A Manual of Wood Carving

Base Moulding. This is generally a border which is the lower portion of a piece of furniture, etc. Thus, if there is a panel and frame, and under this, just over the “feet,” a carved strip, it is a base moulding. Narrow fillets on these may be also decorated by stamping.

Sideboard or Buffet. A piece of furniture eminently adapted to ornament. It may be made with a back or with shelves, niches, or a cabinet placed on it instead of a back.

Alms Boxes, Money Boxes. These are made up for churches, generally after Gothic designs, and afford a wide range of design.

Lectern. A church reading desk. This has always been a favourite subject with wood-carvers, Fig. 78.

Ends of Pews. A favourite subject for carvers in the days of old, vide Fig. 80.

Porte-papier. A very useful article to carry paper, or a sketchbook, or to press leaves and flowers and convey them home. Take two pieces of board, from one-third to one-half an inch in thickness, and six inches by eight in size, more or less as may be desired. The paper is placed between these boards and the whole secured with a hand-strap. It is usual to carve a flower pattern on these.

Ring or Circular Boxes. Take a board, of any thickness, e.g. one of two inches, and make of it a disc or circle, using the steel fret saw, Fig. 16; then marking out another circle within this, saw out a ring about three-quarters of an inch in thickness. Adapt to this a bottom and lid, both, of course, also circular. It will be like what is known as a cheese box. To double the depth saw out two rings and glue them together. This will give four inches depth. Boxes may thus be made of any shape, such as a fish, and then carved.

Photograph or Mirror Frames, or Mounts. Take a piece of thin board, six inches by four or five, or any size required. Cut out of one corner of this as much as will be required for the photograph or mirror, leaving enough wood for a pattern. These have become very popular of late, Fig. 79.

Triptych. Two folding covers or boards on hinges, intended to cover a picture or carved or enamelled or inlaid work. These triptychs may be used reversed as writing desks, or else carved on both sides, and then when open hung on the wall as ornaments. When there are only two boards, as in an album, it is called a diptych.

Encoignures. Tables made with an angle to fit into a corner of a room.

Shields. Carved in wood, these form beautiful ornaments.

Incitega. A kind of stand or table for flowers. It was generally made of rods or strips, but it may be very easily formed like a box, that is, a truncated pyramid reversed. The sides are carved.

Monopodium or Centre-table. A small circular table supported on a central stem or foot, used by the ancients at social entertainments.

Orb. A globe covered with ornaments carved in low relief. They form very effective decorations.

Finial. A terminating ornament, corresponding to a flower as a crochet does to a side leaf, Fig. 80, etc.

Coin-brackets. Brackets made to fit into the corner of a room.

Corner-cabinets. Cabinets adapted to a corner of a room. There are also coin or corner objects of furniture of all kinds.

Mouldings. These are narrow borders or strips, and are very effective in giving relief in long spaces. A good effect for a full border, a diaper ground or a broad pattern, may often be made by doubling, trebling, etc., mouldings. By using the folding mirror a segment of any moulding or border may be converted into an ornament to fill up any given space, of any shape. There are several tools specially made for cutting figures in mouldings.

Poppy-heads. There are many cases where carving may be applied with good effect to relieve bareness. “Such ornaments, generally small groups of foliage” (though often figures with leaves), “were formerly placed on the summits of bench-ends desks, and other clerical wood-work” (F. W. Fairholt). Poppy-heads can be placed, however, or adapted, to all kinds of furniture, with a variation in form, Fig. 80.

Sconce. A wall candlestick, which usually takes the form of a projecting bracketed support in wood or metal. They originated in the fifteenth century, and were generally of enriched design. They may be sawed out of boards, or carved in many forms.

Trellis-screens. These are thin boards of open lattice-work, generally made by fret-sawing and subsequent carving. They are useful to place behind windows, and for many purposes.

Tympanum. A triangular space, which may be filled in with carved ornament.

Verge or Barge-board. The gable ornament of wood-work, used extensively for houses in the fifteenth century. It affords a wide field for decoration.

Wreaths. Carved circles or rings of wood, which form beautiful ornaments, especially when hung up at intervals. They may be used for picture-frames, Fig. 81.

Acerra. A square box, on legs or supports.

Heads and Legs. When a cylinder, or square stick, or horn, or oval box, is made to rudely resemble a figure by adding to it a head and legs, this is so called.

