How to Carve Roses for Carousel Horses
Traditional carousel horses are lavishly ornamented with gold leaf and carved designs. Roses are a popular motif, and are carved into the points where the harness joins. The roses used on carousel horses are normally a medieval-style design, showing a flat, stylized rose with four petals, and are added as a finishing touch after the horse itself is shaped. Plan your design out carefully on paper, and practice on a scrap piece of wood before carving the rose on the horse.
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Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Pencil
- Tape
- Woodworker's glove
- No. 3, no. 5 and no. 6 bowl gouges
- Mallet
- Fine flat chisel
- Woodworkers' V gouge
- Fine-grade sand paper
- Soft cloth
Instructions
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1
Draw your design on paper. Keep the shape simple and clear. Tape the pattern over the relevant area on the horse, and draw round the outline with a pencil, pressing hard. Remove the paper. There should be a faint indentation in the wood showing the shape of the rose.
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2
Use a pencil to outline the shape again on the horse. Use a no. 6 gouge and mallet to cut away the bulk of the unwanted wood around the edges of the shape, striking the gouge with a firm tap to minimize the risk of slipping.
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3
Use a fine chisel to tidy up the edges of the shape and remove unwanted wood. Pare off the wood in small amounts, a little at a time.
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4
Use the V gouge to remove the wood from the edge of the petals. Scrape away a little of the material under the edge of the petals, to give a three-dimensional look.
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5
Use a no. 5 gouge to shape the groove in the middle of the petals, and the center of the rose. Change to a no. 3 gouge to fine tune the shaping. Carefully sand off the design to smooth out any unevenness, and wipe with a soft cloth. The rose is now ready for painting or gilding.
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Tips & Warnings
Take care with sharp tools such as chisels and gouges, and always wear a woodworkers' glove rather than a standard protective glove. The specialist glove has grip pads along the fingers and palm for better handling of fine work.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
