Description

Within a 2 day workshop, participants will learn how to hold and carve with a chip carving knife. They will leave with a completed, carved framed mirror, along with a pair of carved coasters.

The workshop will begin with a discussion about the history of chip carving, and an overview of chip carving patterns and chip carving tools.

After that introduction, each participant will select a chip carving knife and a small blank of wood, and we will go over basic carving grips. Much of chip carving is in the layout and planning of a cut pattern. We will cover this and practice a few basic shapes in the wood blank using the appropriate carving grips. This work will be primarily done on coaster blanks, allowing participants to hone their carving skills and create something useful in the process.

From there, participants will select their mirror frame materials and begin laying out their carving pattern using pencils, rulers, straight edges, protractors, and other layout tools.

By day two the workshop will be focused primarily on execution and assembly. We will begin carving the frame, with carving time interspersed with insights and comments about specific patterns, techniques, and chip carving tips.