[Woodcarver] Thank you

[J and C Lukens]

Barney.....your recommendations are right on.....unfortunately a lot of
carvers find sugar pine to be easy to carve.....it is my experience as a
sharpener of tools that the resin in sugar pine can be very troublesome the
way it sticks to the blades.....ive personally carved in aspen (chip
carving and relief) and found it to be equal to bass, holding well to all
types of cuts without splintering like red cedar tends to do if the knives
are not extremely sharp.....poplar i have not tried as yet.....again aspen
finishes up very nicely and even has a better appearance than
basswood....im not sure how available it is around the country.....it is my
understanding that the aromatic eastern cedar holds it shape also
well.....carve on and God Bless

John aka Mr Chips


> [Original Message]
> From: Barney Elking <belking at humboldt1.com>
> To: <DWT at somd.net>; [Woodcarver] <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
> Date: 3/18/2004 6:43:11 AM
> Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] Thank you
>
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> Be a little careful.  There are a number of different poplars and they
don't
> all carve too well.  Aspen is a poplar and carves well.  Cottonwood is
> another and I find the wood a bit "snarly" even though its bark is
> apparently popular for carving.  I find Alder to be a good carving wood -
> similar to Aspen but, again, there are several to choose from.  My
> experience is with the red alder of the pacific coast. The pines, of which
> there are many, don't all carve well.  Both eastern and western white pine
> carve well, as does sugar pine.  Some folks may be familar with other pine
> species that carve well.  Some, like Ponderosa - the prevalent west coast
> species - are best used as lumber in woodworking.
>
> Barney Elking
> Fortuna, CA