Question about Pine

[GWhite]

I am trying to find some inexpensive wood to work with while I learn how to relief carve. I was thinking about pine. Does anyone know what kind of pine boards are sold at those big box home improvement stores or general lumber yards?

Thanks in advance.

GWhite

[BobD]

Gwhite,
It kinda depends on how big you are carving...I've seen some awsome carvings in pine--from glued together 2x4s. You should be able to find some clear, knot free pine in the big stores...just look a little bit! That's a place to start!

When working pine, just keep in mind that the grain is very open...and it will rip out easily. I've chip carved a few quilt racks, and only had one spot that was hard to carve!

Bob

[GWhite]

Bob,

If I do decide to try some pine, then, would I be better off power carving it?

Since I haven't done hardly any relief carving I was thinking about starting with some inch thick board. I think most of the patterns I have are for approx 8" x 10" x 1" thick or so. I want to start out with a couple of line carvings and than simple reliefs and move up from there. $5 or so per piece of basswood could turn in to a pretty good amount of money as fast as I'll go through a number of simple ones. Know what I mean? What I was hoping was that I might be able to go to a 'big box' and by two or three 1" x 10"'s or 1" x 12"'s that are ten or twelve feet long and get a good pile of blanks to work with.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks

GWhite

[Just Carving]

I have bought Pine at both Home Depot and Lowe's. The stores will vary from one HD to the next--and the same for Lowes. If you are looking for some cheap wood to practice on, it's okay. When you buy, look for wood with as few knots as possible. I'll take a board with the knots if I find something with a section big enough for what I want and with an interesting color and/or pattern. Look for pieces which will be easy for you to work with, i.e grain-wise. I have bought laminated boards--pieces glued up width-wise. They're good for practice or small pieces that you can cut out of the boards within the seams. Lowe's has 1" and 2" thick laminated and 1" plain boards. Home Depot has all 1"--I didn't see anything thicker than that. Shop around at the lumber yards--you never know, you could make a contact that'll pay for itself in the long run--and you might get a better board for a cheaper price than Lowes or HD.

Bob

[BobD]

When I was doing a lot of breaking boards (with my fist) in my martial arts training, I hooked up with a local contractor to get his cut offs. I got stacks of 1 x 12 chunks that were too short for what he wanted (usually about 12" long) but great for breaking. That's another option!

Pine fuzzes up very badly when power carved. If you have a sharp knife, you will do fine...just be careful!

Bob

[GWhite]

If I am going to get some wood at a local big box or lumberyard what about a couple of the other woods they may have on hand? What do you think about Aspen or Poplar? They are a little more expensive but still not as expensive as buying individual peices of basswood.

Thanks

GWhite

[Mitchell]

GW, I have not carved Aspen, but Poplar would be good with power tools and fair-good with hand tools. My concern with pine would be getting around the grain. It just depends on how much detail you want. If you are just practicing, you really might get lucky to find some "seconds" of basswood. These would be pieces with knots and/or off-colored streaks. It's just a thought.

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

Most pine that I have bought at the home centers has been a bit difficult to relief carve because of all things it's too soft and tends to tear when cutting cross grain. Carves nicely in the round with a knife though. The aspen and poplar are a wee bit hard, but think they would be a better choice. They also are easier to get knot free and have much more consistent grain.

If you do as Bob suggests and scount out a housing contractor, you could be in clover for pine though, and the price would certainly be right. Mine has dried up, so need to scout out another one. Contractors cut offs are very useful for lots of things and the ones that aren't make good firewood. They are usually very happy to let you have them because, at least around here, they have to pay somebody to clean up the site when they are done.

[Hugh]

Hey did you notice that Bob breaks boards with his hands. Best to give this man a little room . I power carve pine, and if I carve with the grain, much the same as you would with a chisel, it usually carves not too bad. The big problem for me power carving pine, comes with the pitch gumming up my good bits. Cedar is my choice for cheap carving wood. It needs to be well seasoned , but it carves to a fine edge and holds detail.

[squbrigg]

I've used Pine in relief carvings but not happy with it.....too shinny and doesn't give me the idea/illusion of depth I'm trying to get. I've had much better results from Walnut, Butternut and Mahogany and even Basswood.....though they are more expensive for sure. Hard to find wide Mahogany now. If practice is all you are using it for, it should be okay, White Pine would be better than Red Pine for that, but then even an end of Spruce or Fir will do for practice.

Bob