Incised Carving

[Snakebite]

I talking strictly INCISED carving, not raised carving. What's the best tool(s) for getting that thin line for incised carving?

 

[F.G. Ford]

A very good quality exacto knife, and a fine veining chisel, with wooden mallet ( not too big )
A cut down child's base ball bat can be made into a good wood carving mallet.
Fred

 

[galamb]

I have used a broken hack saw blade (always have a few of them around and they are free).

Also works well for cutting a channel for doing wire inlays.

I don't "sharpen" them but put it on the grinder to get the profile I want.

 

[kaintuck]

to start out with...xacto makes a swivel bladed razor~hobby lobby stores will have them....with the small swivel blade, you can cut your 1st lines really nice.....then follow with a small v chisel, or keep cutting with xacto's...leaning them to make the 'lines' more interesting....

 

[Stophel]

This one tool.
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2...ep-V-Parting-Tool-3-mm-Intermediate-Size.aspx

Virtually all incise carving of the normal longrifle variety can be done using this one tool, and I believe that most, if not all, incise carving found on 18th-19th century guns was carved with similar tools. (I use it to outline all my carving now, incised and raised... and the raised carving with incised "edges" which is commonly seen on Lehigh and Lancaster guns.)

It can be chased with a mallet if you wish. Basically, you are engraving wood. I push mine with my hand....CAREFULLY. It can get away from you with a simple push. Usually, I will give it a little "wriggle" as I gently push it. The "wriggle" doesn't show in the carving, it cuts cleanly with more control than just pushing. For the tightest curves I used to have to chase it with a mallet, but I now can push it all the way around. One tool. No fuss, no muss.

Assuming you have the proper coordination and artistic talent, once you get the hang of it, incising this way is fairly easy. There is, however virtually NO room for error. Follow your pencil line precisely, don't let it slip!!! With relief carving, a lumpy line can be smoothed out somewhat. Not so much with an incise line. Once it's there, it's there. It can be smoothed SLIGHTLY (too much, and you make the line too wide) with either the V tool or a handy, dandy checkering cutter (which is basically a small V shaped file mounted on a handle).

Other than properly shaped small gouges to make the little "chip cuts", and a gouge or two to make some of the hollow cuts in the relief carving behind the cheek, this gun was carved pretty much entirely with my Pfeil V tool.

 

[LRB]

Looking good Chris. I found the same as you and made a palm chisel V tool to do incised. Don't know if it would help you any, but when engraving metal, most get better accuracy cutting on the side of a scribed or marked line, rather than trying to cut center of it. Of course either way, the marked line must be accurate.

 

[user 922]

Chris: That's the tool I use for incise carving too. I tap it with an engraving hammer just, as you say, like engraving metal. This is, obviously, not a rifle, but a music box turned from English Walnut, which carves nicely.

 

[LRB]

Beautiful!!

 

[GANGGREEN]

Man, I love Stophel's rifle and BucksCo's music box photos in this thread. I'm currently building a cherry-stocked rifle and have decided that I'll do my first carving on this one but hadn't completely decided yet on whether it will be incised or relief but this thread has been helpful.

 

[Stophel]

I like that box!

Speaking of engraving, a lot of 18th century guns will have light shading marks and other details engraved in the wood, apparently with a regular graver. Unfortunately, these marks usually don't show up in the picture books.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Now you guys are just showing off! :wink: :haha:

Seriously, it's such a joy to see the level of talent exhibited here! Good work from many hands!! :hatsoff:

 

[gunmaker43]

Is that Anne Boleyn ?? That would make an outrageous horn plug.

 

[user 922]

Tom: The box was a gift to my daughter who loves Tudor period history. I turned the box from English walnut. The mechanism plays "Greensleeves", which is rumored to have been written to Anne Boleyn by Henry VIII(in happier times). The carving is a Tudor rose and the inlay is a portrait of Anne.

 

[Bruce Bogart]

Your Daughter is a lucky lady Eric! Beautiful music box

 

[user 922]

Sorry to go off-topic. I wanted to show that incised carving can be easily done with a V-parting tool.

I use a Pfeil #15-3.

Thanks for the compliments on the box.

 

[Bruce Bogart]

Not off topic at all. That is a nice job of incised. I wish mne looked like that!