How to Carve Seals
- 1). Place one end of the dowel flat against a sheet of paper on a work surface. Trace the outline of the dowel onto the paper with a pencil.
- 2). Draw the seal design in the circle on the paper. For the first seal you carve, make a simple design such as your first and last initial. Draw the outline of the two letters within the circle.
- 3). Place the paper onto a cutting mat. Cut out the letter outlines using a craft knife. Cut out the circle. This is the seal template.
- 4). Place the template front face down on one end of the dowel so that the letters are a mirror image. Trace the letter outlines onto the end of the dowel using a pencil.
- 5). Clamp the dowel into a bench vise so that the end with the seal design is facing up. Use a V-gouge and a mallet to carve out letters in the design. Tap the gouge lightly to remove a small V-shaped sliver to create the letters. Remove the dowel from the vise.
- 6). Sand the dowel with fine grit sandpaper. Sand with the grain. Carefully sand the end with the carved seal to avoid altering the design.
- 7). Rub a wood stain finish onto the dowel according to the stain instructions. Allow the stain to dry thoroughly before use.
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