1. "WHAT KIND OF WOOD DO YOU USE?"
Basswood; also known as Linden and Bee Tree.
2. "DOES BASSWOOD GROW AROUND HERE?"
Yes. It is a rather soft hardwood found all around the world in the temperate zone.
3. "WHY DO YOU PREFER BASSWOOD?"
Basswood, unlike pine, has no resin; It has a uniform consistency throughout, without a hard and soft grain; It is soft enough to carve fairly easily, but still plenty dense enough to accept fine detail carving; It is readily available.
4. "WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR BASSWOOD?"
I order it, kiln dried, from basswood suppliers, online.
5. "HAVE YOU EVER CARVED OTHER TYPES OF WOOD?"
Yes, I've carved Jelutong, Tupelo, Butternut, Black Walnut, White Pine, Maple, etc. But Basswood serves my purposes best.
6. "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CARVING?"
I started carving when I was about 10 or 11 years old. You can read about it on "My Carving History" page, if you like.
7. "WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BIRD OR ANIMAL?"
This is a tough question because - no matter whether it's a bird, an animal, a fish, or an insect - I am in awe of every species!
8. "HOW MANY CARVINGS HAVE YOU MADE?"
I don't know, exactly, but the number is over 3,000.
9. "DO YOU PREFER CARVING SOME THINGS MORE THAN
OTHERS?"
Yes, I prefer carving birds over animals, but always like to carve something I haven't carved before - no matter what it is.
10. "HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO CARVE A BIRD?"
I usually carve from four to six of whatever songbird species I am working on. It usually takes me about two weeks to complete the project.
Basswood; also known as Linden and Bee Tree.
2. "DOES BASSWOOD GROW AROUND HERE?"
Yes. It is a rather soft hardwood found all around the world in the temperate zone.
3. "WHY DO YOU PREFER BASSWOOD?"
Basswood, unlike pine, has no resin; It has a uniform consistency throughout, without a hard and soft grain; It is soft enough to carve fairly easily, but still plenty dense enough to accept fine detail carving; It is readily available.
4. "WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR BASSWOOD?"
I order it, kiln dried, from basswood suppliers, online.
5. "HAVE YOU EVER CARVED OTHER TYPES OF WOOD?"
Yes, I've carved Jelutong, Tupelo, Butternut, Black Walnut, White Pine, Maple, etc. But Basswood serves my purposes best.
6. "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN CARVING?"
I started carving when I was about 10 or 11 years old. You can read about it on "My Carving History" page, if you like.
7. "WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BIRD OR ANIMAL?"
This is a tough question because - no matter whether it's a bird, an animal, a fish, or an insect - I am in awe of every species!
8. "HOW MANY CARVINGS HAVE YOU MADE?"
I don't know, exactly, but the number is over 3,000.
9. "DO YOU PREFER CARVING SOME THINGS MORE THAN
OTHERS?"
Yes, I prefer carving birds over animals, but always like to carve something I haven't carved before - no matter what it is.
10. "HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO CARVE A BIRD?"
I usually carve from four to six of whatever songbird species I am working on. It usually takes me about two weeks to complete the project.