Dwayne Gosnell - Woodcarving a Christmas Chess Set: Patterns and Instructions for Caricature Carving

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Ive never met a carver who wasnt also a tool collector. If you have it, use it. If I use a certain tool in the instructions, but you can accomplish the same thing with a different tool, do it. Here are some points to remember: Make sure that your tools are as sharp as they can be. You shouldnt force dull tools into the wood. Carve as much as you can every day.

Dont be afraid to challenge yourself. Dont carve while tired, as this can lead to miscutseither in the wood or your hand. Always use protective gear, such as gloves and finger guards. Remember that everyone makes mistakesits only a block of wood! Dont expect to create a perfect carving right away; the fun is in the journey.

All of the pieces are cut from 2" (5.1cm) square basswood stock. You will need a bandsaw or access to one due to the number of carvings. You can cut the pieces out with a coping saw, but with thirty-two pieces per chess set, it could take a while. For expediency, I cut out all of the pieces in the set prior to carving. Always protect your hands while carving. To keep your knife blade sharp, apply stropping compound to a piece of leather.

Then, with the bevel facing away from you, pull the knife toward you across the stropping compound in a reverse shaving-type motionyou dont want the blade to dig into the leather.

Cutting Out the Blanks

Place the front and side patterns on the basswood blank. You can draw around the pattern (like I have done), attach the pattern with repositionable spray adhesive, or use graphite paper and a pencil to transfer the pattern onto the wood. Cut the front view. Tape the waste wood back in place; this will provide stability and a reference point when cutting the adjacent view. Cut the adjacent side. Remove the blank from the waste wood.

Note: Take your time! Speed is not your friend in these steps. I used a 1/4" (6mm)wide blade with six TPI (teeth per inch); however, you could use a smaller blade if desired.

Materials and Tools

MATERIALS:

Basswood, 2" (5.1cm) square (quantities given are for one complete chess set): - Pawns: 16 blocks at 3 " (9.5cm) tall - Rooks: 4 blocks at 4" (10cm) tall - Knights: 4 blocks at 4 " (11cm) tall - Bishops: 4 blocks at 4 " (12cm) tall - Queens: 2 blocks at 5" (13cm) tall - Kings: 2 blocks at 5 " (14cm) tall Patterns and graphite paper, stylus, or pencil Carving glove: Your choice, but make sure that your carving glove fits snug to your hand. A loose carving glove will allow the tool to grab and possibly slice into your hand or fingers.

TOOLS:

I used the following tools to create the chess set. Feel free to use the tools you have available or what works best for you.

Bandsaw (I use a " [6mm] blade with six TPI [teeth per inch]) Carving knife of choice Detail knife of choice Hole punch (eye punch), " (6mm) 45 V-tool, " (3mm) 45 V-tool, " (6mm) 90 V-tool, " (13mm) V-tool, soft, " (10mm) #7 gouge, " (19mm) #9 gouge, " (3mm) #9 gouge, " (6mm)

PAINT:

A paint chart is provided on , with individual paint colors listed after each project.

PAINTBRUSHES:

I dont get picky about sizes, but make sure that you have quality brushes. V-Tool Layers Lay the V-tool on its side to create layers in wood easily. This helps separate clothing and prevents the need to make a lot of knife stops and relief cuts on your project. It also saves time; instead of having to make and carve up to a bunch of stop cuts, you can relieve certain areas in just one pass.

Practice

Carving Eyes

Carving the eyes is easily the most stressful challenge to a carver of any skill level.