Opinion poll: what's the best all around carving material?

I'm interested in using my CW to make some molds for sand casting. I'd like for them to come out of the machine pretty clean with minimal cleanup work. They would be sealed or painted and will have plenty of draft so they'll easily release from the sand. They would need to be sturdy and durable.

So, what's the best wood or material for mold making? I've used pine, oak, cherry, walnut, and cedar in my CW for regular projects and I've generally had good results with all. I've never carved any pvc or foam. I'm curious what all of you guys consider your "best" material for a painted project.

Here's an mpc of what I'm thinking of trying first, just so you get the idea. Our town's school mascot is a pirate by the way.

Attachment 54246

I used 6/4 clear pine for a mold pattern, sanded and painted with shellac. Worked good for sand cast in brass. Jim

I'm partial to Corian and the like products, of course cutting that deep might be a problem, but if you didn't cut so deep, corian would be great for that project...
Gary

Looking though the lists of wood that you have used, I'm partial to the oak, the reasons are, 1st the oak is not to bad to work with, strong hardwood which would add to the life of userabilty of the molds. I come from the salt water on the east coast and have seen some pretty hard conditions with salt water and the weather conditions. The draft set at med. or better should help with release from the mold and also checking. I also recommemd putting a reisin to seal the mold .A good wax for a release of casting. Good Luck !


Capt Barry

I'm usually an oak guy myself but doing this sign out of cypress gives me a new appreciation for it. It carves really clean and isn't very hard on your bits. The dust is a little heavier due to its moisture content but other than that its a good choice as well.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk 2.

I have good luck with knoty alder. The machines dust collector gets all of it and it cuts nice and clean. I only comes in 1x6 from the mills but I'm able to get it from a company that glues them into panels and then drum sands them so at 2'x6' for $25. it works fine for me. The knots in the wood finish out great.

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Originally Posted by chevytrucking

I'm interested in using my CW to make some molds for sand casting. I'd like for them to come out of the machine pretty clean with minimal cleanup work. They would be sealed or painted and will have plenty of draft so they'll easily release from the sand. They would need to be sturdy and durable. <br>
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So, what's the best wood or material for mold making? I've used pine, oak, cherry, walnut, and cedar in my CW for regular projects and I've generally had good results with all. I've never carved any pvc or foam. I'm curious what all of you guys consider your "best" material for a painted project. <br>
<br>
Here's an mpc of what I'm thinking of trying first, just so you get the idea. Our town's school mascot is a pirate by the way.<br>
<br>
Attachment 54246

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I think you will need to flip your letters, it's like making a rubber stamp.

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Originally Posted by bjbethke

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I think you will need to flip your letters, it's like making a rubber stamp.

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Well, I don't know... I think the pattern should be an exact copy of the finished casting. If you were making a rubber stamp, it would have to backwards, right? In a sand cast mold, you would be filling the mold from the rear of finished surface, so viewing the empty mold it would appear backwards, but actually be correct when the finished part is removed. Right? Wrong? This is a new hobby I've been reading about and getting interested in (like I need another) so I haven't actually tried it. I'm collecting the materials now to build a small furnace and I'm hoping to be set up by colder weather to give it a try.

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Originally Posted by chevytrucking

Well, I don't know... I think the pattern should be an exact copy of the finished casting. If you were making a rubber stamp, it would have to backwards, right? In a sand cast mold, you would be filling the mold from the rear of finished surface, so viewing the empty mold it would appear backwards, but actually be correct when the finished part is removed. Right? Wrong? This is a new hobby I've been reading about and getting interested in (like I need another) so I haven't actually tried it. I'm collecting the materials now to build a small furnace and I'm hoping to be set up by colder weather to give it a try.

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Your right you don't keep the sand mold.

You might try this company that sells mold making materials: www.freemansupply.com
Joe