How to make dry wood easier for whittling

[hughlle1]

Just wondering if anyone has any tried and trust "grandmas" methods for working with dry wood?

The only stuff I have access to right now is so dry that my brand new Bahco can't even cut through the stuff. Soaking in water isn't having much of an effect.

 

[Hoodoo]

Some folks spray the wood with a 50:50 mixture of water:alcohol.

 

[hughlle1]

Yeah, I just watches a video regarding that. I feel that this wood is too dry for that to be viable though. This is 12 month minimum seasoned firewood.

I'm not giving g up though. I'm using the same method of learning (not that I have a choice here) as when I became a fish monger. I got given a box of 50 3-5 inch flat fish and was told if I can fillet those to the bosses liking, then I will be able to fillet anything. It worked.

 

[Robson Valley]

The water/alc spray just makes shallow cuts easier to do. Depends on the species of wood, too. Here in the PacNW, alder is a popular wood for mask carving but it goes from cheese to bone when it dries. Some carvers keep their work in a plastic bag with wet shavings, others use a brick and a bucket of water. Birch isn't bad at all, western red cedar and yellow cedar just split a little more easily.

What's the total included bevel angle of your wood carving knife? 12 degrees is common here. But that means honing 5X every 30 minutes or so, just a brief pause. I carve with about a dozen of different sweeps, built up from blades, in Pacific Northwest native-style design handles sized just for my front paws! 20 degree gouges are OK, 25 for all 3 of my carving adzes.

 

[woodspirits]

Just wondering if anyone has any tried and trust "grandmas" methods for working with dry wood?

The only stuff I have access to right now is so dry that my brand new Bahco can't even cut through the stuff. Soaking in water isn't having much of an effect.

is this particular piece of wood special to you in some way? if not go and cut another that will be easier to carve.

 

[Nice65]

The only stuff I have access to right now is so dry that my brand new Bahco can't even cut through the stuff. Soaking in water isn't having much of an effect.

Get a Silky, it'll whistle while it works. Honest.

I've had both, the Bahco is like using a file, the Silky is an actual saw.

 

[David LaFerney]

is this particular piece of wood special to you in some way? if not go and cut another that will be easier to carve.

I second that, but if you are committed to using what you have then just keep your knife sharp and take your time. But if possible just go out and cut a new piece.

 

[mrcharly]

bahco, silky, etc are made for cutting through green wood. Try an ordinary carpenter's saw instead.

 

[forrestdweller]

bahco, silky, etc are made for cutting through green wood. Try an ordinary carpenter's saw instead.

most silkys are available with different TPI ratios: coarse, medium and fine;some with extra fine for bamboo, too.... . easy to get replacement blades for different types of wood

 

[Chris the Fish]

I use my silky sugoi for 95% of sawing, whether it's green wood, logs or pine strip wood from b&q. I abuse the hell out of it. I love it, they are so good. I've also used the smaller oyakata and have the pocket boy 170 for xmas (I hope).

I spent time going from saw to saw but there is nothing that comes close to them for speed/sharpness/cleanliness of cut.

You can even buy similar blades from these guys to put in a frame

http://www.fine-tools.com/gestell.html


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dean]

As others have stated unless you really like the wood just go and cut another piece, this question has come up in discussion on other wood carving groups and the general answer was to boil the wood then leave it submerged for at least a week to soften it depending on it being a soft or hard wood. Hope this helps.

 

[hughlle1]

I find these responses rather interesting.

1. The Bahco works just fine as a saw, it's worked on wet wood without a problem. Sure there will be better, but as far as a saw goes it works fine. The issue is simply the dryness if this wood. this stuff is so dry it won't even make economical firewood, it is like steel.

2. "cut some different wood".. for a bushcraft forum this seems absurdly defeatist. You work with what you have. this is what I have.

As per my OP, this is the only wood I have access to, so this is what I am using. Cutting more might be fine for you but I have what I have, end of. people do t seem to like read I g my threads properly :/

Thanks for the odd post with useful I put though. I'll have a go at boiling it.

 

[Dave Budd]

unless you've used a silky, then you really have no idea of the difference between them and a bacho! The bacho will saw green wood well enough, but nothing like a silky does! Also as mentioned, they come with a range of teeth formats and will whistle through pretty much anything. I've used mine to saw through bone amongst other things!

If you are insistent on using the piece of firewood that you have, then I can't see any realistic way of softening it. So you will just have to use sharp tools with appropriate edge angles and put up with small cuts and slow progress.

Maybe weighting the log down under water for weeks or more might work to some extent.

 

[hughlle1]

unless you've used a silky, then you really have no idea of the difference between them and a bacho! The bacho will saw green wood well enough, but nothing like a silky does! Also as mentioned, they come with a range of teeth formats and will whistle through pretty much anything. I've used mine to saw through bone amongst other things!

If you are insistent on using the piece of firewood that you have, then I can't see any realistic way of softening it. So you will just have to use sharp tools with appropriate edge angles and put up with small cuts and slow progress.

