[Woodcarver] Butternut (formerly Black Walnut)

[rick p]

Does anyone have plans for making Native American
Flutes?
Rick Parker
rick_pfm at yahoo.com



--- Mike Bloomquist <m.bloomquist at verizon.net> wrote:


> DONATIONS to the Woodcarver Mailing List can be made

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> Joe,

> I echo your feelings on the butternut, especially

> the "we're going to miss

> it".  Catalpa is a fine substitute, but I find it

> much harder to carve, and

> the browns on most pieces I have and have seen

> aren't as rich <deep>.

> Because it is denser than butternut, catalpa, for

> me, makes better N.A.

> flutes because the flute walls resonate more

> strongly.  That sound quality

> is very subjective and only my humble opinion, but

> because of it,  I use my

> catalpa for the flutes and reserve the butternut for

> other projects.

> 

> It's sad that a lot of my butternut lately is coming

> from standing dead

> "finds" that my carving friends and I have made in

> woodlots and peoples'

> backyards.  My oldest woodcarving friend (10 years

> now), Harold, has always

> had a real nose for carving lumber in general, but

> keeps a special eye

> <nose?> out for butternut to add to our drying

> piles.  We've combined forces

> several times to fell, cut up, divvy up, and stack

> butternut for carving,

> but he still has the larger stockpile.  Like most

> friends, we go back and

> forth doing things for each other, but more than

> once I've found a gift

> piece (more like a timber) of butternut waiting for

> me on the side porch

> when he though he was behind in the balance. 

> Hopefully we honor these trees

> properly in our carvings.  To honor the tree is my

> general feeling for any

> wood that I carve, but especially butternut.

> 

> Keep on Carvin'

> -Mike Bloomquist->

> 

> Wooden Dreams Woodcarving

> http://www.borg.com/~bloomqum

> 

> 

> 

> ----- Original Message ----- 

> From: "Joe Dillett" <jdillett at thecarvingshop.com>

> To: "[Woodcarver]" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>

> Sent: Friday, October 07, 2005 9:53 AM

> Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] Black Walnut

> 

> 

> > DONATIONS to the Woodcarver Mailing List can be

> made using PayPal OR

> regular mail. Click this link:

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> > > Joe,

> > >

> > > In your opinion where does butternut fall in

> hardness?

> > >

> > > Jim D.

> > > http://www.picturetrail.com/oldtool2

> > > http://www.jdscrafts.com

> > *************************

> > Hi Jim,

> >

> > For me butternut (aka white walnut also called

> oilnut) and basswood are

> > about the same carving hardness.

> >

> > Average Specific Gravity (which relates pretty

> well to hardness) for

> > butternut 0.38, basswood 0.37, catalpa 0.41, black

> walnut 0.55 as compared

> > to white oak 0.68 or red oak 0.63

> >

> > Butternut is getting HARDER (to purchase) just

> found 900 bd ft for $7.25 a

> > board foot (ouch). (Notice how I worked the word

> harndess in there?

> hehehe)

> >

> > Lately I'm finding it very HARD to find the light

> colored butternut

> (almost

> > basswood color). A tree of life I did from

> butternut 20 years ago needs

> > another 51 roses carved to expand the tree. We

> selected the lightest

> > butternut we could find, but after carving all 51

> roses the clear sealer

> > still made them too dark to match the older roses.

> We're now recarving all

> > 51 roses in basswood and staining them slightly to

> match the old roses.

> >

> > Butternut is HARDER to finish because it tends to

> fuzz. If it is carved

> with

> > sharp tools it will not fuzz. Also a light sanding

> after the first coat of

> > sealer removes most of the fuzzies.

> >

> > We're going to miss butternut when its gone.

> Catalpa is a closer match

> than

> > most woods with a little more sparkle in the

> grain. You have to see it up

> > close to tell the difference.

> >

> > Joe Dillett

> > The Carving Shop

> > 645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3

> > Somonauk, IL. 60552

> > (815) 498-9290 phone

> > (815) 498-9249 fax

> > http://www.thecarvingshop.com

> > jdillett at thecarvingshop.com

> > http://www.carvingmagazine.com Carving Magazine

> web site and Readers Forum

> > http://community.webshots.com/user/joe_dillett

> > http://www.citizenactions.org

> > http://www.safeguardsystemsinc.com

> > **************************************************

> >

> >

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> >

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> >

> 

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