SOFT WOOD FOR WOOD CARVING
Woodcarving is an ancient and truly amazing skill. For large objects (for example, furniture), it is customary to use hardwoods, but for souvenirs, dishes and home decorations, soft ones will also do. The most common soft woods for carving are: linden, willow, aspen, poplar, alder, chestnut. Let's take a closer look at each of these materials.
Linden is a rather soft and light material. It is almost not subject to cracking and shrinkage, it is well cut and generally easy to process. Souvenirs, home decorations, wooden utensils - all this is produced not without the fate of linden, but for the production of furniture, like any soft wood, it is categorically not suitable.
Willow is not much inferior to linden, because its wood is just as light, soft, viscous and elastic. This is a fairly affordable material, because willow takes root on any soil. It is easy to cut, grind and polish - in a word, a real find for lovers of woodcarving. Willow boards are suitable for embossed and flat-relief carvings, and mature wood has found application in sculptural work.
Aspen is another material that is a real pleasure to work with. It is resistant to low temperatures, moisture, light, wormhole and even acid. Its softness and uniformity were highly appreciated by carvers, because these properties allow you to make cuts in any direction - the wood does not chip or wrinkle.
Poplar is a soft and light homogeneous wood that hardly cracks and is also malleable to cutting and finishing. But this tree is absolutely not protected from rotting, fungi and mechanical damage, which significantly narrows the scope of its application. In carving, poplar is used very, very rarely, more often it acts as an auxiliary material.
Alder, on the contrary, is quite resistant to moisture, warps a little and is well cut, so it is suitable for carving. And a chisel, and a knife, and other cutting and sawing tools process alder wood with ease. It is usually actively used in the area where there is little linden, aspen and willow growing, producing sculptures, home decorations and dishes.
Chestnut is a representative of a medium-drying wood species. It perfectly absorbs protective compounds, preventing cracking and decay. The shape and dimensions of chestnut products remain stable for a long time. These and other properties make it possible to use its wood for interior and exterior decoration, as well as for the manufacture of exclusive furniture samples.
