PONDSIDE STUDIO
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Frequently Asked Questions

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 am blessed to have a friend not too far away who is happy to supply

     me with all the Basswood I can use.  Checking with your local sawmills
     will probably turn up some Basswood, but, if not, it isn't difficult to find 
     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 History" page, if you like.
7.  "WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BIRD OR ANIMAL?"
     I can't answer this question because I appreciate every 
species so much!  
8.  "HOW MANY CARVINGS HAVE YOU MADE?"     
     I don't know, exactly, but the number is probably around 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 six of each songbird.  It usually takes me about two weeks 
      to make the six from start to finish.  So, it works out to an average of
      about two days per bird.   I wouldn't be able to carve, paint, and mount 
      a single bird in two days; I average one bird every two days only because I carve six at
      a time, performing each step six times before going on to the next step.
  • Home Page
    • My Carving History & Family
    • About Pocketknife Carving
    • Carving Objectives
    • FAQ's
    • Pondside Policies
    • Glimpses of our Life
    • Contact Information
  • Galleries
    • Species List
    • Pocketknife Gallery
    • Powertool Gallery
    • Paintings Gallery
    • Studio Scenes
  • Carving Help
    • Hatching
    • Carving Workshops
    • Other Carvers & Artists
    • Carving Videos & Slide Shows
  • My Music
  • My Writings