[feb]

Try www.woodcarvers.com 1 -865-448-2259. I got some nice solft and light basswood from there. feb

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

I can't say I had the best grade, but the pine, cedar and aspen I have carved were not as good as good basswood just my opinion..

[AlArchie]

Charlotte, most of the wood I use, I harvest and cure myself, so I can't really comment much on the different suppliers. I use mostly aspen, because I like the way it holds detail a little better that basswood. That's probably because it's a bit more dense and maybe even a little harder. By the way, "dense" and "hard" don't necessarily compute as equal. I've found that there are variations in hardness in most any wood I've harvested even though it is from the same tree. There will be some parts that are harder than others. Don't quite know how to predict what factors govern those differences, but suffice it to say, you are apt to find differences in hardness no matter where you get your wood from. What you can be assured of from reliable dealers, is wood that is not punky.

Al

[Just Carving]

Dave,

I just finished Goody's Santa. It was definitely a great piece of white pine. I had just about written pine off for carving until I carved that piece. So, last weekend, I cut a piece of pine board for laminating. It varied from clear white for most of the board to a big knothole at the other. I cut the parts that were suitable for carving into the size boards I needed, shelved what I can use for scraps for clamping, shims, etc., and threw the knothole in the waste bucket. We'll see what happens when I carve the blocks.

Last winter, I got my hands on a few pallets made of aspen. Some of the pieces were garbage; others carved better than the best northern basswood that I've gotten. I've carved basswood from the south and the north--sometimes one is as good or as bad as the other. Cedar is cedar--it's fun to carve for a change--but it too can vary from great at one end to horrible at the other. I've bought aspen and poplar from Lowes, HD, the local lumberyard, etc. Any of the wood which I pick can vary from great to horrible, even within a single 8 foot piece. I look for the interesting sections, grain, color, etc., in a board that I think will be good for carving--and hopefully, carveable.

I'm convinced that no wood is consistent even if it is northern basswood. A lot depends on who's doing the cutting, what part of the tree the wood is cut from, and who's doing the selling--and obviously, if you're selecting the wood, you know what to look for. I also believe that reputable dealers of good carving wood will make good on what they sell. I have read the Dale has done that for his customers. That's probably the biggest difference in any wood we buy for carving.

For me, to try out the different woods is a fun experience in itself--especially if one turns out to be a great piece of wood to carve.

[dart]

I have talked to some seasoned wood carvers about this. Many say that it depends on the area where the wood was grown and also how old it is and how long it has been sitting on the pile drying. I have a large piece of 4'x6" basswood that is very heavy and hard as granite. I'll probably have to use a power tool on it? I like to use pine. Tho it is unpredictable also.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Charlotte
Ahhhh....the constant quest for the perfect piece of wood. I carved Basswood from Arkansas for years before someone handed me a piece from up north. Like many others I use wood from Heineke now but even though it's of high quality the hard board shows up about half the time. I personally like a harder piece for doing heads as while the initial carving is a chore doing the detail seems to be a lot crisper because the wood is stronger. The alchol mix works in these instances.

Like humans, every tree has it's own personality and quirks. Even the real good ones can let you down sometimes and occasionally a real bad chuck can turn out to be just the right piece for the figure you're working on.

I've hurled a quite a few hard pieces across the shop followed by a few choice words on many an occasion. But, I always seem to settle down and walk over and pick them up and continue the job.

Hang in there.....it only gets better!!!

[santagibbs]

Sorry I have't gotten back to you until now. I had to go to the big city of Wal Mart and truge from one end to the other, sense they can't put their pharmacy near the food..lol I was trying out my new back after the shot.. It has really helped the pain..

Bob, I do use gouges a lot .. I just got my new dockyard three mm today and a 1mm from flexcut.. I have nine flexcut gouges and they are great . This was a small raccoon that I was trying to carve and didn't have a pattern so I was trying to eyeball it and it being hard and trying to hold it just got to frustrating to me.. but don't tell Hi Ho, I forgot about the alcohol spray so the trash man took it today.. I guess I should have dug it out and sprayed it... O.k. Duhhhhh is why I didn't ... Curtis used red cedar some , he had a good soft wood called butternut but I don't know where to locate it.. I know it is pretty expensive but real nice.. Not knowing I was going to carve after he passed away.. I think I gave a big block of butternut away.. How dumb can one get..He also used tupelo that is grown down here in the south.. A little harder than basswood.. If only there was a carving club in this area.. that would be so great to learn so much .. Thanks for your suggestions on the gouges and other woods.. Charlotte

[Just Carving]

I think Dale Heinecke sells butternut. Give him a call. I believe I got a couple of pieces a while back. I haven't carved it yet, but now that you reminded me, I have to dig it out and get something going.

[santagibbs]

Thanks for telling me who has butternut.. Maybe I should use it for small things until I can learn more about carving.. Lynn, this has been an eye opener about wood . I am glad that I asked the question as now I know there is no perfect wood.. When I cleaned up the barn after Big Un passed away.. there was basswood pieces everywhere and I thought , Oh, goody, I will now have a good supply of basswood, not knowing that it was hard wood that he had cut off.. So I have a stack of nice hard wood in my carport room..lol ... o.k.... I will start again. Only after all this good advice, I will use a couple of company's that have been well recomended and not expect to have all great wood.. I appreciate the different selections of wood that you can use and maybe way down here on the swamp.. Lowe's will have a few of them..like white pine etc.. I did get a picece of 4x6x12 yesterday from Woodcraft and hope it will be good or partly good...lol Then I will call some of the places mentioned.. Thanks so much for the great lessions that you have given me and this old " older than dirt lady will start again.. Charlotte

[Mark N. Akers]

Charlotte:
By all means I recommend Heinecke Woods,some of the best I have ever carved.