Woodworkers in search of imaginative projects accompanied by expert, how-to advice will find them in this authentic guide to Victorian-style wood carving. From tips on getting started to the fine points of creating symmetrical designs, this manual contains timeless information for carvers. Readers get practical, straightforward tips on necessary tools, selecting appropriate cuts of wood, and tracing and transferring patterns. The book shows how to do scrollwork, carving in relief, and fret cutting, and tells how to perfect your pieces by using sandpaper, oiling, staining, and varnishing. Instructions and 67 designs (with advice on enlarging and reducing patterns) are provided for creating monograms, inscriptions, florals, vines, animal forms, and other ornamentation. Perfect for enhancing letter openers, photo album covers, and scrapbooks, these motifs will also add immediate interest to picture and mirror frames and other domestic accessories.… (more)