softening hard wood to carve relief

#1 10-18-2002, 09:26 AM

I am carving in shallow relief in poplar. Â*I have completed one side of the project, but this side is hard as a rock...probably kiln dried wood. Â*My tools are sharp, but this one is just dragging. Â*I've heard that using oil on the surface of the wood can soften it. Â*Would lemon oil work? I'm getting desperate and may abandon this piece to start over soon. Â* ??? Â*Any suggestions? Â*

AlArchie · #2 10-18-2002, 09:54 AM

I haven't trid this, but carving friends tell me that a mixture of alcohol and water spritzed on the surface will make carvng easier, and doesn't permanently discolor the wood.

Al

#3 10-18-2002, 10:55 AM

MIx a spray bottle with halve alcohol halve water and spray on.It works pretty good.

Thor · #4 10-18-2002, 11:10 AM

Thanks for the quick responses. Â*I'm anxious to try them out.
I'll let you know if they have good results.

#5 10-18-2002, 04:22 PM

If you can stand the smell wd-40 works also ... evaporates after awhile leaving no trace ... takes a couple days though

#6 10-19-2002, 11:42 AM

Be careful when using the alcohol and water solution on walking sticks :-/
I had a hard wood (not sure what kind, maybe maple) twisty stick that had been around for a very long time before I tried carving it. Someone told me about the alcohol solution and I tried it on that stick, but the stick started checking and splitting the next day :'(
I think it was probably because I was working on the very top of the stick on the end grain and I may have soaked it too much. I was using a spray bottle and guessing how much to spray.
My theory.....for what it's worth...lol... is that you shouldnt spray liquid on the dry end grain of an old stick.

Donna

jimb · #7 10-19-2002, 09:46 PM

I wish that I had tried the alcohol and water spritz on the carving I was doing today; maybe I would have prevented destroying the 12/20 V tool I was using. I am doing rough-out on a carving in Butternut that has been drying for about 18 months. It sure has got good and dry(and hard). The alcohol and water does help as you are carving if you are not trying to remove too much at one time. The mixture softens the surface pores of the wood well, and makes the wood easier to carve. I have never tried wetting real heavy, so I wouldn't know what the results might be. The fast evaporation of the alcohol will be quite differant from natural drying, I would think???

I guess I have shortened up my V tool by about 3/8', but the good metal Pheil uses should be hardened back much farther than that. That is a first for me; maybe the bevel was too long for the hard wood??

Jimb

jimb · #8 10-19-2002, 09:48 PM

I wish that I had tried the alcohol and water spritz on the carving I was doing today; maybe I would have prevented destroying the 12/20 V tool I was using. I am doing rough-out on a carving in Butternut that has been drying for about 18 months. It sure has got good and dry(and hard). The alcohol and water does help as you are carving if you are not trying to remove too much at one time. The mixture softens the surface pores of the wood well, and makes the wood easier to carve. I have never tried wetting real heavy, so I wouldn't know what the results might be. The fast evaporation of the alcohol will be quite differant from natural drying, I would think???

I guess I have shortened up my V tool by about 3/8', but the good metal Pheil uses should be hardened back much farther than that. That is a first for me; maybe the bevel was too long for the hard wood??

Jimb

#9 10-20-2002, 01:33 AM

jimb,

first of all I do think the pfiel should be good all the way to the handle. Second: 3/8 inch?!!... wow carving could get expensive for you. If you can truly attribute that much sharpening to the wood you are carving, then you should look into grinding your tools a bit steeper. third: if you are roughing out with a #12 consider a #9 to get rid of the extra wood. Best of Luck,

Dave

jimb · #10 10-20-2002, 07:50 AM

Dave,
Thanks for the input.

I have had these carving tools since 95, and this was the first time one has broken on me. I think you are right about the degree on the bevel. It was more suitable for carving in softer wood. The big problem with changing pitch on the tools is that I never know what I will be carving from one time to the next, and to be right all the time I would need a couple sets of tools. I was lucky to get the first set, if you know what I mean.

I am working on a large piece of butternut that I have used everything from a bandsaw to the Lancelot carving discs. I thought I was at a point that I could safely start seperating masses of wood, but apparently it was a bad guess, Huh?

If I ever get it done, I'll put a photo on the new site if it is still there--LOL.

thanks,

Jim

Wood is Wonderful