Chapter I: Front Matter

A MANUAL OF WOOD-CARVING.

A MANUAL OF WOOD
CARVING

BY

CHARLES G. LELAND, F.R.L.S., M.A.

_Late Director of the Public Industrial Art School of Philadelphia;
Member (Committee) of the Home Arts and Ind. Assn.; also Comm. Member
of the French-American and Hungarian Folk Lore Societies; Pres.
British Gypsy Lore Soc., &c.; Author of "The Minor Arts," "Twelve
Manuals of Arts," "Practical Education," "Album and Handbook of
Retoussé Work," &c. &c._

REVISED BY

JOHN J. HOLTZAPFFEL

_Associate Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers, London;
Corresponding Member of the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia; Member
of the British Horological Institute; Examiner, City and Guilds of
London; Institute for the Advancement of Technical Education, &c. &c._

NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
1909

COPYRIGHT, 1891, BY
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS

PUBLISHERS' NOTE.

This manual, like that on Drawing and Designing, previously published, is intended to form one of a series in furtherance of the principles set forth in Mr. Leland's work on "Practical Education." It has rarely happened that a volume such as this latter, proposing (as one critic declared) nothing less than a complete revolution in Education, has been so favourably received by the public, and so highly approved by competent authorities, as was the case with it. Should it be unknown to any friends of educational reform into whose hands this handbook may fall, it is to be hoped that they will think it worth while to make themselves acquainted with the principles upon which Mr. Leland's practical manuals are based.

As regards this in particular, it may be observed that it is almost the only one which treats Wood-carving in a general and extended sense, and regards it as an art widely applicable to ornamentation, and not one confined to small _chefs-d'oeuvre_ and prize toys, facsimiles of fruit and leaves, or the like. It is the first book in which the sweep-cut, which is the very soul of all good and bold carving, has ever been described. It may be added that the work has derived great advantage from the friendly interest taken in it by Mr. John J. Holtzapffel, for which the thanks of both author and publishers are due.

CONTENTS.

PAGE
INTRODUCTION.
Woods, Tools, and Sharpening 1

FIRST LESSON.
Indenting and Stamping 15

SECOND LESSON.
Cutting Grooves with a Gouge 22

THIRD LESSON.
Flat Patterns made with cuts and lines--Cavo Relievo or Intaglio
Rilevato (Cavo-cutting) 28

FOURTH LESSON.
Cutting out a Flat Panel with a Ground 34

FIFTH LESSON.
Cutting Simple Leaves--Carving with the Left Hand--Modelling or
Rounding--Shaded Patterns and Modelling--Progress towards Relief 39

SIXTH LESSON.
Cutting with the Grain--Turning the Tool--the Drill--Bold
Carving--and large work 44

SEVENTH LESSON.
The Sweep-cut or Free-hand Carving--Cutting Notches in
Leaves--the Round-cut 49

EIGHTH LESSON.
Further application of the Sweep-cut to Higher Relief 53

NINTH LESSON.
Carving Simple Figures or Animal Forms--Figurini for
Cabinets--Simple Rounded Edges and approach to Modelling 59

TENTH LESSON.
Finishing off--Imitation of old and worn work--Where Polishing
is required 64

ELEVENTH LESSON.
Diaper-work--Stamped Diaper-patterns--Cutting Diapers 69

TWELFTH LESSON.
Building-up, or Appliqué work 75

THIRTEENTH LESSON.
Carving in the Round 79

APPENDIX TO THIRTEENTH LESSON.
On the Use of the Saw 83

FOURTEENTH LESSON.
Incised, Intaglio, or Sunk Carving 86

FIFTEENTH LESSON.
Carving Curved Surfaces: Cocoa-nuts, Bowls, Horns, Casks,
Tankards, etc. 93

SIXTEENTH LESSON.
Bosses, Knobs, Bars, and Polished Ornaments 101

SEVENTEENTH LESSON.
To Repair Wood-Carving--Glue--Nitric Acid Glue--Preparing
Decayed Wood--Artificial Wood--Fillers--Spraying--To make Glue
"take" 105

EIGHTEENTH LESSON.
Colouring Wood-work--Oiling--Soda--Stains and Dyes--Ivorying
Surfaces--Black Dyes and Ink 110

NINETEENTH LESSON.
Making Moulds or Squeezes for Wood-Carvers 115

TWENTIETH LESSON.
Spot Cutting 118

APPENDIX.
Objects for Wood-Carving 121

LIST OF PLATES.

DECORATIVE PANEL _Frontispiece_
PANEL IN LOW-RELIEF _to face page_ 40
HIGHLY-FINISHED STUDIES OF FOLIAGE " " 48
CIRCULAR PANEL IN HIGHER RELIEF " " 56
HEAD BY CIVITALE " " 82
MINIATURE FRAME " " 128

Wood-Carving.