Carving a Simple Flower by P. Michael Henderson

Some time ago, I did a tutorial on a woodworking forum on how to carve a simple flower. In an attempt to make that tutorial a bit more widely available, I'm putting it here.

If you find this tutorial useful, I'd really appreciate if you would send me an e-mail with the subject line of "Flower carving" so I can get some indication of how many people are reading it.  Note that I use the Swiss system to describe carving tools in all of my carving tutorials.

Bed, Night Tables and Stereo Cabinet by Mark Singer

I just finished a bed and night tables for our bedroom. Our Wenge bedroom (see later in the article) set that I made was moved to the guest house.

This bed is quarter sawn white oak. All wood is solid, no veneers. The headboard is detailed to expand in a dado for wood movement and there is a reveal that acts as an expansion joint near the bottom.

This study of markings that have been used on the backs of backsaws and their handle design will begin with the Henry Disston Company ca 1840-1890. Other American saw companies in my collection, that were in business over a time period long enough to provide material for a study will be forthcoming.

The intent of this work is to share knowledge I have gained from the Disston backsaws in my custody. I encourage my readers to offer additional information that may fill holes or be of a contrary nature. This, I believe, is the opportunity for us to provide additional information on saw manufacture and dating which (as far as I know) has not been published to this date.

I'm often asked how to sharpen carving tools. I'm a big believer in a power sharpening system because it allows you to sharpen your tools quickly - which means you spend more time carving and less time sharpening. In my carving classes, I demonstrate the use of a sharpening disk mounted on a lathe. The advantages of this system are that the disk can be made for little money, and it works well, as long as you have a lathe.

But a lathe is a good investment compared to a dedicated sharpening system, like a Tormek. You can purchase a mini-lathe for maybe $200 if you catch them on sale.

The handle was disassembled and taken off the blade.  The mark on the blade and marks on the handle under escutcheon suggest that both, handle and escutcheon are authentic and are original parts of this saw. 

 There is small loss of wood to the end of the top handle horn and chips to the end of the bottom horn.

England has always been famous for its hardware; and the multitude of trades included under that somewhat vague term - nearly every one of them of great value and importance when looked at separately - have in the aggregate contributed very largely to our national prosperity.

We have come to regard it as our prerogative to make not only cotton, woollen, and other articles of clothing for all the world, but also knives, scissors, axes, and saws, pins, needles, nails, and screws, pots and pans, fenders and fire-irons, and all sorts of other metal goods, from swords and firearms to watches and clocks.