Article Tag

best type of wood for carving

Every in-depth guide tagged best type of wood for carving.

August 29, 2024

What boiling water does to wood, and what it quietly ruins

Heat plus water softens the lignin in a cell wall, so boiled stock squashes 25% to 30% along the grain and keeps a curve. It also darkens, lifts the grain and leaves the piece a shade weaker. Here are the real times, the real temperatures, and the three places a soak costs you.

In-Depth

August 29, 2024

Should wood be wet before carving?

Wet wood bends away from the bevel instead of shearing, so the surface comes up woolly and the piece moves as it dries. Here is how to read the board before you commit.

What does the crushing strength of wood mean?

In-Depth

August 28, 2024

What does the crushing strength of wood mean?

I lost petal rims to this for years and blamed the wood. Here are the real crushing numbers, and the bench test that finally stopped it.

What does the modulus of rupture of wood mean?

In-Depth

August 28, 2024

What does the modulus of rupture of wood mean?

A leaf tip lets go and everybody blames the wood. Here are the real bending numbers, and the grain slope that decides the outcome long before the species does.

How do I dry green wood for carving at home?

In-Depth

August 27, 2024

How do I dry green wood for carving at home?

Two stages, outdoors and then indoors, with the oven and the microwave weighed honestly against the patient stack.