Request to start a sticky - types of wood

[Jwm931]

Is it possible to start a new thread that we can sticky with the results we have had with different woods, and what carves nicely?

Sort of similar to:

MDF: good for practice
Pine: chips out, bad detail
Poplar: Just tried it, chips out on small details, overall not bad.
White Oak: ?
Maple: ?
Lyptus: ?
White Oak (1/4 Sawn)
...
etc

I am really curious about Lyptus, has anyone tried this wood yet?

[forqnc]

I’ve only tried a few, but here is my 2 cents:-

Popular – OK, but will chip out on fine details.
Walnut – Came out very nice, but large design.
Cherry – awesome.
Fir – chips out on small details
Purple Heart – patterns where great, but I had a small thin font which chipped out in places.

I think a lot of success/failure is going to be based on the design

[IM2HAPPI]

I too have only tried a few but sassafras has been the best for me so far. I do believe 95 % of the carving ability is in the pattern. I think a subject with best carved fonts would be very helpful. Trial and error can be costly. I also wanted to add this price list, and the reason being is folks lets not forget our local lumber guys. I know most hobbyist just use Home Depot, Lowes, Menards but we have found the quality being better with the little guys. We also get alot thicker wood than the big places. If just wanting a few small pieces, they'll welcome your business as well. This Sat. we will be dropping off 500 board feet of pine to this fella to have it kilm dried. We buy from the Amish for .30 a board ft and have dried for .30 so only paying .60 cant beat that even with an ugly stick. I might add the Amish sell their pine, oak and ash all for .30 a board ft.

[SpiffyDog]

This could include other materials, as well, such as plastics.

[revved_up]

Barb, when I open your price list attachment it only says AOL offers free email to everyone. ???? As I am also from the big mitten I am real interested in the wood that you are buying. If you could repost the price list and more info as to where you are going to get it I would apprieciate it.
Thanks.

[CallNeg151]

... I do believe 95 % of the carving ability is in the pattern. I think a subject with best carved fonts would be very helpful. Trial and error can be costly.

This is a very good idea. A small, standard sample piece (.25 hours or less to carve that can be done on a small scrap of wood), that contains a few letters of a couple of different sizes in a difficult font both raised and inverted raster would be a good test. It would could be carved quickly, and photographed by the carver right out of the machine to show both chip out and the amount of finishing that is required. It should be a standard font so that anyone can perform the test.

Of the standard fonts, which one would be best to use? I assume a serif font, like Times Roman would be good because it has very thin spots. Also, which letters would provide the most useful data?

[IM2HAPPI]

Grade #2 commom #1 common Select
White pine $1.25 $3.00

Red Oak 1.00 1.60 2.75

Red Oak 3.50
10" & wider

Red Oak 3.75
QTR/RIFT

White Oak 1.75 2.50

Poplar 2.25

Aspen .70 1.00

Soft Maple 2.00 3.00

Hard Maple 5.00

Maple-Curly 4.50

White Cedar 1.60

Red Cedar 1.75

Ash 1.00 1.60 2.50

Basswood 1.75 2.50

Cherry 2.50 4.75

Hickory 2.95

Walnut 4.75


planing -.20 a board ft
lumber drying - .30 board ft
Wide Belt sanding 1.00/ minute
Straightening 1 edge .8 board ft

Hey Rev this guy has other types also, check out your pm I'll send it that way. His name and #. I wanted to just show you the diffence between chain/ little guy.

[IM2HAPPI]

Sorry bunched them all together lol I give

[Gman_Ind]

I have not received my machine yet it is ordered and will post reviews of the woods I use. I recently met two local sawyers. the first guy sold to my local woodcraft and another place I used to get wood. I also met another genltman who has a small mill and Kiln. I picked up some black walnut that was highly figured and purplish in hue. $3. bdf some was bookmatch cut as well. I also bought some cherry and ambrosia maple, soft maple and hard maple. $2/bdf The guy was having a sale because he was selling the storage shed and was not going to move the wood!
These guys were very pleasant and helpful! I recommend checking out woodweb.com and look for local mills.
I have about 900 bdf of hickory on the log I just bucked and stacked along with a few hundred bdf of cherry and oak ready for a spring sawing.