[Woodcarver] Softwood or Hardwood

[Barney Elking]

The totem poles carved from cedar were (and are) carved from green wood.  Carving green can alleviate a lot of carving difficulties in a number of different woods.

Barney

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bill Judt 
  To: [Woodcarver] 
  Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 8:56 AM
  Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] Softwood or Hardwood


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  Bob:

  The technical distinction between "hardwood" and "softwood" is no mere technicality.

  This distinction separates resinous woods (softwoods) from all others. Resinous woods are generally inferior to hardwoods for carving in that they have a grain structure less conducive to carving with hand tools. These woods respond poorly to even a sharp tool edge because they have a soft, almost punky layer of fiber sandwiched between two tough, thin membranes. Even a sharp tool, when it presses into the hard membrane cannot cut cleanly through before the pressure crushes the punky layer below, causing rip-out.

  It is true that cedar is used for Totem Poles. But that is because the large scale of carving done eliminates small detail. Rip-out in this instance is a non-issue. It is also true that some "hardwoods" carve poorly. But the general rule is that carvers should avoid resinous woods unless they know what they are getting into and have a plan to deal with the limitations of these woods.

  My experience is with the more common North American species of Pine and Cedar which people try to carve because they are "soft" to the finger nail. These woods generally need to be sanded in order to produce a "smooth" surface. They do not allow for detailed carving.

  I've tried the following softwoods for RELIEF CARVING with only poor results:
  Cedar (wester red, aromatic, Alaska yellow, southern, etc)
  Pine (white, jack, amuga, etc)
  Spruce (the worst of them all)
  Fir (hard, with an impossibly long grain that likes to split at the slightest provocation)

  Hope this is helpful.

  Bill
  List Owner

  W.F. Judt,
  46 Harvard Cres,
  Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,
  S7H3R1
  PH: 306-373-6649
  Email: bjudt at sasktel.net
  Website: http://www.wwwoodcarver.com

  On Oct 4, 2004, at 6:31 AM, Victor Hamburger wrote:

  Bob Campanaro wrote:

  I've heard two different versions of the softwood vs hardwood controversy. One says that all deciduous trees are "hardwood" and all needle bearing trees are "softwood".
  The other says that if you can leave a fingernail imprint in the wood then its "softwood", which would be a more traditional description of 'soft vs hard'.
  So what do you think? Basswood is a deciduous tree yet you can leave a fingernail imprint in it. Is it a "softwood" or a "hardwood"? 


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