QUESTION FOR COLLIN P

UNCLE_RICK · #1 03-17-2004, 05:57 PM

Have you ever used pine for one of your spirits? I have alot of big pine logs I can get for free, 1-2' diam 10-20' long. I guess it's southern white pine as I'm in Texarkana, TX and the trees are huge with long needles. Really hate to see them all burned as they are clearing some land around the corner from me and that is what they usually do. I like your wood spirits alot and I do small ones myself. Thanks for any insight you can give me on this.
Rick

Colin_Partridge · #2 03-17-2004, 06:35 PM

Rick,
I do quite a few spirits in pine mostly white pine and it carves beautiful. I have also done some in Jack Pine it also carves very well except it is full of pine tar. It some times takes a long time for the sap to get out of the wood. I carved a 100 year old barn beam about a foot square when I got into the heart wood the sap was still moist believe it or not. Yes pine is great to carve and the bark is quite easy to take off if you use a spud. Now I assume you know what a spud is, the old loggers used them to skin the logs. It looks like a really big wood chisel and is quite heavy. Hope this has helped good luck with the carvings be sure to let us see the final result.
Colin

UNCLE_RICK · #3 03-18-2004, 10:38 PM

Colin,
thanks for the info, and yes I know 'spud' he's in the shed next to the axe. Also have a couple of old draw knives. How bad will the pine split as it dries? Will hollowing out the back help? These trees have been down about a month and I need to get them off the ground and on some pallets soon. Will post pics asap. you've been a great help, glad I found this forum can't find a carving club in my area.
Rick

#4 03-19-2004, 10:23 AM

Rick,
The pine will split pretty bad as it drys out but it will probably take a few years before it does. Pine checks worse than cedar. I agree with getting it up off of the ground but also getting the bark off it will stop the grubs from laying their eggs inside the bark. That is whats great about cedar you will never find bugs in cedar because the smell we love in cedar is deadly to insects for some reason. So get the bark off of the pine as soon as possible
Colin