THAI WOODCARVING

 What wood should I use?

   Most professional carvers use mahogany and bass (linden or lime) wood almost exclusively Mahogany is used where a wood-grain finish is requued, and bass is used where the surface a to be palnrcd or gilded. Both of these woods are commercially available in kiln-dried scock in a great variety of szes, and both ate soft hardwoods; that is, they are relatively easy to carving,yet strong enough to survive.

   Ideally, rhe wood should be selected, not from these two species alone, but from alll the spccles available. Wood selection should be based on durability, color, figure, Size available, casc of working, economic factors, and the finish to be applied.

   Almost any of the native fruit and nut woods are good-cherry. apple, pecan, butternut. Walnut is my favoritc because of its beautiful grain and rich, dark color. I use cherry from time to time because it’s a hard wood that has some beautiful grain and color variations. Pine a another wood I use frequently because it is soft, takes a srain well, and I can give it just about any flavor I choose. Fir and hard pine should be avoided because they are somewhat stringy and tend to sliver, making them hard to work.

   The color and figure of the wood must hamonize with the theme .and environment of the finished carving. The effectiveness of a finished carving often depends upon how it matches or contrasts with irs environment. For example, you would not want a natural oak carving in a room that was paneled and fumished completely in mahogany. You might, however, want to make the carving in matching mahogany, or in contrasting ayous, sometimes referred to as blond mahogany

   The color and figure of the wood should certainly be considered for carvings receiving a natural finish. Dark woods shouldn’t be used for an intricate piece with a lot of holes and incisions that show up only through shadows.

   Large carvings in particular can be greatly enhanced by the selection of a figured stock. Crotch and burl wood, or quuter-saved lumber usually have beautiful figure, Figued wood is usually a little more difficult to work due ro changes in grain dimtion, but the rcsutts are worth the extra effort.

   Esthetically, the grain pattern should not be so strong that it interfers witth the lines of the sculpture. That is, if there is too much contrast in the media itself, it can dettact from the lines of the piece However, in a weil-rounded, smooth piece you can add interest by having well-figured grain. In other words, make the grain work for you rather than against you.

   This istrue in the construction sense, too. In fragile pieces the grain must be paraled to the direction of the most slender section of the piece to give maximum strength. This often means that a picce must be laid out irregularly or at an unusual angle rather than patallel or perpendicular to the edge of the stock. This is an important consideration in the mechanical strength of the carved piece and affects the carving technique and the size of the stock required.