Steve Friedman
07-03-2008, 12:18 PM
These may be very simple questions, but I have only been carving (bowls and spoons) for a few months.
I recently carved a spoon from a 4" diameter branch from a birch tree that I had cut less than an hour earlier and was shocked by how wet the wood was under the bark. It also left an annoying residue (sap?) on the knives that had to be constantly wiped away. It made me wonder whether there an optimal time to wait after cutting a fresh piece of wood before starting to carve. My question are:
Is it OK to use wood immediately after it has been cut or better to wait a few days or weeks before carving?
Is there a rule of thumb as to how long a log can sit before it becomes too dry to carve?
Does the diameter of the wood or the species make a difference?
Thanks for any feedback.
Steve
I recently carved a spoon from a 4" diameter branch from a birch tree that I had cut less than an hour earlier and was shocked by how wet the wood was under the bark. It also left an annoying residue (sap?) on the knives that had to be constantly wiped away. It made me wonder whether there an optimal time to wait after cutting a fresh piece of wood before starting to carve. My question are:
Is it OK to use wood immediately after it has been cut or better to wait a few days or weeks before carving?
Is there a rule of thumb as to how long a log can sit before it becomes too dry to carve?
Does the diameter of the wood or the species make a difference?
Thanks for any feedback.
Steve