Crappy (good) lumber not to carve with a dull bit

[oscarl48]

Okay. Lesson learned. DO NOT carve mahogany with a dull bit. I have more ropey fibers hanging all over the place that is going to take me a long bit of time to clean up with a dremel.

Good side the pattern looks awesome. Just started sanding and using an exacto knife to cut away the larger chunks. I have an hour or more of work to make it ready to accept some oil or poly (tomorrow).

What other lumber needs a super sharp bit to do it justice?

This was my first time carving mahogany. I've used it many times but in furniture builds or picture frames only.

Black walnut will carve beautifully with a dull bit. So will cherry. Maple as well. Purple heart surprisingly has given me okay results with a semi-dull bit.

Oak hit or miss due to fine or coarse grain but typically no. Padauk needs a shape bit. Now I can say Mahogany needs a sharp bit.

I haven't carved beech yet. Next data point.

[SteveNelson46]

I have carved a few projects in Mahogany and IMO it is not a good wood to carve. A good example is the sign that I carved for the Desert Woodcrafters club here in Tucson. It may be good for furniture because it is strait grained and relatively soft. The down side is it is very open grained and porous so it requires a filler and other special processes to get a good finish. Even when carved with a sharp bit it is difficult to finish.

[oscarl48]

Steve, thanks for your experience. I think this will be my one and only carve in mahogany then. In the end it will look okay but so far has been a boat load of work trying to clean it up.

[fwharris]

Okay. Lesson learned. DO NOT carve mahogany with a dull bit. I have more ropey fibers hanging all over the place that is going to take me a long bit of time to clean up with a dremel.

Good side the pattern looks awesome. Just started sanding and using an exacto knife to cut away the larger chunks. I have an hour or more of work to make it ready to accept some oil or poly (tomorrow).

What other lumber needs a super sharp bit to do it justice?

This was my first time carving mahogany. I've used it many times but in furniture builds or picture frames only.

Black walnut will carve beautifully with a dull bit. So will cherry. Maple as well. Purple heart surprisingly has given me okay results with a semi-dull bit.

Oak hit or miss due to fine or coarse grain but typically no. Padauk needs a shape bit. Now I can say Mahogany needs a sharp bit.

I haven't carved beech yet. Next data point.

Beech and a dull bit DO NOT TRY IT. I just did a carve yesterday and ended up with a Y stall and a blackened bit.

[oscarl48]

That is perfect thank you. That was what I was trying to learn without going through my own pain. I'll leave the beech for another project in the future.

My first table saw cut on it left me a little wary. Still not very familiar with that lumber.

[fwharris]

That is perfect thank you. That was what I was trying to learn without going through my own pain. I'll leave the beech for another project in the future.

My first table saw cut on it left me a little wary. Still not very familiar with that lumber.

It is some hard stuff http://www.workshoppages.com/WS/Misc/Wood-Hardness-Chart.pdf

http://www.wood-database.com/american-beech/

[DickB]

My first project was in mahogany and I did several other pieces subsequent: https://forum.carvewright.com/showthread.php?11050-Dash-panel-for-boat (posts 13 and 21). No special problems that I recall.

[oscarl48]

Dick,

The first thing that strikes me is the difference in grain between your pieces and mine. I started doing some research on the lumber. There are different types of mahogany. The type I picked up is African mahogany which says has more interlocked grain than Honduran mahogany. So for furniture building African mahogany with its more pronounced striations may create a more distinctive piece but may be horrible to carve. South American mahogany is more uniform and has less ribbon stripe striations.

In the end each lumber piece is unique. Doesn't mean I can't get a good carve out of it but the odds are not as good as if I was carving Honduran mahogany. I think I will leave my African mahogany for other projects.

This has been good for me. Its been a while since I read up on lumber and their characteristics. I've been in a rut since the only hard lumber I can pick up without mortgaging the house are walnut, maple, and cherry. There are specialty stores in Shreveport but you pay premium plus for the exotic lumber.

[oscarl48]

It is some hard stuff http://www.workshoppages.com/WS/Misc/Wood-Hardness-Chart.pdf

http://www.wood-database.com/american-beech/

Some good info. I had not realized beech was that tough. I'm think bread boards. :)

[DickB]

Interesting. I bought the board for the dash from Rockler. They sell both African and Honduras mahogany now. I don't recall which one that I ordered, and the invoice doesn't specify.

[cestout]

Good thing I can't afford fancy wood here in SoCal. Mostly redwood (for outdoor signs), alder, poplar and pine (my hardwood lumber yard - Peterman in Fontana - has some really nice clear pine).
btw - nice sign Steve. I really like that Black Chancery font.
Clint

[SteveNelson46]

Good thing I can't afford fancy wood here in SoCal. Mostly redwood (for outdoor signs), alder, poplar and pine (my hardwood lumber yard - Peterman in Fontana - has some really nice clear pine).
btw - nice sign Steve. I really like that Black Chancery font.
Clint

Thanks Clint.