[wade clark]

Alfredo,
Welcome!
I'm in N. Florida. We have the best carving wood supply imaginable here in Florida! Every storm knocks out hundreds of trees of every kind. They all carve!
Call tree services in your area and they may give you any kind they have, or sell it to you very cheap. Get several pieces. Carve some green, let the rest dry a while. The green woods will be prone to cracking, but you can fight that lots of ways.
What do you like to carve, or want to carve?
I personally won't carve salt water drift wood, because the sand and salt will extremely dull your tools, and sharpening is a learning process that isn't my favorite part of carving...still learning but it's fun when I get it right!
You'll find a lot of help and helpful people on this forum!
Wade
p.s. Most of us have asked stupider questions on here at some time, or even worse, thought them and didn't ask!

[Amalgam]

NOW THIS IS A FORUM!!! I Thank all of you. This is the first forum I have been to, that one simple question gets so many answers in one day. I already have learned a lot.

WADE: I have a tree service close to my house; I am going to pay a visit. To answer to your question about what do I like to carve, I do metal sculptures, and I love the combination of metal and wood in sculpture. So basically I am more interested in the whimsical forms that driftwood offer. Some pieces of wood with just a small carved modification offers a very good idea for a mixed media sculpture. However, I saw in DIY Network a guy named Vic Hood and I got interested in wood carving so I am going to give it a try also. I am going to practice with some basswood that I can find at my local Michael's. And I agree, if there is something that keeps me form geting to hard into carving is the sharpening part.

[wade clark]

Alfredo,
I like Michaels, but their basswood prices are outrageous! Do a search here for basswood for sale and you should find bigger blocks for practically nothing compared to Michaels. Also people sell it on ebay a lot. Mr. Yooper, on this forum sells it too.
Tupelo's another great Southern carving wood.
Where are you located? If you don't mind a drive to the panhandle, there's a Company called Big River Cypress that has lots of great woods, kiln dried, including Tupelo, Cedar, Cherry, Oaks and Cypress. I have a block of Banyon tree and some Magnolia blown down during 2004's huricane season.
If your tree service neighbor will work with you you'll be in great shape! They often have to pay to dispose of it in landfills, so they'd rather make a little and drop it at your place.
Have you considered chainsaw carving, or you set on power or hand tools? sounds like it'll be a natural with your metal sculptures!
Wade