Bad basswood ?

[jeep4x4greg]

I read an other post on here somewhere that not all basswood is created equal.

I think i have some of the non-equal basswood purchased from woodcraft....seems very crumbley.....I tried to make a 1/8" border on a small cross i was working on....and it would just flake off along the grain.

i'm new....so help me out....is this normal for basswood? or is this bad basswood.....

or is it maybe something in my technique thats lacking? I cut along the edge before trying to remove material from the inside.

any way to avoid this?

[Eddy-Smiles]

Jeep...

There's no way to tell from your profile where you are from but I can tell you from my experience that some basswood purchased from Woodcraft is not always the same quality as you'll get from the likes of Heinecke Wood Products or Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers. You probably got yourself some Southern Basswood. In all likelyhood it was not northern basswood or at least I've yet to see my Woodcraft carry any clear white basswood. How to avoid it??? Order it from one of the sources mentioned.They guarantee their products.

[jeep4x4greg]

is there any way to tell...grain or color or something?

i got a piece of what I think is basswood that came with my 11pc flexcut set....and that carves differently
than what i bought from the store.

[Iowa Carver]

Just order some basswood from Heinikee and you will be glad you did. It's the best you will find, hands down.

corey

[CarverFromNoWhere]

The piece that came with your Flexcut was either good Basswood or Poplar, What you want is Minnesota or Wisconsin Basswood. The trees have a harder time growing up here making tighter growth rings, the best stuff is air dried, the kiln dried will be a bit harder.

You cannot go wrong with Heinikee.
Carl

[AlArchie]

"Basswood" isn't necessarilly basswood. There are three native species; American Basswood (tilia americana) Carolina Basswood (tilia caroliniana), and White Basswood (tilia heterophyla). The "northern basswood" is the American Basswood and it grows into Canada along the north American border from Minnesota to Maine and down as far south' pretty well following the Mississippi River into Missouri.

Carolina Basswood is native to the gulf coast area and up along the coastal areas of the Virginias.

White Basswood grows in a swath covering parts of the Florida panhandle, Georgia, Alabama and then up the Appalacians into Pennsylvania.

Then there is the introduced European Linden, which has been pretty well established throughout the easten half of the country.

All of these are in the same genus (tilia) but each species has it's own natural area of growth, with some overlap.

The may be some advantage to the more northerly grown American Basswood, or it may be that this particular species is just a superior wood for carving.

This may be a good area for WCI mag to do some valid comparisons to find the actual differences among the four species. Also some valid comparisons of air vs. kiln dried, as there have been several discussions of the qualites of both and so far it doesn't seem to have a consensus as to which is best. I have no particular preference at this point so will make no comment on that.

Some definitive tests such as those Rc hardness tests could be done with good equipment using say 1/4" balls, 1/2" balls and again with a tested sharp blade. Then a hands on assessment of carving characteristics.

Maybe even a continuing column on species characteristics including an assessment of each from a recognized wood productcs evaluator such as the USFS Wood Lab, or the Forestry Department of Michigan Tech, or one of the other universities that studies this material, along with a personal evaluation from a staff member.

How about it Admin?

Al

[Eddy-Smiles]

Jeep...

To simplfy the answer....

1. Order from SMWC or Heinecke Wood Products as everyone has suggested

and.....

2. Stay away from any basswood that's grayish in color with a noticable grain unless you're up to a challenge. A hint might be that one side or another may still be rough cut. Most of the northern wood supplier's that I'm familiar provide a planned finish to their product on all four sides. In my experience Woodcraft products generally do not.

(However, there are those of us that do carve southern basswood so as you gain experience don't totally discount it.)

[big dave]

some basswood has a yellowish tint to it, leave that alone and find some that is white and light in weight and you will be fine

[pallin]

I have had good experience with Woodcraft basswood. It comes planed on all four sides and is precise enough to glue up larger blanks with little preparation. It holds together in fairly delicate shapes.

[Ed Redwine]

Many years ago, as a fledging carver, I bought a large Basswood board while visiting a Missouri sawmill. I was estactic thinking I had really made coup! When I got home and cut it into managable pieces, I found it was not the same as Northern Basswood. It was grainy, had hard and soft spots and did not carve well. It did, however, make decent bases. I will order from Heinecke evertime now. Lesson learned.
Ed