A fresh guide for chip carving
Techniques for Sculpting Beautiful Patterns by Hand
Being employed at a woodworking magazine grants me access to lots of information. Plus, my office is right next door to a Woodcraft store. I’m lucky to have easy access to research and learn almost anything woodworking-related. But I wish that this book had been available when I first tried my hand at chip carving. In Chip Carving, Techniques for Carving Beautiful Patterns by Hand (Blue Hills Press), author Daniel Clay deftly walks you through the early stages of the craft: what tools you need, how to use them, and how to sharpen them. Text and photos make the craft accessible and grant confidence along the way. With clear photos and direct writing, each chapter cleverly builds on the one before as you work through different cuts to various patterns, designing your own patterns, and finally finishing. Plus, the foreword is by late master woodworker Nancy Hiller.
If you are interested in chip carving, you’ll want to read this book. Even if you aren’t, it will change your mind when you see the cool things you could do. And, if you’re a chip carving veteran, Clay’s unique, original, and modern patterns and designs will breathe fresh inspiration into your art.
Chad McClung
A comfy shop perch
Vyper Robust Steel Max Quick Height Chair
For tasks such as carving and scrollsawing, there is nothing like having a stable seat to sit on while you’re getting the job done. Vyper’s shop chair provides just that. This beefy, U.S.-made shop accessory features a firm, cushioned seat atop a very surefooted, five-wheel base. It’s height-adjustable, so you can fit it to the task at hand. The casters are large enough to easily roll over debris and even cords as you move the chair around and set widely enough apart that there is virtually no chance of turning the chair over. And the padded backrest provides good support when you need to lean back and stretch. I’ve found my Vyper to be a wonderful upgrade to the old metal stool I had previously. In addition to the aforementioned tasks, I also use it regularly when inputting information for my CNC machine and when working on small projects such as the dragonfly on page 22.
Ken Burton
Miter saw hood corrals dust
FastCap Original Saw Hood
Connecting a dust-collection hose to my miter saw caught only a fraction of the debris, with the majority of it spraying throughout my shop. To get enough airflow to completely conquer the problem, I would probably need to invest in a wind-tunnel turbine. Instead, I decided to try The Original Saw Hood from FastCap.
After some minor assembly, stout pins in the hood’s frame dropped into accessory holes in the saw’s chassis. The hood removes quickly and folds flat for storage or carrying to a job site. The top of the hood has a clear plastic panel to admit light, but I clip on a small lamp for improved visibility. The setup includes a front panel that prevents dust from ricocheting out of the hood. You easily attach it with the sewn-on hook-and-loop strips. The slick fabric of the hood helps most dust slide into a bucket on the floor. And the hood is waterproof, so you can also use it with a wet tile saw. Paired with a shop vacuum, this is a worthy investment for quality dust control at the miter saw.
Robert J. Settich
