Carving in oak?

[knotsofast]

I would like to start carving as a hobby, and also to enhance any small furniture items I might make. I am wondering how oak responds to relief carving. I plan to use my Dremel since my bum shoulder limits my use a little. Also, for individual relief carvings, is bass wood the best? Any recommended resources for woods?

[Donsexton]

Oak is my favorite in fact red oak is for any carving that I do it is the one predictable hard wood I can get here in the dirty south. I will tell you this oak does have an open grain or I should say the oak that we have down here does. This could obscure fine details but in my style of carving no problem, it is hard but with sharp tools and proper burrs it is no match. I can’t speak to basswood but most of the carvers seem to love it as a fine carving wood I only wish I could get logs of it.

[knotsofast]

Thanks for the reply! I'll probably get oak boards from one of the big-box stores since they're already surfaced. Maybe later on I can get some more machines and expand my selection of woods.

[Robson Valley]

Oak was and is used for all sorts of fancy interior trim in British buildings. Had a look just back in August, most impressed.

Some years ago (20? 30?) there was a major fire which did substantial damage to Buckingham Palace in London, England (Queen Elizabeth's home). National Geographic ran a very detailed account of the restoration & repair process. Much of the article dealt with the replication of carved oak trimmings. . . . there were some technical surprises as the craftsmen relearned how the original builders must have/had to carve the oak bits. Fresh, wet wood and shrink fit as they dried and so on. If I ever want to carve oak, that article will be the first one I try to find.

Don: all of the oak species in the "red oak" group are open porous, paste sealer is good before finishing. The white oak group have the pores naturally sealed (wine & whiskey barrels).
Planted as ornamentals, red oak does OK even at 54N.

[Donsexton]

Man I wish I could get walnut and maple and that pine that grows up north is great but I am stuck with what we have south of I-10

[Robson Valley]

If you wanted pine, I'd look towards the Adirondacks. You don't want pine from here. We have cubic miles of standing dead pine from the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic. Standing so long most of it is split. Not worth the chainsaw gas to cut it down for firewood, let alone haul it home.
Plus, the bugs carry a fungus which stains the wood a bluish gray color. While the Forest Products Lab people claim that the structural properties are good. . . . I say it cuts and carves funny, drills and glues up funny and finishes like dirt. Fresh and raw, it looks interesting but that;s as far as it goes.

[mobjack68]

Originally Posted by knotsofast

I would like to start carving as a hobby, and also to enhance any small furniture items I might make. I am wondering how oak responds to relief carving. I plan to use my Dremel since my bum shoulder limits my use a little. Also, for individual relief carvings, is bass wood the best? Any recommended resources for woods?

Hey Knot...Oak is a great wood for carving, as stated above...red oak slices especially nice, very predictable. Your dremel will do okay as long as you use light pressure and low speed.
Your profile does not indicate where you are located, there may be some local stuff that will suit your tools a little better. Oak is HARD and the red tends to split/splinter very easily under a chisel/knife. I use mallets and gouges and am very heavy handed when working oak.
I encourage everyone to try different woods, I do the same here....what doesn't work for me, might work very well for you...Good luck with your shoulder...my orthopedic has indicated a shoulder surgery in my future...
jerry

[mobjack68]

Originally Posted by Donsexton

Man I wish I could get walnut and maple and that pine that grows up north is great but I am stuck with what we have south of I-10

Not tryin' to hijack the thread....Don, have you tried cypress?? or gum??
If you really, really want to carve some walnut??? I have some sizeable chunks of juglans nigris...if you want to pay some shipping????
Doesn't willow and magnolia grow in your swamps there as well???

[Donsexton]

Originally Posted by mobjack68

Not tryin' to hijack the thread....Don, have you tried cypress?? or gum??
If you really, really want to carve some walnut??? I have some sizeable chunks of juglans nigris...if you want to pay some shipping????
Doesn't willow and magnolia grow in your swamps there as well???

Yes they do and I carve them but the few times I got a walnut log it was the best.

[chipmunk]

donsexton ,have u ever carved ash its a lot like walnut and i think that ash is far south im in va