Lost Art Press

Carve an Acanthus Leaf Rosette

Posted on by fitz
Fig. 7.1

The following is extracted from “Carving the Acanthus Leaf” by Mary May.

Learning to carve the acanthus leaf is – for carvers – like a pianist learning a Chopin étude, a young oil painter studying the genius of Rembrandt or an aspiring furniture maker learning to cut dovetails by hand. 

For carvers, especially those who focus on Classical Western ornament, there comes a time they will inevitably encounter the acanthus leaf, learn it, master it and finally incorporate it into their own designs.

“Carving the Acanthus Leaf” is a deep exploration into this iconic leaf, which has been a cornerstone of Western ornamentation for thousands of years. May, a professional carver and instructor, starts her book at the beginning. She covers carving tools and sharpening with the efficiency of someone who has taught for years. Then she plunges the reader directly into the work. Below is chapter 7, which teaches you step by step how to carve an acanthus leaf in a rosette.

Various styles of rosettes have been used since the Roman Empire as decorative accents and are often used as appliqués (applied to a surface) to adorn furniture and architectural features.

FIG. 7.2 Cast metal rosette, Aiken-Rhett House Museum, Charleston, S.C.

Here are some of the design elements for rosettes:

• They are symmetrical and can be circular, oval, square or rectangular.
• There is a small bead in the center that is either plain or carved.
• In oval or rectangular designs, this center bead is also oval.
• Square or round rosettes that are symmetrical can be turned on a lathe before carving to establish the basic profile.
• There are typically four primary leaves evenly positioned around the rosette.
• The leaves start at the center bead and flow outward toward the edge, with the tips of the leaves defining the outer edges.
• For square or rectangular rosettes, the tips of the leaves end at each corner.
• The midribs or center stems get narrower as they reach the ends of the leaves.
• They often have small, secondary leaves that are between and appear to be positioned under each primary leaf. This example does not contain these secondary leaves.

FIG. 7.3 Deeply carved rosette in cherry on a antique wardrobe, George Davis Antiques & Interiors,
Savannah, Ga.
FIG. 7.4 Painted wood detail on a fireplace surround, Humphrey Sommers house, 128 Tradd St., Charleston, S.C., 1769-70. Photo by permission of Dr. Telfair and Hope Parker.
FIG. 7.5 Corner of antique table, carved in wood and gilt, Arthur Smith Antiques, Savannah, Ga.

HOW TO DRAW THE LEAF
This design has similar structural elements to other leaves, but some details, such as positioning the eyes, will need to be visually located without guidelines.

FIG. 7.6

STEP 1: Draw a square. This example has slightly curved edges. Draw the center circle and the mid-rib (center stem) of each leaf ending just before each corner. Notice for this design that the midrib connects from one leaf to the next. This is often done to create a continuous flow between the leaves.

FIG. 7.7

STEP 2: Draw the eyes close to the center circle. These eyes represent where two leaves overlap.

FIG. 7.8

STEP 3: Draw eight circles as shown that intersect and slightly overlap at the pointed end of the eye. These locate the edges of the overlapping lobes.

FIG. 7.9

STEP 4: Erase the parts of the circles that are no longer needed. The remaining lines should extend from the pointed end of the eyes. The dotted lines represent the edges of the lobes underneath.

FIG. 7.10

STEP 5: Erase the dotted lines. Draw the two eyes on each leaf about a third of the way up the leaf at a slight distance from the midrib.

FIG. 7.11

STEP 6: Draw circles as shown that represent the overlapping secondary lobes. The edges of these lobes should extend from the eyes drawn in STEP 5. The dotted lines represent the parts of the lobe that are underneath. Sometimes drawing the edges of the lobes first can help locate the eyes, so steps 5 and 6 can be reversed.

FIG. 7.12

STEP 7: Erase the dotted lines. Draw the pipes that start from the eyes drawn in STEP 5 and curve and flow them alongside the midrib.

FIG. 7.13

STEP 8: Draw the lines that locate the serrations as shown. These are typically positioned perpendicular to the center veins on each lobe, but in this design there are no center veins on the side lobes.
Draw these lines at an angle located approximately halfway between the eyes and the tip of each lobe. Note that the center lobe has two of these guidelines that are perpendicular to the midrib. After learning how to position the serrations in the next few steps, these lines are usu-ally no longer necessary as guides.

