wood to buy and begginner projects ?

[Arausio]

Well since i got my 12 chisel set i have yet to use then very well

Tried on a branch and split it sadly

sooo is their a good type of wood i buy from say home depot that would work just for a beginner

And also a small project you veterans would think be good for beginner like me

[jdbcarving]

Well don't know where you live, but, check out Woodcraft Stores, maybe one in your area. They handle wood for carving, along with book and video's. Plenty on this site to learn from. But now a good wood to start with. Try to get some Basswood. Check the internet, plenty of sites there if not local. Most home centers don't carry the right wood. Probably some clear pine would work. I have carved the "select Pine" with good results for santa's and some gnomes. That with knives mostly, carves okay.
Jim

[slyfox]

Lowes carries wood they call "whitewood". I've read on the forum that it is either spruce or aspen. Basswood is definitely better, but I've been using whitewood a lot for practice because it is cheap(1.5 inch x 1.5 inch x 8 foot pieces for less than $2) and cuts pretty easy like basswood(seems to tear a bit more tho). Not sure if home depot carries the same kind or if they'd use a different wood. Just try to get a piece that isn't too knotty and cut off practice pieces without knots.

[Claude]

A lot of us order wood from Heinecke Wood Products It's top quality basswood. Woodcraft and Rockler both sell basswood, but I think it's not as good as the Heinecke wood. A wood you can often find at Home Depot or Lowes is Poplar (yellow poplar, tulip poplar). It's harder than basswood, but if you have gouges and a mallet, it carves nicely. Good clear grain, holds detail well. Here's an example: 2 in. x 2 in. x 3 ft. Poplar Board - 809209 at The Home Depot

Another thought: look in the Yellow Pages for Millwork or Molding companies. Millwork is where they turn lumber into the fancy moldings, trim, etc. in your home. You may be able to buy some of their cut-offs or even get them free.

Claude

[Arausio]

Thanks for the reply everyone now last this was what is a good starter project something that will take time but wont be extremely hard

[Claude]

Just about anything that Gene or Arleen do in their carving videos. You can find them at
Gene Messer’s Carving Videos Jim’s Random Notes
Arleen (Carverswoodshop) Carving Videos Jim’s Random Notes

Claude

[One Thumb Carver]

I have both Basswood and Butternut and yes if you are close to a Woodcraft Store stop by or call. If you are using a locale Woodcraft instead of ordering through the online go through the store that way they will get credit if you order online they do not get credit

[Alfwok]

I recently started out too. I don't use chisels but the other day I had an epiphany. I had a thread awhile back about how frustrated I was starting out. Well it was the crappy wood I was using from Michaels craft store. I finally bought some big blocks from woodcraft and it's a whole different ball game. So if you're having problems and the carving isn't going easy it might be the wood. They say that the Heinecke is even better, though I haven't tried it yet. So I would recommend trying all kinds of wood until you find what works best.