what a great tool this is!

[special ed]

good day everyone,
i am a brand new participant and a soon to be newbee at this incredible art form of wood carving. i can't remember when i've been so excited to try something new. i was referred to the forum by one of the editors of fox chapel pubications and THANK YOU SO MUCH for that!! i have been reading some of the questions posted and the replies to the postings. i would just like to say that i have learned more from all of you all in just a couple of days than i could have in years without this forum and the net. THANK YOU all for sharing your knowledge and expertise so willingly!!
i now have the basic knowledge of the tools that one needs to start and a great supplier of those tools.....littleshavers.com. great web site with great info also.
one question i have not seen addressed is that of wood sizes available. i have found that most sites on the net only list up to 4 X ? X ? basswood blocks. i did find a few places where the size i am interested in are available ( 4" X 6" X 16" ) but have yet to see any sizes bigger than 4" wide. is that due to how big the trees can grow limits the size of the blocks? can carving be done with blocks that are glued together to make bigger blocks??

thanks again for all your help!
happy thanksgiving to all

[kaiserb]

You can buy basswood in much larger blocks. Generally speaking basswood over 16/4 (4") thick is expensive.

info on Basswood: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basswood

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Try Don Wedll, he can get any size you want...tell him Dave Dunlap sent you..... http://members.tripod.com/~woodsource/index.html

[wade clark]

Ed,
Welcome!
The thickness being sold probably has to do with kiln drying. It's harder to dry a thick piece of wood.
Lots of carvers glue up blocks of wood to form the basic shape/size of the carving they want to do. Basswood glues up nearly seamlessly compared to lots of other woods.
You can also carve green wood. It has its' own problems, all related to drying and cracking. If you start with less than 1/2 the thickness of the log round, and keep it moist while you carve, so it doesn't dry too fast and crack, then either seal it or keep it wrapped in a re-moistened towel long enough it may not crack. Green oak and harder woods are much softer when green, so it's easier to carve than when dry. One of the best professional carvers I know would never think of carving green wood, because of its' unpredictability. I prefer carving green, but as I get better I may change my mind!
Wade

[special ed]

thanks folks.... this is excellent to be able to tap info and experience