is important to be able to read the grain direction.

Wrong direction—against the grain.

When the cutting edge cuts into the ends of the wood fibers, they split readily and cause fracturing. Simply reversing direction will correct this.

PRACTICE: CARVING THE NUMBER 1

If this is your first time carving letters, it’s a good idea to practice on a scrap piece of pine. This way, any mistakes you may make while getting the hang of things won’t ruin a good sign blank. Trace an assortment of numbers you will be using. Pick some that are straight, and some others that have rounded parts to them. “1,” “2,” and “9” would be good choices to use. Transfer a few of each of these numbers to a practice board. Be sure to add stop-cut lines to the numerals. You will need only the #2 16mm and a #13 6mm V-groove to carve this number.

1Clamp the blank. Secure the board with two clamps to the carving bench before starting to carve. I place a piece of non-skid pad (the kind used under rugs) under the board before securing it to the bench with two C-clamps. It is very important to securely clamp the board to the bench so both hands can remain on the chisel. Many injuries occur when novice carvers use one hand to hold the sign.

2Cut serifs. Cut the serifs first. Using the #13 6mm V-groove, begin on the bottom of the numeral. Start from the outer tip in a very shallow cut and push the V-groove into the center of the serif, cutting deeper as you go.

3Stop-cut the centerline. Begin stop-cutting the centerline of the 1. You can begin at the top or the bottom.

TWO GRIPS

There are two ways to hold a chisel. The first way is to grip the metal part of the chisel fairly close to the edge, with your left hand if you are right-handed (right hand if you are left-handed). Grip the wooden handle with your other hand. This is how to hold the chisel when you want to carve away from yourself.

Sometimes it is necessary or more comfortable to carve by pulling the chisel toward you. Most people feel very insecure doing this, but if you grip the chisel on the metal portion as shown, you will have control of the cut. Be sure to anchor both forearms or wrists securely on the bench as shown at all times, and you will find it is nearly impossible to get the chisel edge close enough to cut you.

The first grip.

The second grip.

TIP

Keeping Your Line Straight

Place half of the edge of the chisel on the line, leaving the other half on the portion of the previous cut. This will ensure you maintain the same angle when carving the number.

4Cut the top serifs. Cut the top serifs in the same way you did the bottom serifs.

5Slice the bottom serifs. Using the corner of the #2 16mm chisel, begin slicing the wood in the serif so the cut angles from the drawn edge of the letter to the bottom of the stop cut.

6Begin carving the main body. Set the edge of the chisel on or in front of the line. The remnants of the pencil line allow you to see if the carved line is straight. Carve the angle down into the stop cut by pushing the chisel at an angle—thereby slicing the cut.

7Cut the rest of the side. Continue up the side of the 1 until you reach the curve of the serif.

8Cut in the top serifs. Now cut in the top serifs in the same way as the lower ones.

9Cut the other side of the body. Using the #2 chisel, carve the other side of the main body in the same manner as the first side.

10Clean the carving. When the entire number has been carved, begin cleaning the carving so there are no stray splinters or chips left. Do this by gently pushing the #2 chisel into the center V trench at the bottom. Take care not to cut a deep gouge there. You’ve completed carving the number 1.

PRACTICE: CARVING THE NUMBER 2

Wood grain really comes into play when carving a curved letter or number. It is useful to draw in directional lines (seen in the following steps) to show where the grain is. Get out the following chisels: #13 6mm V-groove, #2 8mm, # 2 16mm or 20mm, #5 16mm, and #7 14mm.

1Make bottom stop-cuts. Draw grain guidelines. Note the arrow marks. These indicate where to begin each cut. Stop-cut the right-side serifs. Stop-cut the bottom line. Stop-cut the left-corner serif.

2Stop-cut the leg. Begin stop-cutting the leg of the 2. Stop at the midpoint of the curve.

3Carve from the top. Start at the highest point of the 2 and bring a stop-cut down to meet the previous cut.

4Complete the stop-cutting. Start at the tip of the 2 and create a stop cut up to the midpoint of curve.

5Slice the bottom line of the foot. Using the #2 20 mm chisel, begin the first slice up from the bottom line into the stop cut on the foot of the 2. Remember to overlap your cuts so the finished plane is at a consistent angle. Continue for the length of the line. Cut down from the top line of the foot to the bottom of the stop cut.

6Cut in the bottom serif. Cut in the curve of the bottom serif using the corner of the #2 chisel. Take lots of small cuts to get around the curve. Continue using the corner of the #2 chisel to cut in the straight side of the serif.

7Cut the outside right curve. Using the #5 16mm chisel, carve the outside edge of the 2’s right side, starting at the arrow and slicing down into the stop cut. Proceed downward. Notice part of the chisel is in the previously carved portion of the 2—this helps to maintain the same angle throughout. Continue using the #5 chisel while you cut the outside curve.

8Cut the straight part of the outside line. Because the line is now pretty straight, switch chisels to a #2 16mm. Make chisel cuts down the leg of the 2 until you reach the foot. Notice how the narrower part of the leg is not as deep as the foot.

TIP

Choosing a Chisel

When trying to decide what chisel to use on a curve, match the shape of the curve to the curve of the chisel. Always choose a tool that is more curved rather than less curved. A smaller curve will fit into the larger curve, while a too-large chisel curve will destroy the shape you wanted in your carving.

