2X4 carving sequel

[Inadv]

Rob,

I've got a few small pieces with that gray discoloration you speak of., and in fact part of the "wave" that the dolphin's head is sitting on had some of it. Spalt for sure, and it doesn't carve with hand tools very well, but the sanding drums work it down quite well. I don't know if any of the wood sold here comes from Canada, but it seems unlikely with all of the timber that gets cut locally, and the vast majority of that is white pine. I always take a tape measure with me when I buy lumber, and most of what is called "2X4X8 stud" do measure the full 96". There are always a few "shorties" along with the ones that are so crooked you can spot them from a long ways off. I'll go through a stack of wood all the way to the bottom to find what suits me, and if I don't find it then I wait a week and try again. I don't mind paying a little more for decent wood, but I refuse to buy wood that is no good but for kindling.

[Nomad]

You are a brave man carving that stuff. It came out very nice!

[Robson Valley]

The very darkest news that I can give you is that the Mountain Pine Beetle has made it over the Rocky Mountains and into the interior of North America. From killing some 90% of our lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)in British Columbia, the bugs are thriving in Jack Pine (P. banksiana), E of the Rockies. What with your Eastern white pine (P. strobus) and Western white pine (P. monticola), you good folks are next.

[Inadv]

Terry: Brave? More like just not very smart... LOL. There were a few times that the 'ole carving glove saved me from a trip to the ER while using the hand tools on that stuff. You watch the grain go this way then that way till you get dizzy. First it is way soft where it should be too hard, and then it is way hard when it should be too soft. The sliver you try to take out becomes a huge chunk, and then the huge chunk you tried to take out is only a sliver. One minute you need a 9 # sledge hammer and the next minute the wood jumps off when you just look at it. All that said, I kinda like carving the stuff. Makes the basswood projects seem almost too easy.
Rob: I'm sure you are right about the beetle reaching us in the near future. We already have one beetle that is a plague to the pines, and an aphid that is likely going to destroy all of the hemlocks in another generation or two. Sad thoughts for an old bonsai keeper.

L.P.

[Ron T]

Hi L.P., great job on this second project. I like the habitat and think it turned out very well.

Looking forward to your future projects.