[michael]

Well i just went out and bought some cherry still ?green? now i want to start carving so should i strip off the bark?

[squbrigg]

Wet Cherry will crack/check as it drys, so you can be aware of that. Wet wood is softer to carve, than dry, but carving it wet is up to you. Just expect cracks in your piece as it drys. Also depends on what you want to carve?

If you want to dry the wood, I'd peel the bark off, seal the ends with wax or sealer, or whiteglue or even paint, and set it aside for a while. A while is about 1 year per inch of thickness. Don't lay it on cement or the ground, but leave it on a shelf or rack so air can circulate around it.

Bob

[Just Carving]

Hello Michael

Got any old cans of spray paint laying around? Spray the ends and fuhgedaboudem!

I trim my cherry trees just about every year. Some branches are dead and/or spalting and got a head start on drying. Others are green and wet. Either case, I spray the stub on the tree, and now, the ends of the 1"-3" diameter branches that I keep and cut to length--2'-3' long--for ease of storage. So far, it's working for me.

I've been spraying the stubs for the last 20 or so years, and the trees keep on living. It just clicked last month that I should do the same thing with the branches I cut and save for carving! DUHHH! Slow learner!!! LOL

[michael]

will the cracks be huge or just small cracks. And if I finish the piece then add wax will it stop further cracking. One more thing, my local supplier said that olive is a good wood to carve with what do you guys reckon?

[Claude]

Olive is heavy, dense, and hard, but absolutely gorgeous when finished. I have carved several cooking spoons out of olive for family and it's great to use when it's done. My favorite tool for it is my sanding drum chucked into my drill press - I usually use a ball cutter or ball kutszall in my dremel for the bowl inside.

Claude

[Ashbys]

Personally ,

I hope your doing power carving. But the wood will give outstanding results.

Ash

[wade clark]

Michael,
I carve green and seal the whole carving in Anchorseal end grain sealer between carving times and after carving.
There have been some lengthy discussions on here about this subject. It'd be worth doing a search for past threads. Some Folks microwave, some freeze, some wrap in a wet towel. If you work at it you can keep the cracking to a minimum.
Good luck!
Wade

[michael]

Ok so i want to keep the wood soft to carve so i should keep it wrapped up in wet towels after carving sessions and then when i finish carving altogether i should add a sealing wax, would that stop my final product from any further cracks?

[wade clark]

The idea is a slow consistent drying process, so it doesn't dry too fast on the outside and crack, so you're controling the moisture, keeping it even at every depth of the wood as it dries.
When you're done carving, you can still keep it in wet towels if you refresh them regularly, daily ideally. Or you can seal it in end grain sealer, but you can't just forget about it. Diligence is a key. If it's sealed in Anchorseal (end grain sealer) you still need to check it every few days at first, later at least every week, looking for any signs of cracking, and re-coat if you see the slightest sign. I look with a magnifying glass.
While you're doing this, start a pile of wood to dry for future carving. It's a lot harder, but it's also a lot more predictable! Use end grain sealer on these pieces to slow drying/checking.
The bad part of using end grain sealer on a finished carving is it's a mess...wax all over a finished carving. But if it keeps a good one from cracking, that's ok.
If you have a small piece of green cherry, try microwaving it just for fun. I haven't done it but Folks say it works great! My Dad knows a carver who carves small items from green wood then DEEP-FRIES them! he says it works great! No cracking! I try to stay as far away from anything deep-fried as I can.
You really should do a search on drying wood or carving green wood on here. There has been a lot of insightful discussion and information on the subject. You could spend a day or two reading about it, and come away with a wealth of information and understanding!
Wade

[michael]

LOL deep fried...interesting! Ok, i'll run a search on the forum. And thanks guys for your input.