Ædicula. A small house or tower, generally used as a box. Very effective and beautiful articles are thus made.

Ante-fix. Ornament carved in stone or wood, or made from terra-cotta, “to give an ornamental finish or to conceal unsightly junctions in masonry” (Fairholt). There are few country houses or cottages where they cannot be applied.

Ciborium, Synedoche. Very richly adorned receptacles in which the Host is kept. They may be imitated for cabinets. In Spanish churches they are called custodia.

Modillons. Brackets in Gothic architecture, the lower portion often in the form of a grotesque animal or human being.

Hand Mirrors. These afford an endless field for design. Fig. 82.

Echinus. The egg and tongue or egg and anchor moulding, much like the heart and dart ornament. It is easily made and is very effective. Faces may be cut on the “eggs.”

Outlines. Figures of men, animals, etc., cut or sawed out of boards, and either painted or carved. They are common in Italian churches. They form very effective hanging ornaments. Birds can be adapted to beautiful outlines.

Hammer Beam. The projecting end of a beam, often carved.

Hood Moulding. The moulding which covers or surmounts a door or window on the outside, forming a sort of hood or weather-guard. It is also called a dripstone or weather moulding. It can be beautifully ornamented, and thus becomes a striking decoration.

Impost. The horizontal moulding on the summit of a pillar from which the arch springs.

Console. (French.) Brackets in furniture.

Perfume Chests. Boxes with perforated lids in which is kept pot-pourri of rose leaves, or a mixture of powdered orris-root and spice.

Churns. A carved churn is a fanciful ornament, used to contain papers, etc. The handle is fixed to the cover and serves to lift it.

Handles for Bowls, Cups, or Boxes. These are sawn from board from one half to an inch in thickness, and then fastened to the bowl or box, generally with screws. When gracefully or quaintly shaped they convert any ordinary bowl or tankard, with very little trouble, to an attractive ornament. They are almost peculiar to Sweden and Norway, where they may be seen in museums in very great variety.

Bark Frames. A curious and striking ornament may be made in this manner. Take a piece of cork, oak, or other bark, which may be a foot in length by six inches. Make in it an oval or circle, in which carve any subject. The writer once had an image of the Virgin thus carved, which was much admired. Dark brown bark is much improved by having gilding roughly spread on its projecting points. If the ground of the carving be gilt and the bark left in its natural condition the effect will also be good.

Three-legged, or Milking Stools. These are commonly carved on the seat. Ornaments may be carved and better applied as in Fig. 83.

INDEX.

• Acerra, 151
• Ædicula, 151
• Album-covers, 129, 131
• Alms boxes, 148
• Alpenstocks, carved, 136
• Ammonia as a wood stain, 112
• Animal forms, carving, 59
• Antefix, 151
• Appliqué work, 75, 84;
• it may be carried too far, 76
• Art, “high,” and carving, 64, 76.
• See also Conventional, the, Rule, etc.
• Artist, the, and the workman in wood-carving, 82

• Balusters, carving, 142
• Barge-board, 151
• Bark frames, 154
• Bars, and other ornaments, 101
• Base moulding, 147
• Basket-work, imitation of, 128
• Beam, hammer, 154
• Beams, carving, 141
• Bedsteads, carved, 143
• Bellows, carving, 137, 138
• Bench, the working, 3;
• screws, 5
• Benches, carving, 132
• Bend, getting the, 55
• Bent tools, 5, 95
• Bichromate of Potash as a dye, 113
• Black dyes, 114
• Blocking-out, 50, 56
• Bold, large work, 48, 49
• Bone, ivory, etc., carving, 14
• Book-box, 136
• Book-covers, carved, 88, 91, 129
• Books and authorities, quoted and referred to:
• Caddy, Mr., 3;
• Fairholt’s Dictionary, 151;
• Gibson’s “Wood Carver,” 8;
• Holtzapffel, J. J., 2, 83;
• Leland’s “Drawing and Designing,” 72, 122;
• Mitchell’s “Lessons in Carpentry,” 126;
• Rowe, Eleanor, 42, 112;
• Seaton, General, 11, 88, 96, 114.
• See also under names, as Gibbons, Grinling.
• Borders, carved, 78, 146
• Bosses, or centres, 75, 101, 141
• Bosting, 38, 50, 56
• Bowl, to carve a, 95, 142, 154
• Boxes, carving, 125, 136, 144, 148;
• hanging, 132, 133;
• pen and pencil, 134.
• See also Cabinets, Caskets, Perfume, etc.
• Brackets, 125, 144, 145;
• coin (or corner), 150
• Bread platters, 137, 140, 152
• Buffets, 148
• Building-up, or appliqué work, 75
• Butternut as a dye, 111

