Carving

[MelaQuin]

Why carve?
Many artists don't but there are valid reasons to do so other than being a CarvingJunkie.
Make a cut off branch a feature
Conceal a flat cut, large or small
Make a feature out of trunk damage
Carve taper into a straight trunk
Add character to deadwood
Refine deadwood from coarse to weatherworn
Get proportion, harmony and balance into the tree

Start by needing to improve a tree by adding carving details.
Observe deadwood in the wild and looking through books at carving features. Bonsai Today issues 103/104/105 have feature articles on carving.
Recommended equipment for small/medium trees - Dremel. For larger jobs a die grinder and specialised bits are good but I do small jobs and the Dremel works well. The Ozito, while much cheaper, is much cheaper and does not have the guts that the Dremel has, not that the Dremel has that much, but it is better to pay more and get better. Also recommended with the Dremel is the Dremel Flexishaft that allows greater freedom in carving, particularly in tight spots. When I'm working on olives and elms I just take it more slowly so I don't burn out the Dremel.

The Dremel comes with a flock of bits but not many of these are of use for bonsai carving. I have found the following bits to be excellent and can use 8 - 10 in one carving job.
107* 110* 115* 116* 117 121 124 190 193 194* 196* 9905 9934* [tungsten] 7117 [haven't used this but it looks good]. The numbers with an asterisk are particularly good. I have also gone on line and ordered burr bits from England that are wonderfully aggressive.

If you go to http://www.dremel.com and click Accessories then Carving you should be able to see the above bits. To get them is a case of going to several hardware stores, HobbyCo or Carbatech [Auburn, Sydney]. Hobbyco was recommended by a model maker but I have not checked this out yet.

Most important aspect of carving is SAFETY. You can buy another Dremel, another bit or another tree but you only have one pair of eyes. ALWAYS wear safety goggles. You should also wear a mask as the sawdust from some trees, like olives, are poisonous.

I follow THREE rules when carving
It MUST look natural
It MUST tell a story [have a reason]
You MUST refine your work to remove all manmade traces

I can take months to do a tree. One or two initial sessions to get the foundations going, a break of a day/week/month to just look at the tree and plan the next step. A second/third session/occasionally more to just get the basic carving done. And then another sitting period before any final adjustments and refinement, refinement, refinement.

Once I am satisfied with the carving and the finishing I leave the tree for at least 3-4 months so any exposed cambium can heal over and then I apply full strength lime sulphur AFTER thoroughly wetting the deadwood for at least half an hour.

Lime Sulphur can be purchased from Bunnings or any hardware or garden shop. It is deadly to roots so don't let it get in the soil. Take great care to ensure it does not drip down the deadwood and into the soil. Putting lime sulphur on dry wood is fine but it will take the wood weeks and weeks to season from yellow to a silvery grey. If you wet the wood well before using lime sulphur it goes on yellow and is silvery grey by the next day. Apply it with CHEAP paintbrushes because it will eat through most of the brush by the time the job is done. Remember, lime sulphur full strength for hardening deadwood.

Hints:
You can get greater detail carving hardwoods but should use less detail carving softwoods as the wood deteriorates too quickly.
Softwood trees [maples, pyracanthas, privet] would normally have deadwood rotting off in natural habitats but you can do it with discretion.
Try to avoid taking deadwood to the soil to minimise rotting from constant contact with the damp medium.
Don't carve straight lines - even a crack will not weather evenly
Shadows and depth are most important - it is the shadows that highlight and beautify your carving
Nature is not right or left handed so be sure your carving is balanced in both directions
Do and Do again
Stop carving before you go too far
If it looks hand carved you have not refined it enough
Timbermate puts out a wood hardener 'Earls Wood Hardener'. It works but it is expensive unless you do a lot of carving and it can sparkle which is not a feature you often see in nature. Lime sulphur temporarily eliminates this aspect but I am noticing it does come back.

Carving is not for everyone but for others it is an absolute thrill to take a round cutoff branch and turn it into a shari or jin that looks as tho it has been beautifully ravaged by years in the elements.

Pompeii 2005-01.jpg

Pompeii 2007-04 1.jpg

Pompeii 2007-04 back shari.jpg

[Joel]

Thanks heaps MelaQuin!

I just received a Dremel 400 digital for Christmas. I have tested it on a few scraps of wood, but only just got back from holidays to see my trees! I hope to get started soon.

I am very happy to see the list of attachments you have found useful! I will need to research these. make some purchases and get to work....

Thanks again!

JayC

[aaron_tas]

im so happy you started this thread melQ,

i have been waiting to hear your thoughts on this topic (evil laugh)

i would love to see that olive i saw at the tops a couple years back... progression, orrrrrrrr.....

