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Carving american chestnut?

2K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  doordude 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
A local has a small chestnut trunk that he saved for me, it isn't all that large for any serious sized projects, the trunk is about 14"x maybe 4'. The blight finally killed it so I'm getting that and one of the larger limbs. On the hardness scale it doesn't rank all that high so would it be any good for figural carving? I've been wanting to get into something like that and splitting the trunk in 4 seems like it could make 4 pieces to try on.

Also is it any good for cutting boards, although it may seem sacrilegious I could try to snag some of the smaller branches if he still has them and turn them into strips for cutting boards.
 
#3 ·
I haven't carved chestnut yet, but I have pecan and walnut, and butternut. Yes,the fibers are a pain for high detail work. I love carving… but if you see something in the log go for it. We carvers change methods for each wood anyway.. let the material guide the process, but not let it over power the goal. I currently am drying four 3ft logs about 13-14" dia of elm.. can't use em for the next two years…but they are mine!!! :) for yours though i'd get them waxed and sealed or cut them up before you get interior checking. What kind of figure carving are you thinking?
 
#4 ·
I was thinking of carving some caryatids, thought it would be cool to build workbench legs that have more form then function while still being highly functional. I've wanted to do some kind of carving for quite some time and I'm looking for an excuse to try it.
 
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