• Cabinet-making, 124
• Cabinets, 133, 152;
• Figurini for, 59, 62;
• corner, 150
• Caddy, Mr., his suggestions, 3
• Canoes, carving, 129
• Carpentry, C. F. Mitchell’s Lessons in, 126
• Carving, early, 33, 54, 68, 70, 101, 130, 134, 141;
• objects for, 121.
• See also Cabinets, Horns, Italian work, etc.
• Carvings, decayed, restoration of, 106
• Carvings, imitation of, 108
• Case for papers or music, 117
• Caskets, 136;
• for cigars, 127.
• See also Boxes, etc.
• Casks, carving, 97, 128
• Casts. See Moulds, etc.
• Cavo-cutting, 28
• Cavo Relievo cutting, 28, 32
• Cellini, Benvenuto, 11
• Celtic patterns, 26
• Cement, for glass and china, 109;
• for wood, 97, 106, 146.
• See also Fillers, Glue, etc.
• Centres, or bosses, 75, 89
• Chairs for carving, 124
• Chimney-pieces, decoration of, 140.
• See also Lunettes, etc.
• Chipping, or wasting, 42
• Chisels, 3, 10
• Churns, ornamental, 154
• Ciborium, Synedoche, 151
• Clamps, or Cramps. See Holdfasts.
• Clock-cases, 142
• Coal boxes, etc., 140
• Cocoa-nut goblet, 100
• Cocoa-nut shell cement, 97;
• powder, etc., 108
• Cocoa-nuts, carving, 95
• Coin (or corner) brackets, 150
• Coins as ornaments, 146
• Collection boxes, 144
• Colouring and staining wood, 110
• Common-place, the, v. the grotesque, 140
• Console, or bracket, 125, 154
• Conventional, the, preferable to the real, 54, 57
• Corner-cabinets, 150;
• firmers, 4
• Cramps, or Clamps. See Holdfasts.
• Crossing the pattern, 103
• Cups, handles for, 154
• Curve carving, 26
• Curved surfaces, carving, 93
• Custodia, Spanish, 152
• Cyma, 152

• Decoration, early, 130;
• of rooms, 130
• See also Rooms, etc.
• Deep carving. See Intaglio.
• “Design, Manual of.” See Leland.
• Diaper cutting, 18, 69, 70, 76;
• patterns, 70, 129, 147
• Diptych, 150
• Dogs, or snibs, 8
• Door-knobs, 104;
• pieces, 139
• Doors, panels of, 129
• Drawers, handles for, 145
• Drawing, 61, 72
• Drill, use of the, 47
• Dripstone, 154
• Dyes for wood, 110

• Ebony and other black dyes, 114
• Echinus, 154
• Egyptian intaglio, 90
• Egyptian Mummies (boxes), 136
• Encoignures, 150
• Engravings, imitation of, 91
• Eye-tools, 5

• Façade pieces, 139
• Figures, carving simple, 59
• Figurini, 62, 83
• Files for finishing, 64
• Fillers, or cements for wood, 106, 119
• Finger painting, Venetian, 113
• Finial, 150
• Finishing off, 50, 64
• Firmer, the, 3
• Flasks, carving, 134
• Flat-cutting, 26, 35, 48
• Flat patterns, 28, 30, 31
• Flemish carvers, the old, 33
• Florence, ornament from, 58
• Fluter, the, 22, 34
• Foot-stools, 132
• Frames, bark, 154;
• or borders, 78;
• picture, etc., 128, 148, 149, 151
• Free-hand carving, 49
• Fret bow saw, the, 9.
• See also under Saw.
• Fret-cutting, 84
• Furniture, carving for, 74;
• old and German, 124, 125.
• See also under Cabinets, Chairs, Foot-stools, etc.

