When is Basswood considered too old to carve?

[pamopfl]

I read in this forum where someone had some 7 month old basswood. They thought it was hard to carve. I'm new to carving and I don't want to buy too much wood before I'm ready for it. How old is old really?
Thanks!

[Thomp]

basswood can take years to dry out enough to safely carve so it wont crack,

but i would think after it to a got stable condition, and not allowed to get wet or left stored in the sun, that you could carve it if it was a hundred years old,

i have had bad basswood before, but that was due to where it was grown, southern basswood is the worst for pithy fuzzy problems and most experienced carvers avoid it

but how would you know how old the basswood stock you buy happened to be from the time you bought it or from the time it was growing, unless you bought it right from the guy that cut the tree,

sometimes we wonder about things we shouldn't be too concerned with while were carving just to keep our minds busy,

i would carve a little place on the wood and see how it preforms, and then consider it good or bad no matter how long i owned it..

other woods may be different like briar root, ebony and eifle which can get rock hard in time with age and only be handled with machenery

thats my story and im sticking to it

others may know of different cases.. but i heard the general rule was northern basswood is the only basswood thats worth carving without problems of the southern basswoods

[Lynn O. Doughty]

If you have some old northern Basswood that you think is too hard to whittle you can send it down here to me. I store mine outside undercover with stickers seperating the pieces so the air can circulate freely. I've got a couple 4"X8"x8' lengths that have been out there for over 15 years and they're just as soft and mellow as the day I stacked them. I paid $1.35 a board foot for them. You'll never see it that cheap again!

[pallin]

I would agree with Thomp that, unless the wood has been exposed to weather, heat, or other destructive forces, it should be good forever. The basswood I used for Boy Scout neckerchief slides forty years ago had been the core wood of veneered cabinet doors. The doors were very old when I started using them for carving stock. I would not hesitate to carve or whittle the same wood today.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

not a problem, if it gets a bit tough or too dry, mist it with some rubbing alcohol.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Watch out Dave.....We don't want to get back on that alcohol subject again!!!

[Kenny_S]

Lynn, Me think Dave is always using alcohol. Just kidding or maybe not.LOL

I agree though, I have several blocks of basswood in the shed and has been there at least 15 years also.

[BobD]

It takes a long time for quality wood to get too hard to carve. We've got some chestnut pillars in our office building that are original to the building (more than 100 years old).

Chestnut isn't too bad to carve normally, but we had someone in to carve a face into one of the pillars, and even with power tools, it took the person all day to carve a small face...and it smelled like burning hair.

But that's after 100 years of supporting a building.

I've salvaged some true mahogany from an old bar, and carved it. That was about 100 years old as well, and it carved well...it wasn't under constant stress.

Bottom line...if your have quality wood, the wood is stored properly, and you use it in your lifetime, you should be fine!

Bob Duncan
Technical Editor

[Merle Rice]

About a year ago I got some limbs from a big White Pine tree in my back yard that was dead. I tried to carve it and it would crumble because it was som dry. I tried wrapping it in wet towels, sprayed it with alchol and water. It became spongy, maybe to moist? The only reason I tried to save them is , they are nice pieces, looked good, and didn't want to burn them. I ended up coating them with BLO and put them in a corner and forgot about them. I got them out yesterday, sanded them, and today started to carve a Woodspirit. It carves like Basswood and doesn't crumble and enjoyable to carve. It isn't finished yet but will post it when finished, that's if it turns out decent. lol. Another use for blo,it works for me. Merle

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by Thomp

basswood can take years to dry out enough to safely carve so it wont crack,

but i would think after it to a got stable condition, and not allowed to get wet or left stored in the sun, that you could carve it if it was a hundred years old,

i have had bad basswood before, but that was due to where it was grown, southern basswood is the worst for pithy fuzzy problems and most experienced carvers avoid it

but how would you know how old the basswood stock you buy happened to be from the time you bought it or from the time it was growing, unless you bought it right from the guy that cut the tree,

sometimes we wonder about things we shouldn't be too concerned with while were carving just to keep our minds busy,

i would carve a little place on the wood and see how it preforms, and then consider it good or bad no matter how long i owned it..

other woods may be different like briar root, ebony and eifle which can get rock hard in time with age and only be handled with machenery

thats my story and im sticking to it

others may know of different cases.. but i heard the general rule was northern basswood is the only basswood thats worth carving without problems of the southern basswoods

Are we trying to start another bass war between the north and south. Star Wars Star Wars LOL