Which wood to use???

[Al Longo]

Hey guys, I'm basically a wood carver but have been making folkart lightly painted bowls with attacheded birds, what's a light white wood, easy to turn and inexpensive to use, 3 to 5 inch thick. I've been using my basswood carving wood it's fuzzy and expensive, Any suggestions would be helpful,
Thanks Al

 

[Dave Peebles]

Hi Al,

I just checked out your website. You do some really great work!!

As for wood, you might want to check out your local Poplar. It is light weight and turns pretty well. It is a little fuzzy too, but cleans up nicely with a little sanding. Here is a link to Yellow Poplar that looks to be available in your area.

http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Documents/429.pdf

Also a option is plain Maple... hard or soft. It is not light, but turns like a dream. But if you plan to carve on it, it may be a bad choice.

Best wishes,

Dave

 

[MichaelMouse]

Bass is a good choice. Cut your expense by cutting your tree. If you can TDT your cost will go to nearly nil. Bass is seldom even taken to the mills here, because it doesn't pay to saw it. It goes for pulp at best.

Tulip-poplar is going to have a lot of color variations, as is soft maple, but if you're going to go with a full base coat of paint you may not care. The other white woods like true poplars and their cousins are fuzzier than bass, which leaves only white birch as a choice. Eastern Europe does a lot of souvenir turning and chip carving with it because it's white almost all the way to the heart and holds a crisp edge.

 

[Al Longo]

thanks

Thanks guys, I'll check them out.

 

[Betty Scarpino]

Try Boxelder

Al,
You might try boxelder. It's a member of the maple family, cuts well when turned, is light in color, and if it's air-dried usually carves well.

If you could acquire some, persimmon is perfect. It cuts cleanly and carves like a dream.

Have fun!

Betty

 

[hockenbery]

Al,

if you want white

As betty said Box elder or any soft maple
then bleach it with 2 part Klean strip

you will have a whitish wood bowl.

Avoid the red streaked Boxelder and the brown streaked maple (ambrosia)
Bleach makes the red POP in Box elder and turns the brown streaks sort of a eerie green.

Holly is a great white wood but it can be hard to find in bowl sizes.

happy turning,
Al