When paring with a wood carving chisel, you’ll want to start with a light grip on the handle and blade. You’ll then want to angle the blade so that it points in the direction of the cutting motion. The angle should be about 25 degrees for better control. Draw a guideline on the wood if necessary. Position the chisel so that the edge leans now slightly towards the cutting direction at the point of contact. Now lower the blade until there is just enough of a burr (roughened edge) that you can feel it on your fingertips. A light touch is all that is necessary.
With the chisel positioned in the cutting plane, start paring along the grain traveling toward the center of the board with a consistent rate of cutting. Keep the chisel parallel to the grain as you go, curling your cutting plane to avoid gouging the board. When you reach the end of the board, rotate the chisel slightly to raise the burr and continue paring. You can feel the burr sticking up as you go.
If the burr tends to break off before you get to the center of the board, you are cutting too deep. Try lightening up on the hand pressure, or angle the chisel even more towards the cutting direction.
Paring is a process of delicate adjustment. As you’ll be slicing thin layers of material, small changes in the cutting geometry will cause significant differences in the end result. Simply rotate the position of the chisel to fine tune the result and try different angles to see the changes in the cut. Practice makes perfect, so try a few different boards and techniques for best results.
To sum up, learning how to position a wood carving chisel for a paring cut is essential. It is a process of delicate adjustments as you slice thin layers of material. First, place the material that you will be working on in a vise bench and clamp it in. Grip the chisel using both hands, with one hand providing power and one hand providing control. Make sure to angle the blade towards the direction of travel and keep it parallel with the grain. Cut the wood slowly and lighten up on the hand pressure if the burr breaks off before you reach the middle of the board. Finally, practice pare with a few different boards and techniques to get the best result.
Positioning a wood carving chisel for a paring cut is an important step in woodworking. A paring cut is removing a thin slice from the top layer of material to reduce the dimensions, usually by curling the wood slice. To properly execute a paring cut with a chisel, follow these steps.
Begin by placing the material to be worked on into a vise bench and tightening it securely. Mark the location that needs to be pared.
Grip the chisel with both hands. One hand should be placed at the top of the handle and the other at the top of the blade. The hand on top of the handle will provide power and the one on top of the blade will help transition and guide the chisel in the right direction.
Once the chisel is in place, angle the cutting edge in the direction of travel and make sure the cut is going with the wood grain and not against it. Firmly press into the wood and begin to shave away thin slivers.
Continue the paring cut by gradually and slowly slicing away the wood grain in layers, starting at the edges and working your way toward the center, in order to avoid splintering. Each time the chisel is driven into the wood, rotate it slightly so that all sides of the cut are even and no corners are being left behind. The chisel should be regularly checked for sharpness.
The finished cut should be even and smooth, with all variations in depth taken into account. The goal should be to achieve clean, even slices.
When executing a paring cut with a wood carving chisel, it is important to remember the importance of positioning the chisel properly, using the two-handed grip, angling it in the direction of travel and cutting with the grain, and using a steady and light motion to gradually build up the cut and avoid splintering. With practice and patience, executing a paring cut with a wood carving chisel will become second nature, resulting in smooth and even slices.