FIG. 7.14

STEP 9: Take a deep breath. It really isn’t as complicated as it looks. Draw small circles that locate the serrations along the edges of the leaf. These lines should start at the edge of the leaf and curve down to meet the guidelines drawn FIG. 7.14 in STEP 8. The dotted lines show the correct direction of the curve. These circles are simply used to show the curvature of the serrations. Erase the parts of the circles that are not necessary. This process of drawing the circles is often not necessary after learning to understand the shape and position of these serrations.

FIG. 7.15

STEP 10: Erase all lines that are no longer needed. Complete the edges of the leaf by connecting the serration lines as shown and also complete the tips of the leaves.

FIG. 7.16

STEP 11: Erase any unnecessary lines.

FIG. 7.17

STEP 12: Draw lines starting from the inside corners of the serrations that flow down each lobe. These lines represent a high edge (or high corner) in the leaf.

FIG. 7.18 This is the finished drawing with all details.

HOW TO CARVE THE LEAF

STEP 1: Prepare the Wood. Study Chapter 2 to learn about different methods to transfer templates to wood. I used carbon paper. Transfer all the lines from the template at the beginning of this chapter and cut out the outline of the design on a band saw or scrollsaw. This will be an appliqué.

FIG. 19

STEP 2: Carve the Center Bead. With a 6mm V-chisel, make a 1/16″-deep cut along the outside edge of the center circle. Define the edge of the bead by making vertical cuts directly on the line with a #5, 8mm. With the same #5, 8mm, round over the bead to a half-sphere. Use the #5, 8mm to lower the leaf to the edge of the bead, starting 1/2″ from the edge of the bead.

FIG. 7.24
FIGS. 7.25 & 7.25

STEP 3: Round the Leaves. With a #3, 18mm, round over the tips of each leaf starting 1″ from the tip and carving down 1/4″ at the tip (to make the rosette more shaped, this can be rounded deeper). Re-draw any lines that were carved away. NOTE: STEP 1 and STEP 2 can also be done on a lathe.

FIG. 7.27
FIGS. 7.28 & 7.29

STEP 4: Carve the Midribs. With a 4mm V-chisel, make deep cuts that define the edge of the mid-ribs. These should be 1/16″ deep toward the center and fade off just before they reach the leaf tips. With a #7, 10mm, carve a slight hollow in the midrib as it comes toward the center bead.

FIG. 7.30
FIG. 7.31

STEP 5: Round the Leaf Next to the Vein. With a #4, 14mm, round over the surface of the leaf down to the edge of the midrib.

FIG. 7.32
FIG. 7.33

STEP 6: Define the Overlapping Lobes. With a 3mm V-chisel, start in the middle of the eye and make a 1/16″-deep cut along the edge of all overlapping lobes.

FIGS. 7.34, 7.35 & 7.36
FIG. 7.37

STEP 7: Carve the Eyes: Study Chapter 3 to learn more about carving eyes. With a #11, 3mm veiner, make a 45° cut at the base of each eye. With a #5, 5mm, continue this cut on either side of the eye to create a teardrop shape that has a sharp, inside corner.

FIG. 7.38
FIGS. 7.39-7.40

STEP 8: Define the Overlapping Lobes. With gouges that fit the edge of the overlapping lobes (#5, 5mm and #7, 10mm), define the edges with vertical cuts directly on the line.

FIG. 7.41 & 7.42
FIG. 7.43

STEP 9: Lower the Underlying Lobes. With a #5, 8mm, lower the parts of the leaf that appear to go under the overlapping lobes and create a slight hollow cut. Make sure that the sharp edges created by this cut flow in the correct direction.

FIGS. 7.44 & 7.45
FIG. 7.46

STEP 10: Carve the Pipes. Study Chapter 3 to learn more about carving pipes. Re-draw pipes that have been carved away. With a #11, 3mm, make long, sweeping cuts along each side of the pipe, starting on either side of the eye.

FIG. 7.47
FIGS. 7.48 & 7.49

STEP 11: Round the Leaf. With a #3, 6mm, soften any sharp edges in the leaf surface that were cre-ated by carving the pipes. NOTE: Often pipes are rounded over also, but because these are so small, it would cause them to lose definition.

FIGS. 7.50, 7.51, 7.52 & 7.53

STEP 12: Hollow the Secondary Lobes. With a #7, 10mm and #7, 8mm, hollow the three secondary lobes in each overlapping lobe.

