Melinda_dd":1b7vbmpe said:
Is lime usually used for carving? is it because it's soft or any other reason?
Any other wood that's good for carving?
I am not a long established carver of any great expertise but this is what I feel.
The bit of wood in front of you is great for carving. However in common with many others I prefer Lime, for the following reasons. It is not too hard, it will take a crisp cut, the texture is even ( no significant difficulty cutting across anual rings),and will hold detail without crumbling. Just a few of the benefits. I think a lot has to do with scale, when carving small objects with lots of detail Oak would often be a poor choice as the grain is course and open and the detail might well be lost for example. Unfortunately I suffer mild irritation from Lime, I haven't tracked down what exactly but eyes and nose start itching after a little time. One other problem I have with Lime is keeping it clean, it seems to pick up every finger mark.
A really good bit of Cuban mahogany carves well but is harder, Box is apparently a very nice wood to carve, described to me as a 'hard cheese' texture, Basswood is I believe closely related to lime, Sycamore is reasonable but the growth rings can be tough. Red wood can be carved but the difference in hardness between summer and winter growth makes getting a decent flow cut difficult. Jelutong has been used for yonks by pattern makers so I would assume that it has many likeable carving properties, even texture, ability to hold detail etc..
Basically if you have an odd bit of something ... try it. What is there to lose?
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