Tips on How to Recognise the Best Type of Wood

Wood carving can be a great idea if you want tosame wood, this is weak and if a similar piece is less
choose what will be your hobby. There are somethan 1 inch square and 5 inch or more in length, it can
steps which we need to know before we start thebe snapped very easily by manual pressure. C is a
wood carving. The following guidelines will help us indrawing of a piece of black walnut 1 inch x 3/4 inch x
starting our hobby.5 inch, and broken in the hand.
Procuring woodYou should take care, therefore, to design your carving
With a little enterprise a small stock of wood suitablewith an eye to the direction of the grain. For instance, if
for carving can soon be acquired. Aim at collectingyou are carving an animal and the base, from one
sound, dry timber. Visit large carpentry shops in yourblock, with the legs joined to the body and base, they
district where you may find that you can buy off-cutswill be fairly strong even if the grain runs across the
for a few cents. Not all timber yards deal in seasonedlegs.
woods, so inquire about this before buying. LargeIf, on the other hand, the legs are free without a base,
mahogany table legs from Victorian pieces mayas in the Italian penny toys illustrated in figure 6, the
sometimes be found, also newel posts and thickgrain must run the length of the legs. These toys were
wardrobe panels that can be utilized for carving insold in the Italian markets during the 1920's and 30's for
relief. If you are prepared to spend some money on athe equivalent of one penny.
stock of wood and to buy seasoned timber, contact aIf you look at them, you will notice that the necks are
firm dealing in a variety of woods, including hardwoods.thick and the noses rather short and the tail of the dog
Four inches is usually the maximum thickness of theis at an angle. This means that although carved from
planks supplied by such firms. These large merchantsone piece, they are very strong. Only the cow's ears
will not as a rule sell less than one plank which may beand horns are made of separate pieces of wood and
9 or 10 ft. in length. If you do make this kind ofglued in. These would certainly have broken off if
investment, you will have enough wood to make acarved from the main block. Cross-grain weakness is
dozen or so small carvings. Do not despise the pinesnot confined to the softwoods. Hardwoods, such as
and firs which are often loosely termed 'deal'. Many ofoak, are very brittle in cross-section of less than 1/2
them have a very beautiful grain and can be polished ifinch.
the grain of the wood is well sealed.A diagonal run of grain is fairly strong and, as forms in
The grain of wood as it affects carvingcarving do not necessarily run at right angles to each
The grain of wood has a bearing on carving in a visualother, you are bound to find the grain running diagonally
sense and also in a practical way. In some woods,in many places. Also, the grain does twist and turn in
such as boxwood, the grain is hardly visible and alsosome woods. In small work, such as toys, I would
tremendously strong, close, and even in texture. Otheradvise you to use close or straight grained wood with
woods in this category are rosewood, ebony, andno knots, however small.
sycamore. In such woods fine detail can be cut in anyRecognize the type of the wood that you are using.
direction without fear of a fracture. A small piece ofAs each of the wood they have different
the tangential section in Douglas Fir, that is the graincharacteristics. They have grains which we need to
fibers are running down the length of the section. Thisknow how to follow it while cutting the woods for a
gives strength. Another shows a cross section in thebetter result.