Wood Carving Tutorial

Types of Wood for Carving

Choosing the appropriate wood for carving can depend on many factors. Is the wood soft enough to cut easily with a chip-carving knife, or do you need a chisel and mallet? Will the carving have a natural finish that shows the wood's color and grain, or will it be painted?

Some carvers may choose an interestingly shaped stick or log. A freshly cut log can present problems since it is still filled with a great deal of moisture. If the log dries too quickly it may check (crack) badly. It is best to let the log air dry for an extended period of time until it reaches an acceptable level of moisture content to prevent unwanted cracking.

The alternative is to purchase kiln-dried wood that has been cut into boards. If a large block is required, the boards can be milled with a planer and joiner to give flat surfaces that can be glued together. An advantage of gluing is that large, unusual shapes can be created, unlike the confining shape of a log.

For carving small hand-held carvings, such as duck or shorebird decoys, character figures, or chip carving, basswood is an excellent choice. It is soft and easy to carve, the close grain holds small carved details, there are few knots or blemishes, and it is stable when dry. However, basswood is soft and absorbent which makes it difficult to apply a stain evenly on carved surfaces or attain a glossy finish. Most basswood carvings are painted.

If your goal is a sculpture with a natural wood finish, walnut, mahogany, cherry, or butternut provide finish with rich color and attractive grain pattern. Butternut is soft and is the easiest to carve with hand tools. Walnut, mahogany, and cherry are moderately difficult to carve, but are rich in color and take finishes well. Gouges and a mallet may be needed for these harder woods.

The Sculpture Studio does not sell wood.  Prices vary greatly depending on the vendor and your location. Boards are sold by the board foot. (Board foot: 12"x12"x1") The dimensions are expressed by the quarter inch. (For example: 8/4" is 2" thick, 12/4" is 3" thick)

Type	Sample	Characteristics	Ease of Carving	Grain	Price Comparison
Basswood		Cream colored, easy to carve, excellent for whittling and painted sculpture	Easy Nice to carve	Fine- Medium	(Wood prices vary depending on your location) Moderate
Butternut		Light brown, distinct grain pattern, good for natural-finished sculpture, soft (dents easily), very easy to carve, quickly dulls tools	Easy Nice to carve	Course	Moderate
Cherry		Reddish brown, wavy grain can be difficult to carve, excellent for natural-finish sculpture.	Very hard	Fine	Expensive
Mahogany		Dark reddish brown, excellent choice for natural finish sculpture.	Medium Nice to carve	Medium	Expensive
Maple (Sugar Maple)		Creamy, very hard, difficult to carve, finishes well.	Very Hard	Fine	Moderate
Oak (White Oak)		Light yellowish brown, very hard when kiln dried, difficult to carve, finishes well	Very hard, carves easier when green	Medium- Course	Expensive
Pine (Sugar Pine)		Aromatic, cream colored, soft, good for whittling, the prominent growth rings which may cause problems carving	Easy, course grain can  make it more difficult	Medium	Inexpensive
Walnut (Black Walnut)		Dark brown, excellent for natural-finish sculpture, finishes well	Hard Nice to carve	Medium	Expensive