Floral Carving. Unfinished.

[Suicide]

Hey folks.

Tooled today, so still drying yet. It is going to be colored and used as a billfold cover.

Any advices on improving are also warmly welcome.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Suicide

[js5972]

You are getting there. Knife work is much improved. The decorative cuts on the flower look great. I'm not sure what your plan is with the beveling, especially along the stem. Are you using a matting tool? The checks look pretty coarse for a regular beveler. Keep working on "walking" the bevel and shader tools to reduce tool marks. Post a pic when you are done.

[electrathon]

You are getting there. Knife work is much improved. The decorative cuts on the flower look great. I'm not sure what your plan is with the beveling, especially along the stem. Are you using a matting tool? The checks look pretty coarse for a regular beveler. Keep working on "walking" the bevel and shader tools to reduce tool marks. Post a pic when you are done.

I have to agree with this. Your knife cits look good, they are usually a problem area. Decorative cuts look good too, one of the highest problem areas with most people. It does look like you are using a backgrounder as a beveler, if so you would greatly improve to get a few sizes of bevelers. I also see you beveled your leaved behind the stems, it is normal to have the leaves forward of the stems.

Aaron

[Suicide]

Thanks for your advices, guys! I am happy you like cuts thats what I tried hard to improve last time.

I'm not sure what your plan is with the beveling, especially along the stem. Are you using a matting tool? The checks look pretty coarse for a regular beveler. Keep working on "walking" the bevel and shader tools to reduce tool marks.

Yes, you right. I experience lack of bevelers for now, going to get some others. I used B701 along petals but combined using of B701 and B702 along the stems. Mostly used there 702 whereever I could go with it. It was a first time I used B702 and was kind of surprized too with its coarse texture. I thought that 702 just a larger version of 701 but seems it isn't.

It does look like you are using a backgrounder as a beveler, if so you would greatly improve to get a few sizes of bevelers.

No, I guess its just my misunderstanding of backgrounding

Please see my question at the bottom.

I also see you beveled your leaved behind the stems, it is normal to have the leaves forward of the stems.

Great point, thanks for it.

Now the question:

So far I couldn't get clear one thing: before using a backgrounding, should I bevel all the surrounding cuts or I shouldn't?

I mean I need to background closed area between leaves, stem and petal. Should I bevel all the items anyway (as there wouldn't go with backgrounder at all)?

And if cuts anyway should be beveled, should I look do not go with backgrounder onto beveler's path?

Thanks in advance!

Edited January 21, 2012 by Suicide

[electrathon]

Now the question:

So far I couldn't get clear one thing: before using a backgrounding, should I bevel all the surrounding cuts or I shouldn't?

I mean I need to background closed area between leaves, stem and petal. Should I bevel all the items anyway (as there wouldn't go with backgrounder at all)?

And if cuts anyway should be beveled, should I look do not go with backgrounder onto beveler's path?

Thanks in advance!

Yes, bevel all of the edges, even the ones you are going to background. It helps clean up the backgrounded edges.

As to the different checkering on the different size tools: this is a quality control issue. If you had more expensive tools you would be able to get a set that all have the same size of checkering. If you are going to use low end tools you would be better off to buy all of the bevelers that are the same and then grind down some of them to a narrower size. Another option is the but smooth faced ones so they will all match.

Aaron

[Suicide]

Yes, bevel all of the edges, even the ones you are going to background. It helps clean up the backgrounded edges.

Thanks! Now it is clear. Before I just thought if I anyway going down everything with backgrounder, why should I bevel first?

As to the different checkering on the different size tools: this is a quality control issue. If you had more expensive tools you would be able to get a set that all have the same size of checkering. If you are going to use low end tools you would be better off to buy all of the bevelers that are the same and then grind down some of them to a narrower size. Another option is the but smooth faced ones so they will all match.

You most likely right and this is the issue. The B701 came to some months ago with Tandy's Kit. It has strange Z letter in front of marking and no "Craftool" trademark (so all the spec read from it is Z-B701 and this is it). It also leaves a lot of toolmarks from one of its side edge. So using it I have to tilt it a bit on one side then chatter less. The another (that "coarse") beveler B702 is a regular Tandy's one, with no Z- prefix and with Craftool tm on it. It has nice lookin elevated edges and leaves no any toolmark at all.

I know these Tandy\s stamps far away from the "best tools ever" defenition, but even besides it I suspect that Z-B701 must be thrown away and changed to ... at least regular B701.

[electrathon]

Hit the Z B107 real hard and it will bend or break, take it back and they will waranty it with a B107.

[Suicide]

Hit the Z B107 real hard and it will bend or break, take it back and they will waranty it with a B107.

Make sense, but I' m for a fair play Until it dies in a battle I can't break it just for get a normal replacement.

What I suppose to do is just buy normal B701 and compare them side by side to be sure Z is the reason. All at all 7 bucks only. I can grind one of them down later if need

[js5972]

Some people (like me) will re-bevel after all other tooling to enhance the bevelling in some areas. Take a look at Barry King Tools.

[Suicide]

Some people (like me) will re-bevel after all other tooling to enhance the bevelling in some areas. Take a look at Barry King Tools.

Thanks for suggestion. I have heard alot about Barry King tools. But I'm in Europe. And moreover besides the oversea shipping I have to pay taxes and it will increase tool price almost twice here

[js5972]

Thanks for suggestion. I have heard alot about Barry King tools. But I'm in Europe. And moreover besides the oversea shipping I have to pay taxes and it will increase tool price almost twice here

OUCH! Shop around for shipping, who knows. Good tools are very important and bevelers are the most critical.

[gtwister09]

Check out some old posts on rose leaves. Here's one.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=15827&view=findpost&p=99816

Regards,

Ben

[Suicide]

Check out some old posts on rose leaves. Here's one.

Thanks, Ben! Thats a great sheet.!

Well, I dyed these today. Don't finished , still drying now.

Edited January 22, 2012 by Suicide

[gtwister09]

Hopefully it will help your next endeavor. Glad that you found it useful.

Regards,

Ben

[Suicide]

Finished the billfold.