CHAPTER TWO

A GOOD SET OF TOOLS

 

 

 

T'S IMPORTANT to work with a good set of basic tools. Tools made from high-quality steel are initially expensive but will last a lifetime. Cheap tools never sharpen properly and will let you down again and again. They are never a bargain.

Keep your tools sharp and store them in a dry place, preferably a cloth tool holder or an old velvet-lined cutlery chest. Whatever you do, don’t throw them into a box where they’ll knock together, dulling the blades that you took so much care in honing to perfection.

wood cutting tools

 

 

Tools for Wood and Lino Block Cutting

A small gouge, a knife and a bench hook are all you need to begin cutting images into wood or linoleum. You can augment these basic tools with extra gouges, parting tools and power tools.

Gouges

These tools produce a rounded line. Most woodcut artists use a straight gouge for cutting; however, some like to use a bent gouge when they have large amounts of material to remove from the block. Its bent shank makes it easier to exert the pressure needed to do this. Spoon gouges – straight gouges with a spoon-shaped cutting edge – produce a more concave white line than regular gouges.

Gouges are available in a wide selection of sizes, from small detailing tools to large monsters used for creating white space on enormous woodcut blocks. The sizes, ranging from 1/8 inch to 1 inch, indicate the maximum width of the line cut by each gouge. My favorite widths are 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch.

Gouge

Bent gouge