I have found wood carving is incredibly rewarding. It is one of the oldest crafts in the world and is both functional and artistically beautiful. Nearly every wood on earth can be used for carving, which gives the craft a huge abundance to choose from, and at times that can be overwhelming.
Wood comes in many species, and it is important to know each woods’ individual characteristics. Each wood has different texture and wood qualities that dictate how the wood will respond to wood carving.
BASSWOOD
Basswood is the most popular choice wood for beginners and professionals. This is a white wood that grows throughout Europe and the Americas. It’s been used in woodworking for centuries. Basswood has almost no grain and is very soft, making it ideal for new woodworkers. It is also popular in lower cost musical instruments, making up the bodies of some woodwinds, and electric basses and guitars. Basswood blanks can be found easily and are a great wood to start learning to carve on, since it is malleable and inexpensive.
ASPEN
Aspen is another white wood that is quite popular among woodworkers. It’s stronger than basswood but is still quite soft, so it is easy to use for carving. Aspen is readily available and inexpensive.
BUTTERNUT
Butternut is another good wood for beginner wood carving. It is browner than basswood or aspen and has a nice grain. It is related to walnut but is lighter in color and can be carved easier. Like black walnut, butternut polishes quite nicely, and is also a good choice for furniture. It is a much softer wood, so this wood is also friendly for beginners. Be prepared for wormholes when working with butternut.
BLACK WALNUT
Black walnut is a popular choice. It is more expensive than basswood, aspen and basswood. It should be carved using sharp tools and a mallet for the best results. Walnut has a rich color and grain that has made it popular for a wide range of products, including furniture and gunstocks.
OAK
Oak is also a popular wood for carving, with a range of features that make it almost ideal. It is a strong and sturdy wood. The grain of oak is very defined and is also a favorite wood used for making furniture.
The type of carving I’m doing influences the type of wood that I select. At times, I utilize a rotary tool with my hand tools to carve. With power I can more easily roughly carve a hard wood and get detail with my hand gouges and knifes. While the same hard wood might take longer to roughly shape using all hand tools.
Thank you for another great post. Where else could anyone get that kind of information in such a perfect way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and Im on the look for such information.
Glad you found this helpful! Good luck with your presentation.