Wood is a perishable material and has not the same continuous history as stone. Ancient stone carvings are still unearthed; Greek bronzes are still being fished out of the sea. But wood will not survive neglect and must be specially cared for if it is to endure. There are many gaps - many civilizations which have no wood carvings to represent them.

The earliest sculptures that still exist are of bone and baked clay, stone and bronze, but there can be no doubt that prehistoric man carved wood - even if only for his axe-handles. He lived in the forests; fallen trees would be more plentiful than suitable pieces of stone.

But wood can only survive in favorable conditions, and so far as is yet known, Egypt is the only country where these have existed. Eleven wooden relief panels were found there in 1860, having been preserved by the drifting sands for over four thousand years, and they are believed to be the oldest in the world. They were discovered in the tomb of Pharaoh Hesy-Ra at Sakkara, and each measures about two feet by one foot six inches. The figure of the Pharaoh is portrayed in the typical Egyptian pose, finely drawn and sensitively carved.

The Egyptians went on using child-like conventions long after they could have dispensed with them. Egyptian art being entirely religious, the conviction was that all art-forms, like all the rites and ceremonies, had been laid down by the gods in ancient times, and could never be altered. There is nothing peculiarly Egyptian about this; right down to the present day, many religions have maintained a strict conservatism in form and ceremony.

The earliest three-dimensional wooden figures yet discovered date from 2500 B.C. Three were found at Sakkara, and the most famous of

Realistic portrait-heads for the statues were at all times considered essential. The sculptor was required to carve an 'imitation man' to be inhabited by the soul after death.

Wood was scarce in Egypt, and the acacia and sycamore, the only trees growing there suitable for carving, were so precious as to be considered sacred. In countries where there are forests, wood is sometimes used as a cheaper substitute for rare and precious materials.

Egypt had a different scale of values, judging by an observation in a letter from a minor king to a Pharaoh in 2000 B.C. 'In your country, gold is as common as dust . . .' Wood was used for royal statues as well as for less important figures, such as courtiers, officials, priests, scribes and architects. Relief panels were always in wood or limestone.

The wood carvings were placed in the elaborate tombs, where, it was believed, the Pharaoh would live on, so long as his embalmed body lay there undisturbed. He was surrounded by all the things he would need to take with him into the next life, and his servants were represented by little figures engaged in all kinds of farm and domestic work. Many of these are in wood, and some of the most remarkable are of women with long narrow figures and long skirts, walking upright and carrying baskets of offerings on their heads.

Wood was used for many purposes besides statues: for thrones, coffins and furniture of all kinds, and for the inner cores of metal statues. A figure was carved in wood and then covered with thin sheets of gold, copper or bronze, hammered on to its shape and fastened with nails. Every nation has found its way toward the craft of hollow casting in bronze by first using the wooden-core method.

After lasting almost continuously for over two thousand years, Egypt's power began to decline in about 1000 B.C., and was finally broken by a series of foreign conquests. But, although the long tradition of art also declined, nothing could subdue the strong, characteristic style of the Egyptians, and it was adopted by each conquering nation in turn - even the Greeks and the Romans. Only in A.D. 638 with the Arab conquest did the art of Egypt finally come to an end.



Before we start the wood carving, it is very necessary to check all the equipment which are required during the process. Find out some of the equipments which are needed for the wood carving.

The screw cramp
This is of German design and used in the same way as the 'G' cramp.

Sash cramps
These range in length from 3 ft. to 6 ft. and are used by joiners for assembling frames. For this reason the jaws are only 2 in. or 3 in. long. 

The carver will find them useful in gluing up large work if he uses them in pairs with a stout board on each side of his work. In figure 10 the arms of a figure are being glued up at the shoulders.

The sloping stand or table
With the help and advice of friends I have recently evolved this piece of equipment and have found it excellent for carving both wood and stone panels. 

For anyone with a little knowledge of carpentry it is a fairly simple piece of construction. The framework is made of wood 2 inch x 2 inch and the main board is 36 inch x 16 inch The whole stand could be made smaller or larger, according to your own requirements. 

You will see from the picture of the back view illustrated that the stand is adjustable on the deck-chair principle. This particular model can be used at three different angles. The hinges on the supporting frame should be of a heavy type and not less than 2 inch in width as they will have to stand up to a good deal of vibration. 

The wood of the main board should be at least 1 in. in thickness. The wood to be carved can be fixed on by bench screws, 'G' cramps, or by ordinary screws. This stand can be easily bolted down to the bench. The advantage of a sloping stand is that you can stand upright to carve and step back to see your work.

Other methods of fixing a panel
If you want your work flat on the bench, and many carvers do, it is an easy matter to fix the panel. Bench screws can be used (see Fig. 9). The length of these can be varied by interposing a block of wood between the wing nut and the underside of the bench. You can also fix a frame of wood around your carving and drive in a few wooden wedges to hold it tight (Fig. 37). If you are working on a fairly heavy piece of wood, two wood stops screwed down at right angles to each other will be sufficient.

