Carving Pine, base relief

[AndyF]

Has anyone found a successful way to carve pine. I'm aware of chip carving but that's not what I'm talking about. I have done some carving and did a kitchen cabinet set that had small rosettes carved
in each corner of each door. The customer was very pleased, but I was always disappointed that I can't do serious carving in pine. I would use a tape wound bunched up finishing nails as a punch to give me a speckle effect in the center of flowers. I've had little problem with the "V" knife for vines and leaves, but the gouge for dished out patterns like petals I found I coudn't scoop out the uphill side
of the depression without tearing out the pine. I had to turn the work around and scoop out from the other side. That always left a shaving at the bottom of the depression I had to sand out with a dremel which ruined the effect.

Is this problem caused by a dull tool or am I using the wrong method? I use a curved oilstone slip for my final sharpening and no matter how sharp I get it the pine will never let me follow through on the uphill cut. Is there a special method for pine?

Thanks.

[mudman]

Your tools are dull, I specialize in carving pine, that is the wood medium of choice for all of my carving activities.

You need to buff out the edge of your chisels with a power buffing wheel, either attached to a drill or to a grinder, I use both depending on the time alotment.

A sharp tool will have no problem cutting through the soft pine, unless of course you are using the cheap chinese steel, otherwise practice makes perfect.

you can view my gallery of hand carved reef fish made of pine at:

http://home.bellsouth.net/p/PWP-marinelifewoodcarvings

[kaihoe15]

Kia ora,,Ive just more or less got on to this site,and you may have found a solution to your problem,I have on occasion carved radiata pine,and find that,if you wet it,or run a steam iron over it,it cuts cleanly.Of course you need super sharp tools.

Regards from New Zealand,,,,,JJ