Maybe weighting the log down under water for weeks or more might work to some extent.

Yup. I've my knives and my stone and just being persistant. Kind of a key bushcraft principal. It's working, even if slow progress.

As to the saw. I bought it purely for cutting fresh wood. I'm simply using it here because it is what I have. I fully intend to buy a good carving hatchet for real work once I'm in a position to put more time into this. As it is, I'm working with what I have. I don't really like the idea of saws, but if a cop out in my mind.

 

[woodspirits]

I find these responses rather interesting.

1. The Bahco works just fine as a saw, it's worked on wet wood without a problem. Sure there will be better, but as far as a saw goes it works fine. The issue is simply the dryness if this wood. this stuff is so dry it won't even make economical firewood, it is like steel.

2. "cut some different wood".. for a bushcraft forum this seems absurdly defeatist. You work with what you have. this is what I have.

As per my OP, this is the only wood I have access to, so this is what I am using. Cutting more might be fine for you but I have what I have, end of. people do t seem to like read I g my threads properly :/

Thanks for the odd post with useful I put though. I'll have a go at boiling it.

your response to the combined experience of the good members of this forum is outstandingly provocative and downright insulting. your 12 month + piece of wood is all you have and all you have access to? your not going to have much of a hobby are you? wont even make firewood, like steel? yes of course we are going to suggest find another piece which is exactly what would be done outside of your bedroom.

 

[Laurentius]

unless you've used a silky, then you really have no idea of the difference between them and a bacho! The bacho will saw green wood well enough, but nothing like a silky does! Also as mentioned, they come with a range of teeth formats and will whistle through pretty much anything. I've used mine to saw through bone amongst other things!

If you are insistent on using the piece of firewood that you have, then I can't see any realistic way of softening it. So you will just have to use sharp tools with appropriate edge angles and put up with small cuts and slow progress.

Maybe weighting the log down under water for weeks or more might work to some extent.

I have never used a silky I admit, but I reckon you will not find a finer saw than the one on an SAK, cut's through antler anyway which is the same thing as bone.

 

[Dave Budd]

no, antler and bone are not the same thing

A SAK saw is a good saw, but is very short and has a very wide kerf, which means that is is removing a lot of wood and thus relatively slow progress compared to a silky (or any other thinner bladed saw). My largest silky is the Katanaboy, it has a blade that cuts a kerf a little less than that of the SAK, but the teeth are about 5 times the size; it's also about 550mm long! I also have a blade for one of my silkys that has 20tpi and a kerf of about 0.3mm, so while it has a very fine cut it is slow progress.

Every tool has it's correct place

 

[hughlle1]

your response to the combined experience of the good members of this forum is outstandingly provocative and downright insulting. your 12 month + piece of wood is all you have and all you have access to? your not going to have much of a hobby are you? wont even make firewood, like steel? yes of course we are going to suggest find another piece which is exactly what would be done outside of your bedroom!

If I had the time to go and find something more suitible, I wouldn't have made the thread.. I stated quite clearly this is the only wood I have. How is this a hard concept?

Of course the suggestion of getting better wood is a valid and good suggestion. But that is rather irrelevant to this thread given the OP

And no, it might be much if a hobby, but it's what I currently have. I'm sorry I have responsibilities that hinder my living the dream.

Thanks for that post Dave Budd and laurentius. As I say, I dint plan on replacing the saw (yet, haha) but it was interesting to look into those two saws and reading that comparison. I find shopping impossible without forum input (amazon customer reviews etc are all too often written by people who clearly have no understanding of what makes the product good or bad). Product descriptions are essentially worthless.

 

[Laurentius]

no, antler and bone are not the same thing

A SAK saw is a good saw, but is very short and has a very wide kerf, which means that is is removing a lot of wood and thus relatively slow progress compared to and pruning

Every tool has it's correct place

Yes the longest is on the 110 mm range, but it is the most used tool for me other than the bottle opener, I use it for general woodwork and pruning because it is there in my pocket and convenient, I would be lost without it. I suppose it is a matter of compromise really, the best tool is the one you have with you, when I do not have the larger version with me, I at least have my SAK Farmer which I can take virtually anywhere.

 

[hughlle1]

Yes the longest is on the 110 mm range, but it is the most used tool for me other than the bottle opener, I use it for general woodwork and pruning because it is there in my pocket and convenient, I would be lost without it. I suppose it is a matter of compromise really, the best tool is the one you have with you, when I do not have the larger version with me, I at least have my SAK Farmer which I can take virtually anywhere.

This is why I always loved my leatherman. It was a Jack of all trades and far far from a master of any. But that convenience! As I stated earlier, I'd rather an axe, grew up with them. So for me a shorter saw is better (as is a shorter axe). As far as a budget saw goes the bahco is great, but it is pretty big for the size of wood I (plan to) use it on. I always like things to be pocketable