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I was having such a hard time carving that I had packed up the carving stuff and it was headed to E-bay. I am going to try this softening technique. Thank you for the information
Ma'am, My understanding is that checking happens when wood dries too rapidly and unevenly. Like you hit upon, I think its a matter of some parts of the wood drying more quickly than other parts. As I'm sure you know, wood moves when it gains/loses moisture, if 2 parts of the same piece of wood dry at different rates, then one part is moving faster than the other and something has got to give. This results in checks or splits in wood. I've read that if you lay some damp newspaper over the wood it will slow the evaporation of water and prevent the checking. Nice video.
Hello I like your style and the video. I am a chainsaw carver in Lake /Tahoe. I would just like to add, when u soak wood like u r doing for your pickles the center wood will be drying at a different rate then your outer wood. I put a poly high gloss finish on the wood. In my work I leave one end open so that that the wood can still dry. You probably all ready know this but if u will put your soaked pickles in a zip lock u might not have to poly them so soon or at all. Depends but anyway that is what I have learned over the years of carving. nice video love the work, has inspired my chainsaw good luck.
Hi Arleen, I was just wondering, how long do you recommend to soak the wood before carving? I'm guessing it depends on the size of the piece of wood but just an approximation would be helpful! Thanks for the great videos!
One more thing, I think the reason they might not be checking at a particular time is ambient moisture especially based on the season. In my area, (Northeastern US) their tends to be a lot more humidity in the summer and much less in the winter. Around here, I would expect that checking would be more likely in the winter when the wood would give up its moisture to the dry air comparatively quickly. Maybe you could test this theory. I hope this helps.
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I was having such a hard time carving that I had packed up the carving stuff and it was headed to E-bay. I am going to try this softening technique. Thank you for the information
Ma'am,
My understanding is that checking happens when wood dries too rapidly and unevenly. Like you hit upon, I think its a matter of some parts of the wood drying more quickly than other parts. As I'm sure you know, wood moves when it gains/loses moisture, if 2 parts of the same piece of wood dry at different rates, then one part is moving faster than the other and something has got to give. This results in checks or splits in wood. I've read that if you lay some damp newspaper over the wood it will slow the evaporation of water and prevent the checking. Nice video.
Hello I like your style and the video. I am a chainsaw carver in Lake /Tahoe. I would just like to add, when u soak wood like u r doing for your pickles the center wood will be drying at a different rate then your outer wood. I put a poly high gloss finish on the wood. In my work I leave one end open so that that the wood can still dry. You probably all ready know this but if u will put your soaked pickles in a zip lock u might not have to poly them so soon or at all. Depends but anyway that is what I have learned over the years of carving. nice video love the work, has inspired my chainsaw good luck.
Nice vid
Hi Arleen,
I was just wondering, how long do you recommend to soak the wood before carving? I'm guessing it depends on the size of the piece of wood but just an approximation would be helpful!
Thanks for the great videos!
You made this on my b- day thanks
One more thing, I think the reason they might not be checking at a particular time is ambient moisture especially based on the season. In my area, (Northeastern US) their tends to be a lot more humidity in the summer and much less in the winter. Around here, I would expect that checking would be more likely in the winter when the wood would give up its moisture to the dry air comparatively quickly. Maybe you could test this theory. I hope this helps.
does it permanently make it soft or just for a period of time. And if so what is that time.
ok thank you much