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When the thumbnail pattern reaches a corner, we need a special design.
This is also true of many mouldings, such as Waterleaf - you cannot naturally 'bend' the design without unpleasant distortion. The best thing to do in this case is to turn the problem to your advantage and make a feature of the corner.
| 01 May 2013 23:04
Jock, I live in Austin and though we have humid days in the springtime, they are few and the wood is very dry. One of the local carvers (I am new to this) told me that he has created a humidor - a large closet with a cheap humidifier - to store his carving wood. I think he said 3-4 days was enough to add some moisture back to the wood. I am thinking about trying this. Keep in mind that if you are carving a decoration on a furniture part that you should not cut the part to the final dimensions until the wood has re-stabilized in your shop.
| 16 May 2011 14:56
2% - wow! I can only talk for air-dried wood, within a band around 10-12%, and not having tried such dry timber I couldn't say what such a dry wood would be like to carve. I can imagine it would feel different but you really don't have much choice. You have to work with what you have and where you have it: Wood will lose moisture until its content matches that of the surrounding air - it can't lose more and there is no point using drier wood for a project, it will only absorb moisture from the air. You have to use the local wood seasoned to the local humidity and learn the best way to work with it. Check with local carvers to see how they get on? Sorry not to be more help. (And a 'quid' is a pound, like a 'buck' is a dollar.)
| 10 May 2011 14:00
Your cuts seem to have an effortless quality-I can see you have sharp tools, firm holds and great technique but I am looking at the wood - it seems to have a higher moisture content 10%+ ???
I generally am looking to 'decorate' furniture pieces, maybe a variation of what is shown here, but I live on the high plains of Texas - its 95f outside and the humidity is a record low of 2% - all my wood is 4-6% mc - should i raise the mc to get a better carving experience.
PS - Texans have no idea what a quid is !!!
What are your thoughts on moisture content of carving wood?
