Some Lumber / Materials questions...

[karossii]

Okay, so I have had my CarveWright for over 4 years now, and in that time, spent less than 2 months actually using it due to various issues (mainly moving to locations which had no space to let me set it up). I have toyed with it for a few hours, spent dozens more hours in the designer software...but haven't yet made anything to sell or even give away as a gift.

I am now determined that in the next month or two I will be setting up my shop and start making things on a regular basis, with intent to eventually sell my projects.

I have never been a serious woodworker before; like the carvewright I have toyed with woodworking, constructed a few random things over the years since woodshop back in junior high and highschool - enough to be confident I can design and throw together basic furniture or stages, frames, etc. Nothing beautiful or elegant, but something sturdy and functional.

The reason I am prefacing my question with all of the above is to let you guys know the extent of my knowledge on woodworking and the carvewright... that is, pretty much nothing.

So, all that said, and given the fact I'd like to produce some decent quality pieces with eventual intent to sell them... I have a few questions;

1) Where should I go to buy my lumber? Up until now, I have gone to the home depot or lowes; with one exception being a trip to a local Rockler to get some purple hart wood (which I was going to use for a plaque for my wife, but never ended up carving it, as we moved before I could).
2) What type(s) of wood carve best, with the fewest issues? I have seen some posts on the forums about grain patterns interfering with certain projects, leaving chip outs, etc.
2A) What woods are the best compromise between quality, carvability, and average price?
3) Right now, my shop includes a benchtop drill press, a low end tablesaw, a plunge router I have never actually used, a pretty nice chop saw (120 degree swivel and 120 degree miter/tilt, laser guide, has been super accurate for me over the years), and a few hand tools (sanders, drills, compresser with nail gun, etc)... I am thinking I may really need to add a jointer and/or planer to the list - how necessary is that? I'm including this in a thread about materials, since it is related to the types of lumber I can buy/use.

Thanks in advance - you guys have always been great in helping me out with questions...!!!


P.S. I'm planning on being at the upcoming CNC Jamboree in Ohio; ironing out the details for the trip now! Hopefully I will have everything set to go before I head that way!

[AskBud]

Since you will be going to OHIO soon, I'll leave the material questions pass. You will get a lot of good advice while there.

For practice I use poplar because it has a tight grain and works fairly well.

I suggest that in the meantime you use your time to understand the design concepts by going to this LHR link and do some designing using the step by step lessons involved.
AskBud
http://www.carvewright.com/2010CWweb/learn/designertutorials.php

[jaroot]

For practice I use poplar because it has a tight grain and works fairly well.


But it can be pretty fuzzy!

[LittleRedWoodshop]

Here is the list of classes that are specific to the CarveWright that will be taught at the CNC Jamboree and I couldn't think of a better person to be teaching them.

CarveWright Project Designer 101
- Starting with the basics of designing projects

CarveWright Project Designer 201
- Getting into more complex and multiple piece projects

CarveWright Importing and Exporting
- Using CarveWright with other software or graphics

CarveWright Drawing and Modeling 101
- Tracing images and modeling patterns

CarveWright Drawing and Modeling 201
- Modeling complex patterns

They will be taught by Joe Lovchik - Marketing Director, LHR Technologies

Joe Lovchik has spent his whole life creating things. His artistic talent was discovered at a very young age as he was always drawing pictures and, even today, it is rare not to find a sketch of something on his desk that he has mindlessly doodled. Joe's passion for art led him to earn a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from Wichita State University. During his early years in college, Joe worked as an art director for a major sportswear company where he gained knowledge in industry marketing and brand management. His career was further expanded as he spent the next 10 years working as Art Director for advertising agencies specializing in brand development. One such brand was a side project for his brother Chris, the inventor of a new personal-sized CNC now known as the CarveWright System.

Eventually persuaded to move to Texas, Joe became the Marketing Director for CarveWright. Since joining LHR full-time in 2007, he has played several key roles in its growth including development of the company website, marketing and sales materials, creation of learning tools, videos and tutorials, and conceptualization of new product development. His knowledge and expertise in graphics software has allowed him to help guide the software developers in their advancement of the CarveWright software. Using these resources, Joe has become the expert for CarveWright Systems.

[karossii]

Thanks for the info all!

I'd still love for some answers to my questions above, though - I am planning on making it, but plans don't always work out! Also, I would love to get some stuff going between now and then, that is a full month away!

[Old Salt]

look for some start u members in your area and go see them . it would help you a great deal.

[Bigtyme]

Hi Karossii,
You have asked some good questions and I will try to give you my perspective on the answers. There is a lot of expertise on this forum and I know you will get some great info..

"1) Where should I go to buy my lumber? Up until now, I have gone to the home depot or lowes; with one exception being a trip to a local Rockler to get some purple hart wood (which I was going to use for a plaque for my wife, but never ended up carving it, as we moved before I could)."

I buy most of my lumber from a local lumber yard. It is priced similiarly to the big boxes, but typically is better quality. There is also a small mill not too far away and he is very reasonably priced, but has a limited inventory. I would look around your area for all options of wood and check them all out. Another option is to have your own trees milled and dried. It is the most economical, but takes a lot of sweat equity. I had about 2000 bdft milled a number of years ago and still pull from that supply when I need to. It cost me about $0.25 a bdft to have it milled and I air dried it myself for about 2 years before using it.