FIG. 7.54
FIGS. 7.55 & 7.56

STEP 13: Hollow the Remaining Secondary Lobes. With a #7, 8mm, hollow all remaining secondary lobes.

FIG. 7.57
FIGS. 7.58 & 7.59

STEP 14: Carve the Serration Notch Cuts. Study Chapter 3 to learn more about these defining cuts. With a #5, 8mm, make one cut defining the serration edge and a second cut at a slight angle creating a small triangular notch cut.

FIG. 7.60

STEP 15: Clean the Edges. With a #3, 6mm, make a 45° chamfer along all edges. This will create a clean, well-defined edge and will remove remaining template or pencil lines.

Where shall we put these? How about as decorative details on the upper corners of door frames? Small rosettes can be added to the corners of kitchen cabinets or accents on dressers or headboards. Then there is that wonderful architectural feature that just begs for carved details – the fireplace mantel. Be creative and either make the rosette a central design feature, or a secondary detail for a simple accent. How about custom coasters and leave a large flat area in the center for wine glasses to fit? I’ll have to think about that one over a glass of wine.

Cutlists: Never Trust Them

Posted on by fitz
Fig. 1.

I’m glad to find that contemporary woodworking editors are merely upholding an at least century-old tradition of cutlists/parts lists containing errors. (And – dare I say – readers haven’t changed much either!) The Woodworker and Art Metal Woodworker, June 15, 1905 (again, thanks to Buz Buzkirk for the old compilations!).

— Fitz

A Tool Cupboard in the April 1902 issue.

Dear Sir, – I send herewith [a] photo of [the] tool cupboard made from the design published in The Woodworker, April 1902. This style of cupboard suits my requirements very well indeed, with a few alterations. I have made mine 30 ins. wide, not having room for a wider one. By placing the saws on the left-hand door, the upright division can come more forward, thereby increasing the width of the shelf, and the straight narrow division between the planes allows a little more shelf space in front, as per Fig. 1. By this arrangement the tool racks come above and below the shelf, so that it is only necessary to allow 1-1/8 ins. instead of 2 ins. for the room taken up by the hammer handle and saw handles. In fixing the saws by a turn-button which fits close down on the handle, it does away with the lower part across the blade; also the tool racks on brackets make a strong neat job, although entailing more work. As you will see I have put the nosing round the bottom as well as the top. Is there any reason why this has been omitted? It seems to me rather an advantage, as it allows the doors to swing clear of any obstruction.

A Compact Tool Cupboard, by G. E. Evans.

In the list of wood required, given at the end of the article in [the] April, 1902, issue, the three drawer bottoms and one door panel have not been counted, making in all about 7 ft. more of wood required.

Referring again to the photo, just above the top drawer is a specimen of the puzzle dovetail joint given in The Woodworker, May, 1902, made in birch and black walnut.

– Yours faithfully,
George E. Evans.

A Visit to the Henry Boyd Exhibit

Posted on by Lost Art Press

At last I was able to visit the new “Made in Cincinnati” exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center and see the display on Henry Boyd, a black 19th century furniture maker who bought his way out of slavery in Kentucky and built an impressive furniture company in downtown Cincinnati.

We are working on a children’s book about Boyd that is in the final stages of illustration and – we hope – will be out before Christmas.

The new permanent exhibit on Boyd makes me happy. While his story is well-known in the black community and among furniture-makers, his achievements are the sort of thing that should get a public school named after you.

The display has one of his famous beds, which is cool to see without any mattress or bedding. Plus there is an interactive exhibit that shows you how his threaded bedstead rails worked (the display has metal screws whereas Boyd’s were wood). 

There are also displays that document Boyd’s life and career, a selection of tools from the period and the workbench that we built with the help of readers for the exhibit.

All in all, it’s a great start to opening the eyes of the general community about Boyd. I hope our book will also help. And then maybe we should talk some more about naming a school after him.

— Christopher Schwarz

‘Shop Tails’ – the Audio Book

Posted on by fitz
At the mic in the audiobook/voiceover recording room at Primary Studios. The masks were off during recording in the booth but went back on again as soon as we were done each day. (Photo: Magda Hiller)

This week we hit a big milestone: the completion of recording and editing an audiobook version of “Shop Tails.” I’m so relieved. The project has been a joy to work on and has given me the juice to keep going for the past several weeks.

