Is Walnut Wood Good for Carving?
Walnut is the top choice for many woodcarvers and furniture makers around the world. It has a nice grain that is fine but still has some texture. The colors can be rich, ranging from very dark, almost black, to light, creamy shades.
Walnut’s medium density and excellent workability make it easy to carve and look amazing without the need for any stain. The natural beauty of walnut wood stands out on its own.
Is Walnut Hard to Carve?
Walnut wood carving can be delightful due to its moderate hardness, making it relatively easy to shape. The hardness can vary depending on the project and the thickness of the wood. Proper tools and sharpness play a huge role in the ease of carving!!!
Ask those three questions :
How many wood carving tools do you have?
Just look at Grinling Gibbons, the famous 17th-century woodcarver. His tools were his treasure, and they allowed him to create complex, intricate designs. If you’ve ever seen his work in England, you’ll notice his later works are more detailed. This is because he collected more tools throughout his career. Gibbons credited his success to having a diverse set of tools, as illuminated in David Esterly’s book about him. This shows that more tools = more possibilities!
Books for Woodcarvers
I have a list of Good books for Woodcarvers to read on Amazon.com
The Role of Tools and Sharpness in Carving Walnut Wood
Walnut is easy to carve with the right tools. The sharper your wood carving tools, the smoother the carving process. Walnut is a bit harder than Basswood, so sharp tools are needed.
How sharp Your wood carving tools are?
Sharp tools are crucial for success in woodcarving, especially with walnut due to its harder nature compared to Basswood. In my woodcarving school, I have multiple videos on how to sharpen woodcarving tools. My very first lesson was on sharpening a woodcarving gouge. (Did I mention how frustrating it is to carve with dull tools?) Properly sharpened tools make all the difference.
Many beginners get frustrated with dull tools. Pre-sharpened tools might seem ready to go out of the box, but how long will they stay sharp? Maybe 30 minutes, an hour if you’re lucky? It’s better to reshape and sharpen your tools from day one to get the best results. Trust me, it makes a big difference!
For example,
What Bevel is Best for Carving Walnut?
Different woods require different bevels. For softer wood like Basswood, you need a low bevel, which slices through fibers like butter. For harder wood like Oak, you need a higher, stronger bevel. Walnut, being medium in hardness, requires a medium bevel, leaning more towards the lower side. Knowing the right bevel can make carving walnut a breeze!
Do you have a very good woodcarving design?
Design for wood carving is not the same as for fine art. When I am designing for woodcarving, I always have to ask myself couple questions. What tools I have, how am I going to carve with those tools. It is important to understand, woodcarving is 3-dimensional form of art. Even if You are working on a Furniture Panel and Your carving is shallow, it is still 3-D. Especially it is important if You are intending to carve walnut. Why? Because walnut a little crunchy wood and You can't do to tiny details. It will just break off.
Where to buy wood for carving?
The best option is to buy it from your local hardwood lumberyard. It is almost always more economical. Just go to Google and search for hardwood lumberyard around me. You can buy in larger quantity and save even more.
Second option
If in your town is a woodcraft store, they usually carry some walnut.
Third option
to buy it online.
Walnut is on the expensive side for a domestic wood. You should expect to pay cost that are double what you might pay for Oak, Basswood or Cherry.
Amazon offers a lot of choices from different suppliers.
Check price for Walnut at Amazon.com
Why is walnut wood so expensive?
Walnut is Expensive because of supply limitations. All over the world local natural resources harvesting laws limiting how much of walnut trees could be cut down.
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I’m a woodworker who loves carving. I make fancy carvings for a high end client worldwide. I also teach wood carving. I started the School of Wood Carving, a non-profit to help people learn.
The school’s website has over 3,000 how-to videos. Great for beginners and pros! I’m from Russia but have lived in the USA a long time. Like wood? Join us at the School of Wood Carving. We’d love to have you!
