green vs dry power vs hand tools

[woodchipandy]

sorry if this is redundant I've searched the posts and can't find exactly what I'm looking for

I have to be very budget orientated so I only have 6 palm sized hand tools and a borrowed dremel with 6 or 8 bits

I have carved bark so far, but would like to try my hand at walking sticks and other projects. I can't afford to buy wood, so I will carve what i can gather from the woods.

Do i carve green wood or cured. It sounds like cured wood would be to hard to do with hand tools, however i am more proficent with these. I have lots of maple, oak and black cherry here. Others to I just don't know how to Identify them.
If i carve green wood how do I ensure all that work isn't wasted by lots of cracking.
thank you for all the help this is a fantastic source of info
yours truly really new to carving

[Claude]

Carving green wood is definitely easier than dry, but the green wood may develop cracks as it drys. You can dry the sticks by putting them in a dry place and leaving them for several months. Cut them at least a foot longer than you'll want, so you can cut off the ends if any cracks (checks) develop. Dip each end of the stick in some melted paraffin to seal it before putting it aside to dry. Leave the bark on, and it'll dry more slowly, but less likely to crack. If the burrs you have for the Dremel are high speed steel, they won't work very well for any length of time on the hardwoods, in my opinion. I have some for my Dremel, but bought a few of the Kutzall structured carbide burrs (looks sorta like it's been dipped in sand...) The shape I use most is a flame shape, followed by a cylinder.

Here's a web site to help you identify the trees.
What Tree Is It? HOME

After you've identified it (hopefully), go here
Dendrology at Virginia Tech
click on the FactSheet pulldown and select ID FactSheet. Enter the common name of the tree you've identified, and this site will give you more detail.

Claude

[Agoodknife]

Hello woodchipandy, I carve a lot of "green" wood myself. I use some of the above mentioned steps by Claude,but "Pentacryl" is the magic stuff for me.
I provided a link below so you can read up on this and also see where to purchase. Hope this helps.

Pentacryl Wood Stabilizer - Woodcraft.com

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[woodchipandy]

thanks allen i'll give it a shot do you do full immersion or brush/spray it on

[woodchipandy]

claude i appreciate your advice and have read lots of your other posts. you truly are a wealth of info, and dedicated to helping others. on a side note my wife is from bluefield va, any where near you?

[Agoodknife]

Originally Posted by woodchipandy

thanks allen i'll give it a shot do you do full immersion or brush/spray it on

No problem. I mostly "paint" it on now,as you noticed they don't exactly give it away,lol. I turn my sticks upside down (assuming the face is carved on top)and I also like to have a scrap milk jug to set my stick in,that way I can reuse what drains down...by using this method I can stretch this stuff out.

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[Claude]

Allen has some good advice with Pentacryl. Another substance you can use is PEG
Here's a reference for you about it: http://owic.oregonstate.edu/pubs/peg.pdf
and here's a place to buy...
Amazon.com: Rockler Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) Green Wood Stabilizer: Home Improvement

As you'll note, this one isn't cheap either. The 10 pounder makes almost 4 gallons of the solution. One way to soak sticks in the stuff: a 3 inch PVC pipe 6 feet long with cap glued on one end will hold a total of a bit over 2 gallons (509 cubic inches), so after you put a stick in the pipe, it'll take less than that to fill to the top. A 4 inch PVC pipe 6 feet long (905 cubic inches) will hold about 4 gallons. If you need a larger pipe, figure the volume by multiplying
3.14 x the diameter in inches x the diameter in inches x the length in inches and then divide by 4. This will give you the volume in cubic inches. A gallon is about 231 cubic inches. If your stick is, say, 2 inch diameter and 5 feel long, it'll be be 188 cubic inches.
Claude

[CV3]

Hi woodchipandy,
The woods you have in your area are all good woods for carving. How ever they are hard woods and will be much different to carve than the bark you are now carving. I do not buy many woods for walking sticks. I find them in the woods, older limb and branches on the ground. Also trees that is dead. Finding great shapes is part of what I love about doing walking sticks. Also put out the word with your friends to let you know when they are trimming their tree or cutting one down. I keep a limb saw in my car, after storms you can fined a lot of stock. Cut sticks you are going to dry about 6 inches longer than you want it. Paint the ends. I tie bundles of 5 or 6 sticks together that helps keep them straight as they dry. I am in a very humid climate so I dry my sticks 4 to 8 months. Make it fun.

[woodchipandy]

great advice from all, thanks. I like the pvc pipe method. Have you ever tried to vaccum seal it in plastic. I marinate meat in this way and it doesn't take much marinade to do it. I have a large roll of plastic tubing, cut to fit, seal an end, and suck out the air. anyone think this will work?