9Carve up the left side of the leg. Start carving up the leg with a #2 16mm chisel in the direction of the arrows. Carve until you reach the start of the curve.

10Carve the left side of the curve. Starting at the top left of the 2 inside the curve, use a #2 8mm chisel to carve in this area. Follow the arrow downward. Continue carving to meet up with the cut that came up the leg. Note the wood chips are still attached to the carving—they will be cut free when we do the cleaning stage.

11Carve up the outside line of the leg. Switch to the #5 16 mm chisel again. Resume carving of the outer curve of the leg, traveling in the direction of the arrow. Switch to the second holding method for the last few cuts, where the line is almost flat. Stop when you reach the marker arrow—if you continue past this point, you will fracture the wood.

12Carve down the inside of the left curve. Use the #2 8mm to carve the inside curve of the left side of the 2. Begin at the top and proceed downward until you reach the midpoint opposite the arrow.

13Carve up the inside of the left curve. With the same #2 8mm chisel, start carving up the inside of the left curve. Begin at the top edge of the point. Carve up the curve to the midpoint. Finish by blending the two areas.

14Carve the outer curve of the left side. Switch chisels to the #7 14mm, which will fit this tight curve. Start carving at the midpoint arrow on the outer curve of the left side of the 2. Proceed up the curve in the direction of the arrow. Continue slicing up to the top of the 2. Note that some of the wood chips remain attached to the base of the cut. These will be removed when we clean the number. Blend the last cuts into the previously carved edge.

15Carve the lower portion of the outside left curve. Carve the lower half of the curve, beginning at the midpoint marker arrow. Proceed to carve the edge downward. Make the last cut on the lower edge of the point.

16Clean out the chips. Using the #2 8mm chisel, begin cleaning the wood chips still attached to the carving by gently pushing the chisel down in the deepest point of the cut, taking care not to cut a trench in the base. If the chips still won’t come free, you may need to cut from each angle a few times. Always use the same chisel you carved with to do this. You can also use the #13 V-groove. Be careful to skim across the bottom—don’t cut into the carving.

PRACTICE: CARVING THE NUMBER 9

The nine is similar to the number two in that both are curved numbers, and so, many of the techniques used are repeated. The main differences are the absence of the foot, and the curve of the top of the nine continues, forming a complete circle. The chisels you will need for this are the #13 6mm V-groove, the #2 8mm, the #5 12mm, the #5 16 or 20mm (I’m using a 20mm here), and the #11 7mm.

1Begin the stop-cutting. Begin cutting the stop cuts with the #13 V-groove at the tail of the 9 to the bottom of the curve. Stop-cut downward from the midpoint of the leg.

2Stop-cut upward from the midpoint of the leg. Start from the midpoint of the right side and continue up to the top of the 9.

3Stop-cut the bottom of the loop. Next, stop-cut the connector line at the middle of the right leg. Continue to the marker arrow on the bottom of the loop.

4Stop-cut the top and left of the loop. Begin the next stop cut at the top of the 9. Follow the arrows marked on the inside of the loop. Continue the cut around and down to the midpoint of the left side. Then, cut up from the bottom until you hit the same midpoint. This completes the stop cuts on the 9.

5Carve the inner upper curve. Using the #2 8mm chisel, begin carving the inner curve of the 9 at the top of the loop. Continue carving the inner curve down to the right. Remember to keep some of the pencil line as you carve. Finish the cut at the center of the right curve.

6Carve the inner curve of the tail. Move to the tail of the 9 and continue carving with the #2 8mm chisel. Cut the inner curve of the number. Bring the cut through the connector line, and join the two carved edges of the inner curve.

7Carve the outer right curve. Using a #5 20mm chisel, begin carving the outer curve of the 9 on the right side at the arrow at the center. Carve down the side in the direction of the arrow. Stop when you reach the narrow part of the number.

8Carve the narrow part of the tail. You’ve now reached a part of the number where the curve is tighter. Switch to a smaller #5 12mm chisel. Continue carving to the bottom of the tail and stop.

9Carve the outer upper right curve. Switch to a #5 20mm chisel to carve the outer edge of the 9 from the midpoint to the top. Stop when you reach the narrow part of the number toward the top. As you approach the top, you will need to switch to a smaller #5 12mm chisel. Continue to the top of the 9 and stop at the midpoint arrow.

10Carve the inner upper curve. Using a #2 8mm chisel, begin carving the inner upper curve. Start at the arrow at the bottom of the loop. Continue carving upward. Make the last cut at the midpoint of the curve, across from the arrow.

11Carve the inner left curve. Move to the top of the inner curve of the loop and begin carving down to the left. Join the two carved edges at the center point.

12Carve the outer upper left curve. Using the #5 20mm chisel, begin carving the outer curve of the left side of the 9, starting at the arrow at the midpoint. Continue carving up toward the top of the loop in the direction of the arrow. Stop at the top.

13Carve the outer lower left curve. Using the same #5 20mm chisel, begin carving the lower quadrant of the outer curve of the loop. Start at the midpoint arrow and continue carving downward until you reach the narrow part of the number.

14Carve the bottom outside of the loop. Switch to the smaller #5 12mm to carve the tighter curve at the bottom of the loop. Carve down from the left side to the center point, stop, and then carve down from the right to the center.

15Carve the tip of the tail.