"2) What type(s) of wood carve best, with the fewest issues? I have seen some posts on the forums about grain patterns interfering with certain projects, leaving chip outs, etc."

I have been fortunate and had very good success with a number of woods from cedar to cherry to ash to hickory to walnut. I try to use the highest setting on the carve I can and watch the quality of the piece I am going to carve to avoid knots and defects if possible.

"2A) What woods are the best compromise between quality, carvability, and average price?"

I think the best compromise wood (if the carve is going to be stain or painted) is poplar. It is reasonably priced and carves well at optimmum settings. It also finishes well and can be mistaken for walnut many times.

"3) Right now, my shop includes a benchtop drill press, a low end tablesaw, a plunge router I have never actually used, a pretty nice chop saw (120 degree swivel and 120 degree miter/tilt, laser guide, has been super accurate for me over the years), and a few hand tools (sanders, drills, compresser with nail gun, etc)... I am thinking I may really need to add a jointer and/or planer to the list - how necessary is that? I'm including this in a thread about materials, since it is related to the types of lumber I can buy/use."

I wouldn't be without a jointer or a planer. I use a lot of rough sawn lumber as it is very reasonably priced from different sources or my own supply and a jointer and planer are necessary additions to your shop to be able to mill the rough sawn into useable lumber. I have a 6" jointer (many time wish I had an 8" one) and a 13" planer that I use regularly. Much of the milling can be done with hand tools such as hand planes, but I don't have the luxory of time as I still have a day job, so these tools make it more manageable to turn rough sawn into useable lumber.

Hope this helps. Let me know I can answer anything more and I am sure there will be other good suggestions for you to consider.

[karossii]

Thanks, John! That's just the kinds of answers I was hoping for.

I'm hoping to get very involved in this over the coming weeks and months... making this not only a full time hobby, but possibly also my full time income. As my main income is already a business I run out of the home, I have a lot more flexibility and availability to work on something like this than most. So, it is very likely I'll have a lot more questions in the near future!

[Bigtyme]

I would be happy to help anytime, Ken.
Best of luck....

[cestout]

One thing not mentioned, I do my test carves in #2 pine avoiding the knots and much as possible - put them in the requisite 3 1/2 in at the ends. Then like others have said, I use a lot of poplar, but you need mops if you use poplar. I know that LHR sells mops, but I like the originals from RJR Studios now sold thru Sears, as well as their Sand Flee sander. I get any wood other than pine (Home Depot for that) at a hardwood lumber yard. For that I need to mill the stuff to the proper size and need plainers etc. If you get your wood surfaced 4 sides, like at Home Depot or Lowes, you don't need plainers. And if you select carefully - my wife is good at helping me with this - you can make some very nice stuff from #2 pine and not as fuzzy as poplar. Look in the project section of the pattern store here. All my projects shown are in pine, More Elegant Box, Potbelly Box, basket weave picnic stuff, business card holders, the one being added now, Colonial Book Stand, and all the others.
Clint

[dhard]

I.m in Frt Collins and have found beetle kill pine at a mill cheap. Looks good and is a tighter pine than box stores. Plenty of it out there if you look around.

[fwharris]

I.m in Frt Collins and have found beetle kill pine at a mill cheap. Looks good and is a tighter pine than box stores. Plenty of it out there if you look around.

Dave,

Glad you found the forum!!! Can you post the name of the mill please????

[dhard]

The Forks Lumber, north of Ted's on 287.

[mtylerfl]

I.m in Frt Collins and have found beetle kill pine at a mill cheap. Looks good and is a tighter pine than box stores. Plenty of it out there if you look around.

I think I'm mad at you. :)

I was born in Boulder, CO and lived in Fort Collins until a year old. But, I'm way too far away now to take advantage of that cool wood! I've seen very high-end furniture built with that...it was gorgeous (and really expensive)! Can't wait to see what you guys do with it - enjoy!

[dhard]

You might enjoy this one55797Beetle kill with a clear finish. Where I work I have a good supply of pine pallet stock. Either 54 or 36 length with no nails. Some is beetle kill, some firewood, some #1 clear. So am learning on my own with new prjects as I have time. Recently programed finger joints for a recipe box for a co worker. Came out nice. Thanks for any info. I have beeen a "mouse in the corner" til now just watching and learning. Still a long way to go. Dave

[fwharris]

The Forks Lumber, north of Ted's on 287.

Thanks Dave!! ROAD TRIP!!!:D

[Captspiffy]

Believe it or not, just south of Boulder on Hwy 93 is a place called Olde Time Lumber that has beetle kill pine.
I went up there from Castle Rock and got a 6 by 6 by 8 foot post($12 bucks!), took it home cut it into 7 inch pieces to turn.
Got 13 of them or so, and they turned real pretty. Thought I might go up and by a couple more as well as a couple
boards that I can let dry out in the garage.


I think I'm mad at you. :)

I was born in Boulder, CO and lived in Fort Collins until a year old. But, I'm way too far away now to take advantage of that cool wood! I've seen very high-end furniture built with that...it was gorgeous (and really expensive)! Can't wait to see what you guys do with it - enjoy!