With all the guidelines which are provided in this article, now we know the things which are required for the wood carving. Check for some carpentry equipment available, which you might also need it during the wood carving process.


When we do the wood carving to make the ornaments, there are some guidance which we need to know or learn so we can get the shape which we want. In this article we will learn the method on how to carve for a better result.

Ornament carvers, when making delicate carvings such as wall-light brackets, sometimes laminate sections with the grain of each piece running in the opposite direction to that of its neighbor. When glued up, these pieces support and strengthen each other. 

A method of making toys in eight sections for the sake of strength, the grain in every case running the length of the thinner parts of the horse, the ears, legs, tail and body are all in separate parts. This type of toy is usually cut out on a fret saw, glued up and then carved by a knife in the hand. I have used a similar method of construction in making a carved horse in mahogany for a restaurant sign. The pattern of the pieces will vary according to the design.

In many woods, such as jarrah, which grow under very dry conditions, the grain is often wavy but straight in direction. This type of grain in no way impedes carving. Woods such as lignum vitae, have an interlocking grain and turn well on a lathe but can be difficult for an inexperienced carver. In carving lime wood, apple, beech, cherry, sycamore, pine, oak, and mahogany, you will not find any serious difficulty as far as grain is concerned, provided you remember the strength and the weakness of wood described in this chapter.

Carving a log In the previous article I have discussed the seasoning of wood and the desirability of using dry timber. There is a great risk of splitting if this latter rule is not observed. 

However, I do not overlook the fact that you may have a log of wood in your garden just asking to be carved. If you are willing to take a chance on its opening up then by all means go ahead. Cracks are not necessarily disastrous and can be filled. 

I have heard of carvings splitting completely in half but you may not be so unlucky. First bring the log under cover and jack it up on wood blocks in a cool dry place. If you can leave it for some months, do so. Many say that a log should be given a year's seasoning for every inch of its diameter. 

I have heard a timber merchant say that the center of a large log is never seasoned. It is not easy to make rules about this as so much depends on the type of wood and the humidity of the atmosphere. In any case you should not hasten the process of drying by exposing the log to direct heat. If you paint the cut ends it will help to prevent splitting. If a log is kept in the dark, in for instance the cellar, and then suddenly exposed to the light, splitting will often take place. I know this from painful experience.

In medieval times wood carvings were often made from the trunks of trees that had been hollowed out from the back. This enabled the wood to contract and expand. If, therefore, you hollow out the center of the log it will help. This is not easy but you can bore a few holes up through the center with the auger. This may prevent the star shakes. In the oak carving by W. Soukop (PLATE XVI, page 56 ff.), the figure is built in sections and the center of the wood removed.

A carving in a large log of wood, such as elm, may develop cracks, but the wood is very tough and the whole mass holds together. When carving just to please your self experiment with any wood available, remembering that most of the fruit woods are excellent for carving. Do not, therefore, turn your apple or cherry tree into logs for the fire.

We need to know how to handle the logs so they still can be use for carving. From this article we learned that never dry the woods under the heat if it was stored in a dark room for quite long time.

Engraving On Wood

Posted by bramij-foor | 3:10 AM | | 0 comments »

Engraving On Wood
The fabrication unit in the production of items is important. It is a key factor in the fabrication industry. The cnc machine will help to provide accuracy, save time, produce less wastage of raw materials, and the production line adds the finish. If you put all these items together it plays an important role in the manufacture industry. The manufacture company has one goal in mind when it produces products. It wants to mass produce them in less time, but with more accuracy. Embedded systems play a big role, and cnc machines are one type of these embedded system.
There ar many different ways that one can use an engraving machine. The first one is wood cutting. For each piece of wood cut a dissimilar head needs to be used. Some other ways an engraving machine can be used admit printing, furnishing, marking, and photo-engraving a message or a logotype into a certain product. This comes in handy at many times because a certain company may want their logo staring up astatine you as a monitor of who produced such an item. It helps with brand name recognition.
Although there are modern ways of using the engraving process other than the old-fashioned way and that is through laser engraving. No matter what type of engraving machine that you use it will help to reduce the number of employees that you will have to hire so you end up making more money in the end. Although you will need workers to program these machines as well.
Engraving plays an important role in the manufacturing business. The last time that you have went shopping you have seen the result of an engraving machine. Or perhaps the last time you listened to your iPod, the nice apple logo on the back was engraved on there. Engraving machines no matter the type of it play an important role in everyone’s lives, and it makes the manufacturers job a whole lot easier


Include all the traditional crafts craft activities practiced by the artisans, and various trades and services known in the middle of the traditional Moroccan and can be considered one of the foundations of domestic trade and exchange between the countryside and cities


Moroccans still yet maintain such ancient arts and they make fine decorations in their homes in addition to deployment in a number of palaces, luxury hotels and restaurants