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POSTED BY: dennisgordon on 12/09/2008 11:17:52

Okay everybody, I need some help from all of you very smart and wise people out there.

I built my home in the woods. That means that I have very large abundance of firewood. Although I don't have a wood burning fireplace any longer (I put in gas logs), I still have a large supply of wood. One of my trees which I cut down recently was a walnut tree. I know what you are thinking and I am not that stupid that I would burn walnut. (I still have a large supply of walnut that I bought many many years ago. I had a sawmill that would call me when they got a walnut log and I would buy it for, get ready for this, 15 cents a board foot and 5 cents to saw it)

My question to all of you is how do I treat the limbs from this tree to keep the bark on? I want to try my hand at carving some figures about 16 to 20 inches tall and I want the base to still have the bark on it.

The reason I cut this tree down is that it grew too tall and was affecting my satellite signal. The tree was probably 60-70 feet tall and 20-24 inches diameter at the base of the tree. The first limbs were probably about 20-25 feet up. Going to get some nice boards out of it.

Looking forward to getting some very wise information from all of you.

Thanks

POSTED BY: newmexicowoodcarver on 01/25/2010 10:53:09

Dennis

Taking a tree and getting it to dry without splitting is quite a task. The water must be allowed to get out slowly. The end of a cut will allow the water to run out if you stand it on end sometimes. That’s fast but forget the wood it will split bad. Traditionally the ends are sealed after the cut with paraffin wax to stop the water from escape and force it to the exterior of the wood. Works somewhat but checking or splitting still occurs. An attic is hotter and will dry wood faster than the floor of your garage. I have tried to cut the log longer to allow the split to get rid of water and be cut off later. Carving green and putting the carving in a plastic bag sometimes works. What the heck let it crack and include it in the carving, adds to the art.

Rick

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POSTED BY: nancydenis on 02/17/2010 06:14:11

I took a class last summer. In the class we carved on basswood with the bark still on the sides. The instructor (Greg Wirtz) said - if I remember correctly - the tree had to be cut at a certain time of the year for the bark to remain on the board after drying.

POSTED BY: dennisgordon on 02/19/2010 16:46:33

Thanks for the reply on the wood logs. I found the answer in a book by Everett Ellenwood called "The Complete Book of Woodcarving". Chapter 3 gives a very good explanation of wood for carving drying wood. He says that it is imperative that a tree is cut in the fall or winter if you want the bark to remain intact.

I would recommend this book for any carver because it is full of excellent tips and knowledge of carving.

05/22/2012

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