[mwilleson]

I took a knife to the roughout I received from Goody and the eastern white pine is really interesting. It seems to have a lighter, more airy feel than basswood. Seemed to really take the knife well.

This is my first experience with it. For those of you that have carved eastern white pine, I'd like to hear your comments on it compared to basswood.

What are the pros and cons of this wood?

P.S. Goody, I sent you a pm yesterday.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Light and airy? lol, you might have gotten the piece of paulownia ha ha.........

[AlArchie]

Eastern White Pine is kind of a wierd duck.....it can be very easy to carve with straight, even, forgiving grain, or it can be quite temperamental, heavilly endowed with pitch pockets, shakes, extremely hard areas, and wild grain. I've had it both ways but never know exactly what it will do, either for you or to you.

Interestingly enough, the more wild the structure, the more interesting the appearance of the carving can be......if you can manage the quirks! Dark vs. light grain, swirls around knots, slick pitchy areas, and winding grain can prove very difficult to work with but produce some very interesting results.

Al

[Kenny_S]

White pine eh? The white pine we get around here is white and not much gain coloration. Less chiping also.
Sure been a learning experience with this one for sure. Just about got it done.

[ejjjohns]

White pine, yellow pine, Ponderosa pine, there all simuler, as far as I am concerned. Pine, is all I ever carve with. A lot of times it's hard to tell one from the other. All I really care about is the grain.

There is no comparability to basswood and pine. Well if one did compare, this is what it would be.

Basswood is to pine as clay is to sandstone.

ej

[decoycarve]

I buy my white pine in 5"x8" x14' timbers. Pines grow with branches pretty much evenly spaced apart in hieght. I measure 2 to 3 inches to both sides of the knott ring and cut the clear wood out in between. Yellow pine is not a carving wood as far as I am concerned. It is hard and very unpredictable. Too much pitch and sap in it even when its dry. I have some yellow pine from a 200 year old barn and it still has pitch pockets in it, Gums up my saws terrible. Made some pretty furniture out of it and the only thing I like about it is the smell it has when we are working with it out in the shop. Makes you start humming Christmas Carols.
Goody

[ejjjohns]

Your right about the yellow pine, in every description.
I carved a four and half foot Paddle fish, out of Ponderosa few years ago. I had to search several lumber yards before finding some select peaces that would work for that project.
As far as carving it. it is a little harder then the other pines but the grain is beautiful.

ej