• Gable ornaments, 151
• Garden-work, 143
• Gardens, window, 129
• Gates, carving, 143
• Gelatine as a preservative, 107
• Gelatine glue, 109
• German furniture, 124
• Gibbons, Grinling, his work, 75
• Gibson, Mr. J. S., his “Wood-Carver” quoted, 8
• Gilding, 141, 155.
• See also under Finishing.
• Glass, and glass-paper, for finishing, 64, 66
• Glue, making and use of, 105, 108;
• acidulated and liquid, 106, 108, 109
• Gothic wood-carving, 40
• Gouge lines, 20;
• work, 22
• Gouges, 3, 4, 10
• Grain, cutting with the, 44
• Greek, ancient, work, 47
• Grindstones, etc., 12
• Grooving, 2, 22
• Grotesque, the, v. the commonplace, 140
• Ground punches, 16, 17
• Grounds, cutting, 34

• Hammer beam, 154
• Handles of tools, 11;
• for drawers, 145;
• Swedish, 154
• Hand screws, 5, 7
• Hanging boxes, 63, 132
• Heads and legs, in ornament, 151
• Holdfasts, or clamps, 5, 44, 94
• Hollow gouge, the, 5
• Holtzapffel, Mr. John J., on the Use of the Saw in wood-carving, 83
• Hood moulding, 154
• Hooker, Sir Joseph, 107
• Horn, how to colour, 94;
• how to soften, 95
• Horns, carving, 93, 128
• House, outside ornament of the, 139
• Hulme, works of, 101

• Imitation of old work, etc., 64
• Implements. See Tools, etc.
• Impost, 154
• Incised work, 86
• Incitega, 150
• Indenting, or stamping, 2, 15
• Ink as a dye, 114
• Intaglio, or sunk carving, 86;
• Rilevato cutting, 28
• Irish (Runic) patterns, 26;
• tankard, old, 99
• Italian, early, work, 62, 86, 143
• Ivory and horn, dyes, etc., for, 95
• Ivorying, 113

• Key boxes, 133
• Knobs and bosses, 101
• Knuckle-bends, 10
• Kraft, Adam, his work, 55

• Layard, Sir A. H., his antiquities from Nineveh, 107
• Leather work and carving, 90, 91
• Leaves, cutting, 39, 51, 53, 64
• Lecterns, 147, 148
• Left hand, carving with the, 39, 46
• Leland, Mr. C. G., his “Drawing and Designing,” 72, 122;
• design in high relief by, 81
• Lunettes and spaces, filling, 139

• Macaroni tool, the, 10, 42
• Mander’s stains for wood, 111
• Metal work, repoussé, 15, 17
• Mirrors, hand, 153
• Mitchell, C. F., his “Lessons in Carpentry,” 126
• Modelling, 39, 49, 55, 61, 79;
• or rounding, 39
• Modillons, 153
• Monopodium, or centre-table, 150
• Mottoes, 140
• Moulding, hood, 154
• Mouldings and borders, 147, 150
• Moulds, carving for, 90, 92;
• making, 115
• Mummies (boxes), 136
• Mural decoration, 140

• Nails, headed, as ornaments, 146
• Nineveh antiquities, the, 107
• Norway, ornament in, 154;
• spot cutting there, 118
• Notches in leaves, cutting, 51

• Oak, treatment of, 111, 112;
• leaves, 43, 54
• Objects for wood-carvers, 121
• Oiling in finishing, 66, 110
• Oilstones, etc., 12
• Orbs, carving, 150
• Ornament, pre-historic, 118
• Ornamentation, art of, 121.
• See also Decoration.
• Ornaments, applied, 146
• Outlines, 154
• Outlining, 34

• Pacific islands, spot cutting there, 118
• Paint, etc., in finishing, 68, 91, 113
• Painting, finger, of the old Venetians, 113
• Panels for carving, 123, 129, 132
• Paper squeezes, 115
• Papier-maché work, etc., and carving, 90, 92, 116
• Parting tool, the, 10, 13.
• See also V tool.
• Patterns for carvers, 74, 122
• Pattern-wheel, or tracer, the, 15
• Pegs and hooks, 141
• Pen and pencil boxes, 134
• Perfume chests, 154
• Pew-ends, 148
• Pick, the, 3
• Pilasters, 147
• Pilgrim bottles, 134, 135
• Plaster casts, 116
• Platters, carved, 137, 140
• Polished ornaments, 102
• Polishing wood-carvings, 66, 111.
• See also Finishing.
• Poppy-heads, 150, 151
• Porte-papier, 148
• Portfolio-covers, 129
• Powder-flasks, 134
• Practice, 40, 48

