Making a Rune Set

There are many descriptions on the making of rune sets to be found and often they are not particularly elaborate in design but, for my first rune set (and first real woodcarving project) I chose to challenge myself and make this set a work of art. After all, what could serve me better than the runes into which I have truly put my time, energies, and best efforts. This particular rune set is made of solid oak with a lot of detailed carving both on the front, which has a border of triskelions going around the rune, and on the back, which is filled with a knotwork pattern. Even with modern conveniences and power tools, this is a substantial and time consuming project but, it is not beyond the abilities of an amateur.

The following tools and materials will be needed:

Wood (oak board, 1 1/2" X 1/4" X 48")
Dremel tool
Flex shaft attachment
#105 1/32" small engraving cutter bit
#111 1/32" small engraving cutter bit
#191 1/8" high speed cutter bit
Small saw
Medium and fine sandpapers
Pencil, eraser, and ruler
#000 steel wool
Artists charcoal
Red jewelers rouge
Linseed oil and rags

Because handling the dremel tool itself is very unwieldy for doing detailed carving work, the flex shaft attachment is very highly recommended. Oak boards cut to the given dimensions are available for $2-3 in the hardwood section of some of the better lumberyards and will save substantial effort over sawing down larger boards by yourself. Some home improvement megastores also carry all of the necessary tools and materials for this project under one roof.

Saw the 1 1/2" X 1/4" X 48" oak board into 24 pieces 2" in length. Then sand all surfaces of each piece first with medium and then with fine sandpaper, being sure to smooth and round out the square corners and hard edges.

Draw a grid of 1/4" squares on the back side (where the knotwork design will be) of each piece with a pencil and ruler. Then mark alternating grid line intersections with a diamond of 1/8" to 3/16" in size according to the pattern shown in the diagram (left). Using the Dremel tool with a #111 1/32" small engraving cutter bit, carve out the diamonds as shown to a depth from 1/32" to 1/16". It is ok for the centers of the diamonds to remain slightly raised rather than ground flat.

Draw the intersecting lines between the diamonds as shown in the diagram (left) for the actual knotwork pattern. Also draw the small arrows as shown. These arrows distinguish the parts of the intertwining "ribbon" in the pattern which "go under" from those parts which "go over". Using the Dremel tool with the same #111 engraving bit as before, carve out a bevel along the proper side of each intersecting line between the diamonds as shown in the diagram. Hold the bit in the direction indicated by the arrows to properly align the bevels so that the "ribbon" in the knotwork pattern will appear to weave over and under itself in all the right places.

Draw a grid of 1/4" squares on the front side (where the rune design will be). Then draw in the triskelion border in the outer grid squares all along the edge of each piece, making the individual triskelions in each grid square alternate in pointing inward/outward from the center as shown in the diagram (left). Carve out the triskelions with the Dremel tool and a #105 1/32" small engraving cutter bit.

Mark each piece with a rune in the central 1" X 1/2" part of the grid. Carve out each rune with a #191 1/8" high speed cutter bit. This bit carves out a wide path so hold the center of the sperical part rather than the very end over the rune lines to keep the runes centered and avoid compressing them into too small a space (especially with runes like Mannaz and Dagaz).

Lightly sand the pieces with very fine sandpaper or use #000 steel wool to remove any rough edges left over from the carving steps. Steel wool is preferable and has the additional effect of exposing the grain of the oak, giving it an aged and worn appearance. Be careful not to overdo it since the carving is not very deep. Next remove all remaining pencil marks with an eraser.

Color the knotwork (lightly) and the triskelions (darkly) with artists charcoal. The charcoal particles will easily brush off of the smooth outer surfaces (brush very lightly with a finger) while the carved surfaces will tend to trap the charcoal. Because of this, extreme neatness in coloring is not a necessity. Color the runes with red jewelers rouge (iron oxide). It is available where you find buffing compounds and either the water soluble or regular kind will work. Cut off a piece (or sharpen an edge to a point) suitable for coloring the runes. If it is too brittle to shave off, break off a fragment with a hammer.

Finish the pieces with 2 coats of linseed oil. Apply the oil to one side with a rag, let dry, and then apply to the other side and let dry, repeating this process 2 times. Apply the first coat lightly and handle the runes carefully because the dry charcoal coloring will easily rub off from handling or excessive wiping with the oiled rag. Once the first coat is dry, apply the second coat more generously, being sure to wipe off any excess oil in order to avoid gummy residues. Follow all safety precautions for linseed oil to avoid spontaneous combustion of leftover oily rags. The finished pieces should appear as shown in the photo (right). Enjoy your runes!

© 1997 by Mike Mohilo.