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Thread: What do you carve on for material?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    St. Cloud, Mn
    Posts
    49

    Default What do you carve on for material?

    I use mostly all Western Red Cedar for my carvings. I would like to know what you use and why? I do make approx. 200 signs per year with my Outdoor furniture that I build. I want to get more into the carving with the Carvewright. Larry

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Cornwall Ontario
    Posts
    898

    Default

    I have carved a lot of Hardwoods. Maple Oak Jatoba. I would stay with Western Red Quarter Saw For out side. If you are painting Popler for inside.

    http://www.farmsigns.com/

    I glue all there sign blanks for the last 12 years. Western Red Quarter Saw. 2 inch thick.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Nuevo, CA
    Posts
    1,854

    Default

    Pine for some carves and for test carves. For good stuff I use poplar or alder. Alder is "the poor man's cherry" but I like the grain better. Poplar is good for lighter colored stuff but has a greenish cast. Gel stain works good o poplar to prevent blotching. Both carve well and are affordable. Clean up the carves with a sanding mop.
    Clint
    CarveWright StartU team member
    Web Site WWW.clintscustomcarving.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    2,876

    Default

    I predominately carve black walnut because I love how it looks. I almost never use stains so I want the beautiful grain of the wood to show. I am lucky my local base carries black walnut, cherry, oak, maple, cedar, and I can special order purple heart plus a few other exotics. I build furniture for myself and friends so its my personal taste.

    Clint, I wish I had alder available to me in the local area. I think its a beautiful lumber.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Coeur D'Alene Idaho
    Posts
    691

    Default

    I also use alder for most of my projects, guess I'm lucky as I can get alder cheaper than pine.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Nuevo, CA
    Posts
    1,854

    Default

    Years ago - many- when I was back in Ohio for a company school, I talked with a woodworker in a mall about his work. I mentioned that I was from the LA area and he offered his condolences because of the unavailability of good wood here. At my current source, Peterman Lumber 39 miles away, I can get just about any kind of wood - if I have the money. Walnut is out of reach for me and I had to use western red cedar for an ordered sign and it cost 3 times what I pay for alder. I just paid $3.30 a bdft for superior alder. I only needed 3ft of the cedar but had to buy an 8ft piece. I usually hot glue 4" pieces to the ends of my pieces to save wood.
    Clint
    CarveWright StartU team member
    Web Site WWW.clintscustomcarving.com

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Kaukauna, Wisconsin
    Posts
    765

    Default

    I use almost any I can get my hands on. I have used beech, butternut, walnut, oak, birch, poplar, maple, cedar, pine, and a few exotics. Even a few that I could not id. In Wisconsin we have some nice tree types growing, but we can't grow them all.

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