gouge carved molding

another form of scratch stock

 

I made this scratch stock like a marking gauge, and I use it when I need a molding that is not at the edge of the stock. Here it’s set up to form a small bead. In this case, the bead is the first step in some carved decoration. below is scraping the bead. As before, the green, straight-grained oak scrapes very easily.

scraping a bead

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next I use a small gouge to chop straight into the bead shape, to begin defining a simple pattern. I hold the gouge perpendicular to the stock, and strike once with a mallet. I eyeball the spacing of these cuts.

striking the gouge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next step then is to angle the gouge behind the first cuts, and chop out the chip. I sometimes need to move the tool laterally at the end of the cut to get the chip to pop out. Avoid the urge to try to flick the chip up with the gouge.

finishing the carved detail

 

 

Here is a view of a section of this molding. I have been making some of this for a stool I have underway in my shop.

gouge-carved molding