I have been working on some carving/photography lately. A few projects coming up in 2009 will feature some of these carvings. The one above is a chest rail; once again a motif borrowed from some furniture from Devon, c. 1660s and beyond. The same general source is used for this “scissor” motif, below, which I used on a chest I built this past spring. This is a close detail; the motif is about 3″ high in reality.
Here’s a quick view of the beginning of a carving. You can see the panel is nailed to a backboard of pine. The pine board is in turn held to the bench with a pair of holdfasts (not shown in this view). I’m using a V-tool to outline the pattern; after using a compass to define the arch at the top of the panel.
Here is the finished outline, mostly. So to this point, it’s been cut with only one carving tool & a mallet. Tomorrow I hope to shoot the rest of this carving.
PETER FOLLANSBEE: JOINER’S NOTES 
The new Devon carving, very nice, are they butterflies?
Very Nice! For layout do you only use your compass and gouge?
thanks for the notes, James & Don. In order; James, I’m glad you like the carving – I don’t see butterflies, but if that’s what you see, then that’s what they are. I was thinking about some version of that carving for part of your box stool.
Don, usually for layout my tools include a compass, awl, square and ruler. The forms for these carvings are freehand within a scribed area, (centerlines, margins, etc)for instance, the one labelled “new devon carving” above is about 36″ long, and there were several rectangles described on the board. Then a zigzag line running up one rectangle and down the next alternates along the stock. the rest was freehand.
Peter, great, that carving will look fabulous on my box stool. Apparently, butterflies are a big deal in Devon, it is the warmest part of the country, which is why you can find many species of rare butterflies there.
http://www.devon-butterflies.org.uk/Home.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/england/devon/3939397.stm
So, until someone comes along and demolishes my fantasy, i shall call this the Devon butterfly pattern.
Peter,
I sent you an email on some research I was doing.
Funny James, I’m sure you will have a great stool.
Peter,
Aside from the fact we do not have old groth wood. What is the biggest panel you have rived out of a tree for furniture?
Don
Growth! :)
there have been times when I’ve got panels about 12″ wide radially from a log. that means the log was almost three feet in diameter. Around here when logs are that big, they usually are not grown in the woods. this results in wider growth rings, less even and consistent grain in the wood. Generally the good panels I get are about 10″ wide at best.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY & JOYFUL NEW YEAR