Daiza Carving Method?

[ShadyStump]

I've been playing with wood carving for a little while now. I'm certainly not great, but I do enjoy it and am getting better all the time. Mostly using my Dremel, but I got a beginner set of hand tools a while back I'm eager to use.

I want to try my hand at carving daiza, but I'm a bit daunted. I've done enough woodcarving now to know that it takes just as much work to make a good finished product as it does a bad one, and the only difference is how many times you've screwed it up before you start the project.

I've been reading up online, and looking for YouTube videos, but I thought I'd ask the folks here who have experience if they have any tips for mitigating my noob mistakes, or can recommend some good beginner resources.
I'm in no rush, especially with Christmas coming and I'm on the hook now days for homemade gifts.

Thanks, all!

 

[hemmy]

Have you been on Jerry Braswell’s site? Beautiful work.

Search Results for “Daiza ” – artofthedaiza

artofthedaiza.wordpress.com

And search the posts here @artofthedaiza.

Search results

www.bonsainut.com

 

[ShadyStump]

Have you been on Jerry Braswell’s site? Beautiful work.

Search Results for “Daiza ” – artofthedaiza

artofthedaiza.wordpress.com

And search the posts here @artofthedaiza.

Search results

www.bonsainut.com

I've come across some of his videos on YouTube. Good stuff! Didn't realize he was on BNut.
Just keep running into either the basic stuff for cut bottom stones, or fancy rigs for uncut stones, but not allot in between, and certainly not much in the way of tutorials.

 

[Colorado]

I think you will be great at this, Shady! Looking forward to seeing what you make!

 

[ABCarve]

Daiza carving

So I'm a little bored with pottery right now so I decided to carve a daiza for a friend in my study group. I liked the challenge of this stone because the lip needs to move up and down to accommodate the equator of the stone. I'm not really a stone collector but I have few. Anyway thought I...

www.bonsainut.com

Noob mistakes are overcome by making them and owning it. If you’re afraid of making them….. I call paralysis by analysis.

 

[ShadyStump]

Daiza carving

So I'm a little bored with pottery right now so I decided to carve a daiza for a friend in my study group. I liked the challenge of this stone because the lip needs to move up and down to accommodate the equator of the stone. I'm not really a stone collector but I have few. Anyway thought I...

www.bonsainut.com

Noob mistakes are overcome by making them and owning it. If you’re afraid of making them….. I call paralysis by analysis.

Dead on! My therapist has called me on it SOOO many times.

 

[Pitoon]

I've been playing with wood carving for a little while now. I'm certainly not great, but I do enjoy it and am getting better all the time. Mostly using my Dremel, but I got a beginner set of hand tools a while back I'm eager to use.

I want to try my hand at carving daiza, but I'm a bit daunted. I've done enough woodcarving now to know that it takes just as much work to make a good finished product as it does a bad one, and the only difference is how many times you've screwed it up before you start the project.

I've been reading up online, and looking for YouTube videos, but I thought I'd ask the folks here who have experience if they have any tips for mitigating my noob mistakes, or can recommend some good beginner resources.
I'm in no rush, especially with Christmas coming and I'm on the hook now days for homemade gifts.

Thanks, all!

The only way to find out if you can make one is to make one. The only way to improve in doing something is to keep doing it over and over. You shouldn't doubt yourself......you may surprise yourself with what you are capable of doing.

25yrs ago I made a kitchen table that I thought was good. Comparing what I can do today to back then I'm embarrassed to say that we actually used that table. But if I didn't continue with my woodworking I would be at where I am today. Everytime you do a project you learn something new.........the key is to start the project.

 

[ShadyStump]

Thanks, all, for the encouragement.
I guess what's hanging me up is I have one particular stone that I really feel deserves a proper daiza. I just know that once I make one, no matter how awful it turns out, I won't ever get around to making another, better one unless the first one breaks.
With limited time and resources to begin with, I just want to know my pretty rock won't be too embarrassed to be seen in its new shoes.

You're all correct, though. I just need to get my feet wet.

 

[MHBonsai]

If you haven’t played with it already, I highly recommend getting some carbon marking paper to get a nice tight fit and identify high spots. Was a game changer for me.

Other tips, mark your stone outline on the wood super carefully with a vertical edge like a ruler around the whole perimeter then I use a compass to mark a consistent outside edge, usually a quarter inch.

Here’s one I did with a light maple, before staining.

 

[MHBonsai]

I use a band saw to cut the shape, router to dig out the bulk of the inside, grinder with 80 grit to make the rounded edges and remove material for the feet, and dremel to exact fit the perimeter and underside. Then a ton of sanding. Have fun!

 

[ShadyStump]

Thanks, @MHBonsai !
I just recently read about the carbon paper. Haven't even thought about that stuff in years.
I was originally thinking dip the base of the rock in graphite, like the kind you'd use for lubricant. Wasn't sure how to avoid a giant mess though. Just need to source carbon paper now.
Like I mentioned earlier, I have my own Dremel and some hand tools, but my father has more in the way of tools I can use any time. My sister actually has a CNC router now days, but that feels like cheating if I'm not doing production work. Considering putting a band saw and wood lathe on my Xmas list, but those would financially negate anything else I'd want.

I've mostly been working with walnut since my dad has a couple dead trees on his property. Recently found some oak, and maybe some maple soon.
A pain trying to mill logs into usable lumber on a cheap table saw, but it adds to the satisfaction for me.

 

[ShadyStump]

Thought I'd share a few pics of the stone I mentioned. Basalt. The green striations are what caught my eye when I found it, but the more I looked at it the more I loved every angle of it. I can't pick a front.


About 9.5 inches long by 3.5 wide. Never weighed it, but not light.
Yes, I would like to display it on end as shown. The trick there would be seating it so it's balanced/supported enough to stay upright.

 

[Shibui]

Nice rock.
When you have carved a niche for it to sit in it will be much more stable. Does not need to be very deep to hold the rock upright.

 

[ShadyStump]

Nice rock.
When you have carved a niche for it to sit in it will be much more stable. Does not need to be very deep to hold the rock upright.

Good to know.
Of course I have all sorts of ideas of cool effects I would like to create, but I think that's getting ahead of myself.