MTW Wood Carving
Materials Technology Wood
About this Site:
The aim of this website is to act as an aid to someone who has little or no experience of carving and it was designed as a resource for students and teachers of second level education. The main benefit of the site are the video tutorials taking a beginner carver through the basics principles of using the tools and the various styles of carving.
Through the explanations and demonstrations of key principles students will be equipped with the knowledge and understanding to design and make there own creations...
Health and Safety
General Safety
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Only carve only when you are alert. It is dangerous to carve when tired as it greatly increases the possibility of an accident
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Ensure to use a hold-down device. A hold-down device is a vice, clamp, carver’s screw. Using a hold-down device, you can easily keep your hands out of harms way and safe from the blade.
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Don’t put anything in front of your blade that you do not want to cut. This includes hands, legs and unprotected work bench.
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Be mindful of your surroundings. Consider whether or not fellow students could be injured by your activities.
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Keep your tools as sharp and clean as possible. A blunt cutting edge needs far more pressure to cut wood fibres and, at the end of its cut, a blunt carving tool tends to jerk uncontrollably out of the wood and into the fresh air.
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Contrary to what most people think, a sharp tool is safer because it cuts cleanly and with less effort.
Safety When Using Hand Tools:
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A sharp knife is much safer to use than a dull knife. A sharp knife is easier to control and takes less pressure to cut wood. A sharp knife will also “catch” the wood upon “touch down” and will not be prone to skipping or sliding on the surface of the wood, which could more easily result in injury.
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Hold your tools properly. As demonstrated in the tools sections of this website.
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If you accidentally drop a tool, let it go. You may want to jump back to avoid it hitting your foot, but do not attempt to catch it.
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Keep both hands and fingers behind the cutting edge at all times. Since only the actual cutting edge is sharp, it follows that it is impossible to cut your your hands and fingers so long as they're behind the edge.
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The only exceptions to this are mallet work and specific, one-handed carving techniques such as chip carving.
Securing Your Work Piece:
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Hold your work securely to a stable bench or surface, so that it can never move unpredictably.
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The rule is: Only the cutting edge moves; the workpiece remains fixed.
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Re-position the work to avoid carving dangerously.
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Check clamps and fixings periodically.