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Decorative Carving in 17th Century New Mexican Furniture |
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Sawtooth on the Flat
Sawtooth patterns that are on the face of a board are found
on rails and stiles, doors and virtually any other flat surface
in New Mexican furniture. To carve this decorative element,
start by laying out guidelines using a pencil. The width should
be just a little wider than your chisel so that you can clean
up the vertical walls after you've established the shape. Incise
the long parallel pencil lines using a craft knife, being
careful to skip the portion of the design that will not be removed.
You can deepen the cut as you approach the middle of each segment
since that will be the deepest part of the carving. Make a stop
cut with your chisel directly in the center of each section.
Beginning close to the center stop cut and tilting your chisel
for a shallow slice, pare away a little at a time as you continue
to move the chisel back toward the outer ends of each segment.
The intention is to carve ramps on both sides of each segment
that slope downward and meet at the center. Steeper slopes have
a more dramatic effect.
Your chisel should land directly in the middle as you work in
from both sides of the ramps; this will ensure a symmetrical
shape. Once you've established the depth, clean up the vertical
walls of the pattern with your chisel.
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Other Articles from this Issue |
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