Alder

[Doug Ridley]

I was recently given a couple of Alder branches which I am carving now. This stuff carves like butter! My question is does all of it carve this easily and if so why don't the suppliers sell it for carving wood like they do basswood? Granted these are only a pair of branches I'm making into walking staffs but if the main part of the tree carves like this I think I would prefer it over Basswood. Anyone have experience with it for anything besides staffs? Inquiring minds want to know.

[whitecree]

Alder grows like weeds where I live. Good for spoons and bowls. The wood doesn't absorb odours or taste, so it is good for actually using at the dinner table.

I've used larger chunks of alder for masks as well. It generally has an interesting grain, and yes, when green, it carves very easily. Once seasoned, it is another story.

Structurally, it is not very strong. The ring structure tends to be rather coarse since it is a fast growing tree. You can make a temporary shed out of alder logs, but it won't last more than a year or two. It rots rather quickly when in contact with the ground, and when put under any kind of strain, it tends to snap.

[Alice in Wonderland]

Yes Alder is a beautiful wood especially if you want to finish it natural which I have done mostly , and it does not matter how old or big the wood is, it carves well.
I hope this helps
Alice

[Doug Ridley]

Where can I get a good size chunk of it?

[Tucson Bill]

I remember when I was a kid (a LOONG time ago) growing up in Western Washington, alder was considered junk wood.

We used it in our furnace for firewood. Dad had this big circular saw gadget. He would go down to the 'back forty' cut down an alder tree and drag it back with the tractor and then cut into the proper length sections. It was my job to split the chunks into firewood.

The other use we had for alder involved the huge piles of sawdust that would accumulate under his saw. He built a smoker out of an old icebox (not refrigerator) and we used it to smoke fresh salmon and trout. I still use alder wood chunks today when I smoke salmon.

After I got out of the service, I was shocked to see that people were making furniture out of the damned stuff.

Last fall I went to the Northwest Woodcarvers show In Puyallup, WA and took a seminar on carving Native American relief carvings. We did a piece called Raven Moon on a chunk of alder, off all things. Imagine my shock at that!!

Knowing what I know now...Oh well!!