[aaron_tas]

...ill even shorten my avatar...

[PeterW]

...ill even shorten my avatar...

Traitor!

[anttal63]

nice post lee all of the above is so true.

jay be careful starting new deadwood; best to be done when tree dormant; is ok to refine existing deadwood if you are not ripping up more cambium.

anyone interested francois jeker does the best deadwood i have come across imo.

[Joel]

nice post lee all of the above is so true.

jay be careful starting new deadwood; best to be done when tree dormant; is ok to refine existing deadwood if you are not ripping up more cambium.

anyone interested francois jeker does the best deadwood i have come across imo.

Thanks for the warning Ant!

The tree i'm doing it to is a Ligustrum (sorry Peter....... but in my defence i pulled it out of the bush and will never allow it to flower or produce seed......and i also pulled out several others that were of no bonsai use, just to destroy them).

The wood on this privet was dead when i collected it....about march last year. It is in very good health, and i want to carve this wood before it gets too soft (apparently a habit of privet) and also so i can treat it with lime sulfur before the rains of march.

Any last minute advice? I will probably start in a few days time....

JayC

[PeterW]

[quote="JayC="."]

The tree i'm doing it to is a Ligustrum (sorry Peter....... but in my defence i pulled it out of the bush and will never allow it to flower or produce seed......and i also pulled out several others that were of no bonsai use, just to destroy them).

JayC[/quote]


Dont apoligies to me JayC....i reakon we should be allowed to take them and use them for Bonsai! In bonsai culture they will never flower or go to seed so why not. Celtis is also one that is on the noxious weeds list, that hasnt stopped us growing them either. Dont know if i would sell one on ebay though...the fun police might git ya! When you collect privet do you take much care with them or are they like Olives and you just cut em off at the base?
Peter
Ps...show us some pics of yours JayC.

[aaron_tas]

Traitor!

you're right, ill never change the size of mt avatar

[MelaQuin]

Aaron - sold Pompeii, the olive I carved at The Tops. Too heavy. I had a tall olive, about 50cm and after winning top marks at a couple of shows the top started dying. 12 new leaves, 10 dead ones... etc. After a couple of years of this progression I reduced it to 3 branches [30 cm] than 1 branch [20 cm] and HEAVILY carved the bulk of the tree. Unfortunately I can't post pictures - otherwise I would put on the original and today's look. I name a lot of my trees and this one started as Brennan, became Bren and is now Bre. It took me months and months to do the work. Finished then refined, finished again, then refined, refinished the finished and refined until I got the openness, balance and effect I wanted and still had some tree left. At that point I stopped. It is not to everyone's taste but I am pleased with it. It passes the highest test - it looks like a natural disaster hit the tree and it is coping well and surviving. I especially like the surviving bit!!

[aaron_tas]

sold Pompeii

that's it, im making a huge avatar...

[Joel]

Ps...show us some pics of yours JayC.

MelaQuin, Are you happy for me to suply a photo on this thread? I know where im going with this tree, and dont really need advice, but am happy to supply an image anyway.

Peter, this ligustrum is not very good. I have not worked on it yet at all besides limited trimming. It is not a particularly old specimen, and it will be a windswept style.....not a style that i particularly like. But as somebody once said "every collector needs just 1 windswept".

Perhaps i could show a before and after? Using advice given to me by MelaQuin?

JayC

[MelaQuin]

Dremel.... I have been advised that the cordless Dremel doesn't have enough guts and the standard model is better. I have only used the conventional so can't vouch for this but if you are going to buy equipment I would recommend that you don't go for the cordless.

[Steven]

Dremel.... I have been advised that the cordless Dremel doesn't have enough guts and the standard model is better. I have only used the conventional so can't vouch for this but if you are going to buy equipment I would recommend that you don't go for the cordless.

Sorry Lee but I would recommend the cordless.
I have the 10.8V Cordless MultiPro and my bonsai buddy has the 240V Variable-Speed MultiPro. We have spent equal time using the Dremels, first the corded and more recently the cordless. Both are variable speed and very capable tools (not to mention fun ). We both prefer the cordless for ease of use and convenience. It charges in 3 hours, runs for about 30 hours and does everything the 240V does.

You are most welcome to try mine and at the same time teach me some of your techniques on that olive at my office.

Regards,
Steven

[MelaQuin]

Good news on the cordless. I've only burned out one Dremel so far but the next time I will try the cordless. I held out for far too long getting the flexishaft and boy does it make a difference. When I got mine last year it was $70 compared to Ozito's $16 but the difference in quality and lasting power [it doesn't break immediately!!! or even after a lot of work] is worth the extra money. Tools... only beginners buy cheap tools. Can't economise.