Green wood differences

[Magicdave]

I studied "Stringed Instrument Repair and Technology" about 20 years ago, everything was seasoned wood, and understandably so. The fine precision of an acoustic musical instrument relies upon it.

But now I'm looking forward to getting into a bit of greenwood carving and I'm at a bit of a loss. Everything I was taught before about stabilisation goes out the window.

Obviously a spoon etc. doesn't require the same stabilisation as a violin bridge, sound post, or even a bush knife handle once held in combination with high carbon steel, (I also studied engineering) including heat treatment etc.

I'd massively appreciate some advice on wood selection for greenwood carving, either first hand or links to others with advice on the subject.

[Tony1948]

Hi bud,for spoon& bowl carving I would use greenwood,for knife handles I use dry wood and wood carving I use any thing.http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=12943&stc=1http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=12954&stc=1http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=12955&stc=1

[Tony1948]

http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=12963&stc=1http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=12965&stc=1http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=12969&stc=1All depends on wot you want to do, and the right tools help.Lets see some of your work bud and put us to shame.

[Magicdave]

That's some stunning work you have there Tony. I really like the knife handle, the one that the end nearest the blade (for around 1/3rd it's length) is black.

I hadn't considered working with green, and seasoned wood. I might even order some to start off while I'm bringing my own home with me for drying.

I have done quite a lot of tool making, as an apprentice engineer the first thing we had to do was make a lot of our own tools from metal, sometimes with only a file, a hack saw, and a square.

The same happened with the stringed instruments, but mostly wood tools.


All depends on wot you want to do, and the right tools help.Lets see some of your work bud and put us to shame.

I'm currently trying to envision what I'll be doing and what the minimum tools I'll need will be. After looking at bushcraft knifes I was thinking an axe and a violin knife. But then I very happily discovered what a scandi grind is, so I sacked the violin knife idea and I'm now trying to work out if I could get away with just a knife, maybe around 4.5 inch blade. To start off with anyway, as I want to get bigger I'm sure I'll also need an axe. I'm also trying to work out alternatives to a spoon knife, not sure I'll manage though.

You can rely on me sharing pictures of my work, I don't have a problem with that, even to start off when it is undoubtedly going to be quite poor. Don't be relying on me putting anyone to shame though, I'm sure sitting on a rock by a river is going to be a very different beast than standing at a vice in a well equiped workshop, or machine shop.

Here's a picture to start off with, this bowl I made at school when I was 15 years old. I'll hold back from pretending I carved it with a butter knife from a stump of the zebra tree. It's, obviously, lathe work. It's not perfect, but I thought it was when I made it, and I'm still chuffed with it considering.

12975

[Tony1948]

Nice dave,I make my carving knifes out of big haxsaw bladeshttp://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=12976&stc=1http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=12977&stc=1the bottom 3 I made from haxsaw blades.

[Magicdave]

They look great Tony. The skills to make tools are very valuable, especially when a one off custom tool is required.

We used to make knife like scrapers out of standard hacksaw blades. But it was basically just grinding the teeth into a crude edge, and wrapping some heavy duty tape around a handle length section of it. They were really only used for quickly scraping off rust.

I'm now wondering if they could be used to make a bendy cabinet scraper. I imagine it would probably just crack the burr in use. Even if so, I might end up making a few mini (shaped) cabinet scrapers from them. Infact, a little hole drilling and I can see myself with a keyring full of them.

[beermaker]

I don't know about hacksaw blades Dave, but I've made good cabinet scrapers from old high carbon steel panel saws and small specialist scrapers from big clock springs

[Magicdave]

Nice, I never thought of panel saws. I like a good browse around the antique/collectable/junk shops every now and again. I'll keep my eye open.

[beermaker]

Thats some superb craftsmanship Tony, definitely at a level to aspire to! Are those workzone blades good for making tools? If so, I'll be off to the shops today!

[beermaker]

would you believe it? I just nipped to Aldi for some supplies for tomorrow (me and the daughter are off on an adventure to my friends forge in Durham) and what do I see but the exact same packet of workzone blades, reduced to three quid! Got a pack and just tried heat treating one - gets hard enough to easily score glass and when blue tempered they're so tough you can't even bend them! Cheers for the tip off Tony, I'll be back in there to get the rest of their stock to make whittling knives for school! T^