Step 1 - Create
a design on a copy machine or computer printer.
Computers are ideal since you can size and scale
much easier than a copy machine. Apply glue stick
to the back of the paper stencil then apply to
wood, bone or stone. Push out any air bubbles that
might get trapped under the stencil. There are
other stencil options available, including solvent
transfers, mylar, water slide decals and stamps. |
Step 2 - Using
straight carbide bur, route entire outline of design
to a depth of 1/8" to 1/16". Cut along
the outside edge of the design. You can always
cut away more material but it is impassible to
add. The 1701 is good for areas with little detail.
Precede with the 699 then the 7611 carbide burs
as the details get finer. |
Step 3 - The #8 carbide bur is
used to remove material from the background, which
will leave a relief with square edges. |
Step 4 - Use the #4 and #1 carbide
burs to remove material from tighter areas like
between the legs and antlers. There are different
patterns you can leave in the wood. This example
will have a stipple pattern. Stippling is done
by moving the bur up and down, perpendicular. |
Step 5 - Use
the 7611, 699 or 9903 carbide burs to engrave the
major anatomical details like leg and antler details
through the paper into the wood. Don't worry about
the finer details like hair at this point. This
is necessary because we will remove the stencil
in the next step and it would be much more difficult
to carve anatomy without the guides. |
Step 6 - Lay
a moistened paper towel over the remaining stencil.
Let it sit long enough to dissolve the glue This
is the easiest way to remove the stencil. |
Step 7 - Tape
a copy of the original pattern to guide us we now
shape. Use the MM58 and MM5 diamond burs to shape
the anatomical contours. The engraved details in
the wood will guide you as to which details are
in front of others. Round off the square corners.
Study a coin and you see how the counters are carved
in shallow relief. |
Step 8 - Using
the copy as our guide we can now engrave the finer
details like hair. |
Step 9 - The
finishing contouring and smoothing is done with
the MM3.2 or MM5 diamond bur held in a pin vise.
This is a manual operation and is basically like
sanding. |
Step 10 -
The edges of the entire design can be undercut
using round carbide burs. This gives excellent
depth and life to your work. |