The recording alone was an experience. I don’t think I’ve previously recorded an entire book, but this book, in terms of length and content, seems to lend itself to an audio edition. For one thing, it’s informal. Second, having been introduced to one of my favorite authors, David Sedaris, through his recording for NPR of “Holidays on Ice,” I know how effective it can be to introduce readers to new titles and authors through this medium. It’s a great way to capture the author’s peculiar voice, which, in the case of me and Mr. Sedaris, can lead to a long-term relationship between author and reader (albeit remote; we haven’t met), and in this case evoke important details of the context in which we are doing the recording. While my voice has never been smooth or sexy, it now implicitly conveys the realities of six-plus months of chemo and a soupçon of the exhaustion that typically accompanies radiation and other cancer treatments. (This is not intended as a downer. To the contrary – though admittedly the subject of the book is not the happiest ever.)

And big thanks to my friend Bert Gilbert for the final push that moved me to look into what’s involved in making an audiobook.

“Shop” Tails contents in color. (Photo: Magda Hiller)

I could write reams more but will instead leave you to the the audio book itself.

Editor’s note: “Shop Tails,” the audio book, will be available next week.

— Nancy Hiller, author of “Kitchen Think,” “Making Things Work” and “Shop Tails.”

Cruel to be Kind (Means that Your Shop’s Clean)

Posted on by Lost Art Press
The Greenville Woodworkers Guild. An amazing place.

If you have ever visited the Greenville Woodworkers Guild in Upstate South Carolina, you probably marveled at… everything. The machines. The space. The lumber storage. The multimedia room and furniture display areas.

Me? I loved the sign over the slop sink.

Above that sink was a sign that explicitly stated what was and what was not allowed in the sink. After you read that sign, you would be a fool to pour acetone down its drain.

The slop sink is by the guild’s welcome desk. I excitedly told the woodworkers sitting there: “Wow! That is a perfect sign. Plus all the instructions on the machines are explicit and clear. It must make this place easier to run.”

“No one obeys the signs,” one of them replied. “The only way to get them to listen is to be ruthless.”

The shop floor at the Greenville guild.

Ruthless? I thought it was an odd word. But within a few months, I realized the guy was right.

When I returned to my shop, I decided to put a sign above our bathroom sink: “This sink is for soap and water only. Please use the slop sink for solvents.”

About a week later, someone poured some really caustic agents down the bathroom sink. The chemicals dissolved the plumbing seals and suddenly the bathroom floor was covered in acid and water.

That day, I became ruthless.

I have worked in group shops (or shops with fellow employees) for most of my adult life. Every one of them was a disorganized mess. Sometimes the boss was the worst offender. No matter what the shop rules were, every few months all of the router wrenches would disappear. Many of the machines would be clogged with dust or seriously out of alignment. And so we’d all take a grumpy couple days to get things back to where we could work. 

And then the entropy would begin again.

I was part of the problem. When I became “the boss,” I decided to live by example. Keep my area clean. Clear off the machines after I used them. Empty the trash at the end of the day.

I figured that everyone would become embarrassed that they weren’t doing their part. And then they would pick up after themselves. Rainbows and kittens.

They didn’t notice or care. So the shop became messier and less functional than ever. And that was absolutely my failure as a leader.

After the solvent incident, however, I became ruthless. If someone left a mess, I confronted them. If people didn’t follow the cleaning protocols for the end of the week, they got a nasty text the next morning. I decided that I didn’t care if my shopmates thought I was a jerk. 

After about six months of being a raging (but consistent) wanker, something happened. 

The shop stayed clean. Really clean. And I never had to say another word about it. When students would visit, my shopmates would warn them to sweep up their messes. Otherwise, “You’ll trigger HIM.” (Which was me.)

Weirdly, I haven’t had to raise my voice or send a nasty text for years now. I’ve returned to being an easygoing person who keeps his personal area clean, does his share of maintenance and empties the trash whenever it’s full.

It’s all sparkly waterfalls and break-dancing Care Bears.

But so help me if you dump lacquer thinner down my bathroom sink, I will have you hogtied before breakfast. OK, sweetie?

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. I know that most readers work in their shops alone. So this post might seem… odd. If I have to be explicit, the message is: Be honest with others and yourself. Even when it’s against your nature.