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With all the tools available to carvers today, you wouldn't think you'd need to make another!
Well, besides the fact that tool making is fascinating in it's own right, there are indeed occasions where you might need a 'just-so', special tool. In these circumstances I find a tool (spare!) that is close in shape to the one I want and alter accordingly.
It's not as difficult as you might think. The process of tool forging and tempering is ancient. And although it is computer-controlled today, it's quite possible to make a well-tempered and well-shaped carving tool yourself. In this video, I look at the the heat source and various pieces of equipment you'll need - really nothing very special.
There are various stages of heat treating. I've made notes to accompany the video in the download.
CAUTION: Heat, flame and dusty dry workshops? Asking for trouble, right? So you really must take great care. Do this work away from the workshop and outside in the air where you won't breathe in fumes. Keep water handy!
| 02 December 2024 08:56
Bryan - I've bent many a spoon/shortbent gouge to get a better curve or crank in the blade. As long as you heat the metal above red hot you can bend it without an issue. I use round-nosed pliers which don't mark the metal.
When you temper, only the working edge is tempered to light-medium straw for the cutting. Leave the crank softer, more resilient, purple to blue, to take the stresses.
| 01 December 2024 00:59
Have you used this process for spoon bending? I’d love to spoonbend a few auriou but don’t know if it’s possible to do at home without them getting wonky at the compound bends. I know it’s silly but I’ve got 31 elegant French tools in 2 tool rolls with 5 full bodied Germans in the back putting a damper on the party.
Thanks!
| 01 August 2019 14:34
Derek - Unfortunately, I have now had to move from that workshop to a much smaller one so it's no longer even an option.
In the past, sharing with the filming has been frustrating because of the dust/mess and the need to clear away what commissioned work I might be involved in to set up whatever we want to film; having a clean room just for filming felt a great relief - and still is!
But I do take your point and thank you for your kind comments.
| 31 July 2019 22:10
Hello Chris, I really appreciate the excellent video tutorials & most valuable information. I just would like to express an opinion, having been a long-time subscriber to WWTV (nearly 5 years I think). I believe the carving videos would be so much more interesting & even more educational if you guys went back to filming in your actual workshop. There's several reasons: 1) In my opinion your workshop background is not at all distracting, in fact it makes the videos more interesting. 2) There have been times when you may need a particular tool for some unforeseen reason & because you're in the studio you don't have access to it. 3) Learning from you is great, you're an amazingly talented teacher/instructor. I've always thought of WWTV as a virtual apprenticeship & apprenticing under the master carver Chris Pye in his actual carving workshop is the best scenario I can imagine for that to take place.
Apologies for the long comment but this exciting series made me want to suggest the above.
| 19 April 2019 18:06
Two seconds in and my first thought. . . Shop Tour. . would be really neat to get a tour around your working shop. The why's and how's of the setup and layout. Nothing super crazy , but the information would be great.
