other materials

[oneshotveth]

New guy here. Not to sound like a wimp, but basswood is a little tough for me (bad wrists) is there any other material that I could try?

I tried a bar of ivory soap, but it kind of fell apart.

Any ideas?

Brian

[Bob K.]

You might try white pine or sugar pine if you can find it. They might be a little softer but they don't hold detail nearly as well as basswood. Also try tupelo. That holds detail pretty well and might be a little softer for you.

[DiamondWillow]

Jelutong also carves very easy

Gene

[mpounders]

You might search around for info, but how about sweet potatoes or pumpkins?

[Dicky]

You could also make sure your tools are razor sharp and take very small cuts. Misting your wood with an alcohol/water mix softens it a bit as well.

[Donsexton]

Is it the blocking out or the detail that is hurting? If its the blocking out, you could buy blanks that are already blocked. If its detail then try power the little micro motors do great.

[Eddy-Smiles]

Brian... My wife has Rheumatoid Arthritis and finds it very dificult to weild a knife so I can sympathize with your problem. I'd second Don's suggestion and try power. If you're not sure about spending a good deal of money right out of the starting gate you could get yourself a Dremel unit with flex-shat attachment. Then if that worked, you could invest in something a little more to your liking. I bought a Dremel with an flex-shaft a number of years ago and have yet to graduate but then most of my carving is with knives.

[jmischel]

You can make some really neat carvings from sweet potatoes. Tom Wolfe's book on the subject is excellent: Amazon.com: The Yam Yankee: & Other Veggie Carving Projects (Schiffer Book for Carvers) (9780764305009): Tom Wolfe, Douglas Congdon-Martin: Books

I've also seen carved apples and pears. Perhaps other fruits, too.

I'll second Dicky's suggestion to make sure that your tools are very sharp, and to make small cuts.

[breezly]

Welcome to the forum You could try cottonwood bark it's softer .

[mobjack68]

Where, in the great 48, are you located???