"Arch" wrote in message
...
After reading M. O'Donnell's book on decorating, I tried using carver's
punches to make shallow depressions in turned wood surfaces, then I
sanded down to their level and by moistening the surface the patterns
were supposed to rise proud of the surface. It was a miserable failure.

Maybe the punches cut instead of compressing the wood surface and maybe
I used the wrong wood; dry mahogany and wet NIP. Or as I do with Leif's
world famous LDD manifesto, I didn't follow instructions, and was irate
when I didn't succeed. Just because it works for him is certainly no
reason to follow his advice.
Have any of you used this method successfully to raise decorative
patterns?

I've used tapped wires to make waterproof boxes out of softwoods. I'm
betting on fiber cutting. Try some annealed steel wire taped to the surface
and tapped in. Use a last under the piece for support.

Now answer mine.

How can potatoes planted in the same furrow erupt to the surface seven or
eight inches either side, where they're cut off by my cultivator? Grrrrrr.