[Woodcarver] Wood density

[harry hadadi]

what a bout birch?

harry

--- ellenwoodarts <ellenwoodarts at charter.net> wrote:


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> > Jim,

> 

> The weight of wood is directly proportional to its

> relative hardness. The

> woods most used by carvers will weigh between 25 and

> 50 pounds per cubic

> foot, when dried to 10% moisture content. Wood which

> is lighter than 25

> pounds per cubic foot is too soft, so they will dent

> easily and not hold

> good detail. Wood which is heavier than 50 pounds

> per cubic foot are

> difficult to carve because of their hardness. The

> following is the weights

> of common carving woods in weight per cubic foot:

> 

>  

> 

> Basswood weighs about 26 pounds 

> 

> Sugar pine about 26 pounds 

> 

> Butternut about 27 pounds 

> 

> Catalpa about 29 pounds 

> 

> I categorize these as EASY to carve.

> 

>  

> 

> Tupelo about 35 pounds

> 

> Cherry about 35 pounds

> 

> Mahogany about 35 pounds

> 

> I categorize these as MEDIUM to carve

> 

>  

> 

> Walnut about 36 to 38 pounds

> 

> I categorize walnut as HARD to carve

> 

>  

> 

> Maple about 42 to 45 pounds

> 

> White Oak about 48 pounds

> 

> Red Oak about 48 pounds

> 

> Apple about 48 pounds

> 

> I categorize these as VERY HARD to carve

> 

>  

> 

> Butternut is one of my favorite woods to carve

> because of its beautiful

> grain pattern and ease with which it carves (very

> similar to basswood).

> 

> A major problem is; butternut is becoming more and

> more difficult to find

> because of a blight called "butternut canker", which

> is killing the trees.

> It is so concerning that, in the United States,

> butternut has been labeled

> as a "species at risk". Most of the butternut we

> find today comes from trees

> which have died but are still intact. Extensive

> research is being done to

> develop a stronger species of butternut, or find

> trees which show natural

> resistance to the butternut canker and propagate

> those. If this is not

> successful, butternut could become an extinct

> species of trees. Catalpa is

> similar to butternut but has a more aggressive grain

> pattern. If you can't

> find butternut, try catalpa.

> 

>  

> 

> Ev Ellenwood

> 

> www.ellenwoodarts.com

> 

>  

> 

>  

> 

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