[Woodcarver] Wood for outdoor chairs

[Joe Dillett]

Hi Steve,

That pressure treated fur and western red cedar is difficult to carve. Even 
if you manage to make clean narrow cross-grain cuts they won't hold up with 
normal wear. The strength of those woods are in the long grain. Short grain 
segments will break out with normal wear.

Other types of wood that are less expensive and hold detail about the same 
as basswood are poplar, willow, aspen, cottonwood. Sometimes you can find 
full 2-inch thick poplar in the lumber yards. They stock poplar for window 
sills. When painted these woods hold up reasonably to the weather.

Mahogany would be an excellent choice for those chairs. Pattern shops 
sometimes have thick mahogany in wide widths. Some pattern shops would like 
to develop a relationship with a woodcarver to help them out with some of 
their carving needs.

Menards, and those other type stores, generally have aspen shelving material 
glued up in wide boards at a reasonable price. You can easily glue several 
thicknesses together.

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.net [business web site]
http://www.carvingmagazine.com ['Ask Joe' column]
http://community.webshots.com/user/joe_dillett
******************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Klein" <stevenfklein at sbcglobal.net>
To: "[Woodcarver]" <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 5:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Woodcarver] What have you been working on?



> Gentle Subscribers :-) Please support our List with a donation: 

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> As long as you asked:

>

> I am trying to do some chairs like Jan's.  Large wood pieces like Jan 

> uses, 2 x 16's are not available where I live.  I tried to glue 2x8's 

> together.  I tried pressure treated green without the arsnic,  but the 

> wood is very soft and will not carve in the cross grain very well.  So now 

> I am trying western red cedar.  Also not good in the cross grain.  Yes, my 

> tools are sharp,  but the wood seams to crush.

>    Does anyone have any experience carving red cedar?

> What did you do in the cross grain?  I am trying to do hair on the wood 

> spirits.  I also did a mermaid in the green wood.

>

> Steve

>

>

> Joe Dillett wrote:

>> Gentle Subscribers :-) Please support our List with a donation: 

>> http://wwwoodcarver.com/WWWList/WWWList.html

>>

>>

>> As long as I did though, what's everyone been working on? Is woodcarving 

>> part of your summer fun?

>>  I just got a couple of small things going, like finishing a small plaque 

>> and a couple of cane segments for the GOW.

>>

>> Joe Dillett

>> The Carving Shop

>> 645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3

>> Somonauk, IL. 60552

>>  stinfo/woodcarver

>

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