best wood for carving

Wood carving made with quality wood will produce wood carving art of luxury and elegance. This will be of high artistic value and the price is high. of course it would be a shame if left unattended. Caring for wood carving can be done easily and practically.However, there are some tested woods that most professional carvers use. Here are some types of wood that best wood for wood carving:

Basswood

The most popular carving wood, basswood is a softwood that is very easy to work with. It can be used to make various kinds of wooden arts, wooden spoons, wooden bowls, decorative plates can be made using basswood wood. It is almost odorless and accepts wood paint well. basswood Will produce a natural finish and the engraver has the option of carving this wood either across or along the grain.

The best thing about basswood is that this wood is the best wood for making spoons, bowls, and other wood kitchen tools as it is a food safe wood. It is non-allergenic and has a very low odor.

Butternut

Butternut is an other good wood for carving. This wood give a natural pink finish with rough wood pores. Similar to basswood, butternut takes paint well and has a low odor. Raw butternut wood have few defects and is quite cheap compared to hardwoods. Suitable for those on a budget.

This type of wood can also be used to make fine crafts, because it can be cut easily with a sharp carving tool. butternut including light wood. Wood artists prefer this wood to make various wood arts.

Walnut

Walnut is one of the most popular hardwoods used for carving. This dark wood has the best straight wood pores. Due to the high density of the Walnut, it is best engraved with a hammer to facilitate the engraving process.

To do the finishing you only need a thin wood stain. Walnuts withstand moisture quite well and kitchen utensils made from Walnuts will last a while. The odor level of Walnut is tolerable and because it requires very little finishing, it makes a great natural carving object.

Maple

Maple is a hardwood that is tricky to work with. However, this wood is still very popular favored by many wood carvers. The wood pores are rough and not symmetrically aligned. This type of wood requires planning before it is carved.

it is also easy to deform slightly when in contact with humidity and hot weather. It is best to use this wood only for interior wood art. Due to the hard nature of this wood, it only works when it is engraved along the pores of the wood.

Mahogany

Mahogany is a type of hardwood used by wood carvers. Mahogany is reddish brown wood with straight wood grain. Although hardwood, Mahogany can be carved along and across the wood grain quite easily. In addition, it is a safe wood which has a weak odor. Both electric tools and hand carving tools can be used safely on this type of wood. It is not flammable with a power carver.

Mahogany takes paint well, and is usually immersed in a reddish hue. Mahogany has a stable shape when it is completely dry, and must retain its shape for a long time.

Tips For The Best Finishing Results In Carved Wood

Carved wood is inseparable from the finishing stage. If you visit Jepara, Indonesia to look for carved partitions or windows, most of them will sell in an unfinished state. The reason is so that buyers can choose what finishing they want.

There are those who want to get a natural finish without coating with polishing materials, but there are also those who give it a varnish to make it more colorful and protected. For those of you who prefer to want natural colors, compared to varnishes like Shellac, it would be better to use wood stain.

The reason is that the color of the wood is not too pale and you can choose an exotic color for the wood that is engraved. That way the carvings will stand out. You can order a wood carving seller to provide a coating layer or choose to finish it yourself.

Of course, painting it yourself would be more satisfying. There are some tips for those of you who want to do your own finishing at home so that the results are more optimal.

Tips For Painting On Carved Wood

During the preparation, painting and drying process there are a few tips you can follow. Painting wood carving yourself is not something that is difficult to do at home. You only need ample space for painting and a brush. Don't forget to choose the finishing material you want to use.

As tips for the wood carving finishing process, here are some tips that you can follow:

Choosing the Right Finishing Material

The ease of finishing will depend on the finishing materials you use. Since you want natural color results, a combination of wood stain, sanding sealer and clear coat is needed. Make sure these three products can be applied with a brush.

Choose a small nylon brush

Since you will be painting a surface that is not flat or curved, it is best to use a brush that is small in size. A brush that is 3 inches in size is very precise and make sure the tip of the brush is pointed so that it can fit into hard-to-reach areas.

If you are working with water based paint it is better to use a nylon bristle brush. This type of brush can be used for water based paint because it will not dry out and fall off the bristles.

Correct Brushing Technique

How to brush carved wood with a flat wooden surface, of course, is different. Smearing paint on a carved surface is more difficult because there is bound to be a lot of thick paint on only one side of the part. To avoid this you must know how to use it.

First brush the paint onto the wood surface from the top first. Make sure you have reduced the paint content of the brush by tapping it. In the hollows you can use the tip of the brush to reach. Repeat next and if the paint is dripping immediately wipe off with a brush.

Thin Application of Each Coating

Painting is definitely not just one coating that you use especially for stain. In order for the color result to be satisfactory, you must apply it lightly. The goal is if the first layer has an uneven color, it can be smoothed with sandpaper.

Make two to three layers of thin coating until the color is sharper and darker. This color will last longer.