• Racks, carved, 141
• Rasps for finishing, 66
• Real, the, not to be sought too strictly, 54
• Relics, ancient, preservation of, 107
• Relief, high, design by C. G. Leland, 81;
• higher, 53;
• low, 89;
• progress towards, 39
• Reliquaries (boxes), 136
• Repairing wood-carvings, 105
• Repoussé work, 15, 17
• Ribbon carving, 34, 48, 57.
• See also Flat carving.
• Ring boxes, 148, 152
• Roman Sarcophagus (box), 136
• Roman work, early, 47
• Rooms, decoration of, 130, 139.
• See also Vestibule, etc.
• Round, carving in the, or statuary, 79
• Rounding. See Modelling.
• Router, the, 9
• Rowe, Eleanor, quoted, 42, 112
• Rule, “high art,” and wood-carving, 65, 76
• Runic ornaments, 26, 137

• Sabots, or wooden shoes, for carving, 133
• Salamander, a, 138
• Salt boxes, 144
• Saw table, the, 6, 85
• Saws, and their use, 9, 83
• Sconces, 151
• Scotland, early ornamentation in, 118
• Scratch, the, 8
• Screens, trellis, 151
• Screws, carvers’, 5, 7
• Scroll gouge, the, 5
• Seaton, General, quoted, 11, 88, 96, 114
• Settee, or settle, the, 132
• Shaded patterns and modelling, 39
• Sharpening tools, 11, 12
• Shelf-boards, 144
• Shelves and brackets, 144
• Shields, in ornament, 150
• Shiners, or bosses, 102
• Shrines or Reliquaries (boxes), 136
• Sideboards, 148
• Side-cut, the. See Sweep-cut.
• Skew-chisels, 4
• Slip-holder, 12
• Slips, for sharpening tools, 12
• Snibs, or dogs, 8
• Soda as a dye for wood, 111
• Sofa-backs, false, 139
• Söhnee Frères, their varnish, 113
• Spaces, filling, 139, 150, 151
• Spade chisel, the, 10
• Spade gouge, the, 10
• Splintering of wood, 36, 44, 51, 105
• See also Wood.
• Spoons, carved, 137
• Spot-cutting, 118
• Spray, use of the, in preserving decayed objects, 107
• Squeezes, and “taking a squeeze,” 107, 115
• Staining wood, 110
• Staircase balusters, carving, 142
• Stamping, or indenting, 2, 15.
• See also Diaper.
• Statuary. See Round, carving in the.
• Staves, or alpenstocks, carved, 136
• Stephens’ stains for wood, 111
• Stools, 155.
• See also Foot-stool.
• Strap, the, 13
• Sunk carving. See Intaglio.
• Sweden, ornament in, 154;
• spot cutting there, 118
• Sweep-cut, the, 37, 49, 53, 55
• Swiss dye for wood, 112
• Swiss work, 59, 96

• Tables, 150
• Tankards, carving, 98, 134
• Tannhäuser bracket, 145
• Tea as a dye, 111
• Tiles, 129
• Tool, the, art of turning it about, 35, 37, 46
• Tools, 1, 3, 82, 150;
• sharpening, 11, 12
• Tracer, the, 15, 16
• Trays, carving, 143;
• for cigar ashes, 127
• Trellis-screens, 151
• Triptych, 150
• Tympanum, 151

• Umber stain for wood, 112
• Umbrella-handles, 134
• Under-cutting, 57

• V or parting tool, the, 11, 13, 28, 35, 37.
• See also Parting tool.
• Varnish and carving, 91, 113.
• See also Polishing, etc.
• Veiners, 5
• Venetian finger painting, 113
• Venice, wood-carving at, 66
• Verge or barge-board, 151
• Vestibule, ornamenting a, 142
• Violin and guitar cases, 145

• Wainscots, etc., carving for, 74
• Walnut wood, treatment of, 110
• Waste-paper boxes, carving, 98, 146
• Wasting, or chipping, 42
• Wax, for moulds, 107, 115, 116;
• as a polish for wood, 111
• Window gardens, 129
• Wood, for carving, 14, 36, 88, 106 (see also Grain, Oak, Splintering, Walnut, etc.);
• colouring and staining, 110;
• decayed, treatment of, 106;
• imitation of, 106, 108;
• oiling, 66
• Workman, the, and the artist in wood-carving, 82
• Wreaths, in ornament, 151, 152

• Zigzag ornament, the Swiss, 96