Читать книгу Woodcarving Illustrated Issue 75 Spring/Summer 2016 - Группа авторов - Страница 14

Woodcarving Illustrated

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SUMMER 2016

12

tips and

techniques

Animal Eyes

Instead of using glass eyes for my carvings, I use clear Surface Gard vinyl

bumpers. They are usually used as doorstops and can be purchased at

local hardware stores for under $5. These bumpers come in a variety of

sizes, have sticky backs, and come in sheet form.

The beauty of the bumpers is that their flexibility allows them to fit

easily onto projects. They have a very natural look; sometimes it looks

like the carving’s eyes are following me.

To use them, peel the bumper off the backing and mark a black dot in

the center. Paint the remainder of the back of the eye with whatever color

desired. Do not paint the rounded front side of the bumper. Repeat for

the other eye, and then let the eyes dry. Then, use glue to attach the eyes

to the carving. Sometimes, I add wood putty around the eyes to make the

skin around the eyes look natural. Once the eyes are in

place, paint them with clear nail polish to give them a

watery look.

I’ve used this method for many years and find

that it works better than using glass eyes.

Donnie Lee Clarke

Stewartson, Pa.

TOP TIP

in our Fall issue wins a $25.00 Fox

Chapel Publishing Gift Card. Send your

tip to

Woodcarving Illustrated

, 1970 Broad

Street, East Petersburg, Pa., 17520, or e-mail

editors@woodcarvingillustrated.com.

A dimestore nail file

works wonders for small

sanding/shaping jobs.

Sharpener

Do you ever need a

small extra-coarse

diamond sharpener for

touch-ups? Can’t afford

the expensive, larger

versions? I picked this

nail file up for $1 and

change at the drugstore.

I’m going to use it to

smooth a narrow hole

in a brass cap on a Sloyd

carving knife! This

would also be useful to

sand other small items.

Lewis Ward

Newfield, N.Y.

Inexpensive clear

vinyl bumpers

make lifelike eyes

and are easier to

find than glass.

Piping InLace ... or Not

After running the article on using InLace (“Inlaid Bunny Box,”

Winter/Spring 2016), we received a tip that we thought had

promise. “Rather than using the craft sticks that come with

an InLace kit, which I found to be wasteful and messy, I use a

plastic freezer bag to put the InLace exactly where I want it to

be.” Essentially, the tipster pipes mixed InLace into the channels

in a design like icing on a cake and then smooths it into place

with a toothpick or dental tool.

The article’s author, Roger F. Wolford, thinks the idea has

merit. However, he pointed out, the instructions state that

combining InLace with plastic may cause a chemical reaction.

The mixture, which hardens quickly, is in the bag for a very

short time, so the technique might be worth experimenting

with. If you’re concerned, though, stick to mixing and spreading

InLace with wooden tools, just in case.

Although the idea of piping

InLace is appealing, it may

cause a chemical reaction.

Stick to spreading it with

a wooden tool.