Need suggestions on detailing in Sugar Pine..

[toycarver]

I started a Santa carving and want to carve the eyes in with a little more detail than I normally do. Now I'm kind of worried the eye area is going to be chipping out, since it's Sugar Pine. If I put some sort of glue or sealer on the eye area before I get to the detailing, will that help? I will be painting the piece when I'm done, so I'm not worried about the wood not taking a finish if I put glue on it.

[carver33]

I really don't know if this would work, but something you could try - Minwax makes a product for hardening soft/rotted wood. I used this on one carving that had a particularly soft spalted area requiring stiffening (see Mickey's outstretched hand at: Mickey Mouse - Wood Carving Illustrated Photo Gallery ).

It hardened the wood almost to the consistency of hard plastic. You might want to try this on a scrap piece of wood.

HTH

Bill (Aiken, SC)

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

and/or super glue. Hate to recommend anything unless you try it on something else first. Sugar pine can be tricky. Some of it takes detail well and some of it doesn't.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

glue, especially super glue is going to make the wood very hard and hard to carve...try misting with a bit of rubbing alcohol and make sure your knive/tool is very sharp. imo

[toycarver]

Thanks for the ideas everyone.

[lorax]

Bill, I've often wondered about the wood hardener. How well does the wood sand after it has been hardened? Do stains or finishes absorb diferrently than the un-hardened wood?

[carver33]

Patric,

I can't really say how the wood would sand. I've only used the hardener once. The wood carved more like a hard plastic than wood and dis-colored very similar to other clear finishes that I've used. Once the carving was clear coated there was no difference in appearance from other parts of the carving. I would assume that it would react to paints differently, as the wood no longer absorbs liquids as the non-treated wood does.

Bill (Aiken, SC)

[The Progressional Carver]

Good post folks . Learned some on this one .