Kuksa question please?

[Sundowner]

I've been scouring both on here and YT for some time but im still no wiser whether to use green wood or seasoned wood?
My thinking is...
Green wood is more likely to crack/split when it dries but easier to carve?
Do people really use water to make carving easier?
Would Beech be ok?
Once carved, do you oil the inside too?
Desperate to get started so any help is appreciated, thanks!!

 

[crosslandkelly]

I'vecarved them using green wood with no problems. Keep the kuksa in a paper bag with the shavings, while your not doing any thing to it, this helps to slow the drying process and minimise the risks of cracking. Beech is fine to carve, but it can be a bit bland. I also oil the inside of the bowl. Happy carving.

 

[Sundowner]

Thank you for that reply crosslandkelly!!
I'm just fed up waiting for a bit of birch I've been asking gardeners/tree surgeons and estate workers for months now!! If it wasn't such a crime I'd have gone out and felled on myself!! Never mind a birch burl, seems to be as rare as hen's teeth!!

 

[Glass-Wood-Steel]

I would steer clear of burrs if cracking is a worry. They can be quite unpredictable because of the crazy grain.

 

[Stew]

I'm trying to psych myself up to start one in some bits of whitebeam I've just trimmed. I know it'll be a challenge to carve but don't want to waste the wood.

 

[bobnewboy]

I have oiled the inside and outside of the 3 I’ve made. One in seasoned hard maple, which was hard going but looked great at the end, and two in green wood. Much easier to carve, and to get a good finish with a blade. Its a balance between the ease of carving and the risks of splitting. Seasoned wood is very much less likely to split, and so the extra effort required might be seen as a good payoff.

 

[Sundowner]

Just found a clip on YT where the guy uses dead standing "white pine" which of course is real easy to carve. Perhaps I should start with that one!

 

[Broch]

In my experience, the nearer the heartwood your working piece comes from the more likely it is to crack. The stress created by the different drying and shrinking between heartwood and the outer layers causes cracking. Consequently, the smaller the source was (i.e. small branch as opposed to large trunk) the harder it is to get a working piece that does not crack. So, if you can get a piece of wood split out of a largish timber you should have fewer problems (again, in my experience, more skilled craftsmen/women can probably deal with it).

I quite like sycamore for such tasks; it's relatively easy to work when green and it grows like a weed in many places

 

[Sundowner]

In my experience, the nearer the heartwood your working piece comes from the more likely it is to crack. The stress created by the different drying and shrinking between heartwood and the outer layers causes cracking. Consequently, the smaller the source was (i.e. small branch as opposed to large trunk) the harder it is to get a working piece that does not crack. So, if you can get a piece of wood split out of a largish timber you should have fewer problems (again, in my experience, more skilled craftsmen/women can probably deal with it).

I quite like sycamore for such tasks; it's relatively easy to work when green and it grows like a weed in many places

Ok Mr. Broch, the timber search has just been made wider to include Sycamore, thanks!!

 

[crosslandkelly]

Do you know any tree surgeons in your area? They can be a good source for a decent piece of good wood. Fruit trees are an excelent choice.

 

[Sundowner]

Do you know any tree surgeons in your area? They can be a good source for a decent piece of good wood. Fruit trees are an excelent choice.

I've got 2 different ones on the go but will tell them about the other, above mentioned trees tomorrow!!