Thread: recreating a natural timber edge

dont.

if it had the natural edge left on it, itd look good...but because it doesnt I wouldnt try and 'recreate' it, could turn out bad.

G'day Mad Pom and welcom to the shed!!

I Would have pratcice run or three on some not so important bits before tackling the real thing. Idea is sound enough.

I do this a fair bit and I'm pretty happy with the result. I shape the edge a bit with a jigsaw, then go across the whole edge with hand-held carving tools (just gouges) making little scoop motions, then rub on some dark stain, go across again with smaller gouges, then hand-sand it lightly holding the paper in such a way that it travels into the indentations, removing most of the stain.

Sometimes I add switchbacks and various indentations or ridges to make it look more authentic.

No-one has ever picked that they were not natural - though most people dont really have strong expectations of what a natural edge should look like.

I think the arbortech is not the ideal tool, a bit rough - you need carving tools. Study a natural edge and try to duplicate it.

I'll take a photo tomorrow and post it.

cheers
Arron

Put the Arbortech back in its case.

Glue the two parts together, even with gaps. Run the jigsaw along the joint, trying to engage both pieces of wood, wiggling as needed, so that the kerf has a constant width.

Repeat until the last kerf has cut into both pieces, and then finally glue.

Unless the two pieces were seriously mis-matched, three or four passes should be sufficient.

Cheers,
Joe

I have not done a natural edge but have seen Charles Neil do it on you tube. Might be worth seeing this done and get an idea on what to look out for.

Christos, Brilliant mate! Exactly what I'm looking for.... Im also now a Charles Neil fan

Welcome.

Its not honest to the work and it will show as such dont bother!
Its like distressing furniture to make it look old its dishonest and ugly!


Different

I wouldn't try either, the grain will show it as a lie because it won't follow the introduced curves...unless you stick exactly to whatever flows with the grain. I tried to repair some natural edge on a red cedar slab bedhead I made recently (some of the edge split away so I carved that section off) and try as I might it always stood out as false.



Cheers,

Typical woodworkers. Getting caught up in esoteric detail. Does the public know or have a gut feel of how grain aligns to the contours of a natural edge ? I guess we all want to make things that please people but it depends on whether that person is yourself, other woodworkers or the non-woodworking public.

Its a bit like handcut dovetails. They look good, but in reality only other woodworkers truly appreciate them because the non-woodworking public is overhelmingly interested in form and style. People may get a quite sense of admiration for a well cut dovetail, but its style that really excites people.

Go ahead and do your 'natural' edge. Judge it by whether you and other people find it pleasing, not whether it conforms to the preconceptions of a small group. If you dont like it, slice it off. Whats to loose.

Arron

Good point Arron.

If you want to do it, make it, create it, then just give it a go.

It will either work and you like it or you will loath it and start again.

Originally Posted by Arron

Typical woodworkers. Getting caught up in esoteric detail. Does the public know or have a gut feel of how grain aligns to the contours of a natural edge ? I guess we all want to make things that please people but it depends on whether that person is yourself, other woodworkers or the non-woodworking public.

Its a bit like handcut dovetails. They look good, but in reality only other woodworkers truly appreciate them because the non-woodworking public is overhelmingly interested in form and style. People may get a quite sense of admiration for a well cut dovetail, but its style that really excites people.

Go ahead and do your 'natural' edge. Judge it by whether you and other people find it pleasing, not whether it conforms to the preconceptions of a small group. If you dont like it, slice it off. Whats to loose.

Arron

I can see where you're coming from, and it probably isn't a big issue for most people. I do however think you do have to satisfy yourself that you've done an honest job, or even one that looks fair.
Making a faux natural edge when you could've used a real one... why not use some design skills and utilise the straight edge you've got: a subtle taper; a round over with the router, different radii top and bottom; or play with the squareness???
Esoteric? Just be honest )

I was trying to put two points in my reply. One I think I covered well enough the other probably not.

1. Most people cant tell and dont care, so unless you are one of those people who really need to justify their work to themselves everytime their eyes fall upon it, then just do what looks good and be confident that you did the best you could under the circumstances.

2. 'Naturalness', or the obsessive requirement that most amateur woodworkers feel to present something which doesnt compromise the integrity of the underlying raw materials, is one of those creativity-destroying concepts that needs a rocket under it every now and then. It acts as one of the constraints on design which together channel most amateur woodworkers into producing furniture that is dull and repetitive.

In this context though, both arguments are unnecessary as I'm quite confident on the apparent naturalness of the edges I have done (not the first couple, which were awful, but the later ones). And yes, I did instinctively follow the direction of the grain. I dont really see there is anything you cant create, reproduce or imitate with a set of good quality carving tools and the easily-acquired skills to use them.

cheers
Arron