# Carving a model with lots of compound curves



## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

Now that I know what glue to use, I now ask which is the best wood to use for my sculpture. I first thought about using balsa due to it's ease of contouring, but it might be too soft to use. I have never used bass wood. How easy is bass wood to carve? Think of a large block of wood that was made up by gluing 1" thick planks together and carving ridges and valleys into it. At first, I thought I might glue common pine boards together, but didn't feel I could carve into it, especially the end grain. This is what I'm trying to carve.
https://i.pinimg.com/236x/a8/42/cf/a842cf3a1ee13610043da520c244f746--pennsylvania-railroad-the-railroad.jpg


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## Berto (Apr 27, 2014)

Basswood makes a nice medium to work with. Easy to carve, firm enough to hold lots of detail and easy to finish.

You mentioned "glue" and gluing up 1" think planks - You can purchase Basswood in different width/thickness/lengths. I've been able to pick up 4" x 6" x 36" Basswood from WOODCRAFT. Easier to glue up a couple larger pieces than numerous smaller ones (imho).

Google can help you with finding something local.


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

Many woodcarvers prefer basswood because of its qualities (described above). You could even have the glue-up done to your specs by Heinecke Wood Products. Remember that sanding to final form may damage the fine details.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

Ron - what size will your train be ?
I second the suggestion of bass wood.
for glued up blanks, I would look for consistent grain features
and assemble them accordingly.
since this is going to an all painted project, I think that the type 
of glue does not matter. if you use epoxy, it will create a hard line
and could leave a very noticeable seam after sanding as it is much 
harder than the wood.
that's gonna be one fun project !!










.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

> Ron - what size will your train be ?
> I second the suggestion of bass wood.
> for glued up blanks, I would look for consistent grain features
> and assemble them accordingly.
> ...


Thanks John. The model will be 48" long x 7" wide x 9" tall. The middle portion, being more or less flat, is already done. The two contoured ends are my next task and I have just ordered basswood in 1" x 4" x 18" long planks. I will glue them up into the rough shape needed and use a combination of carving tools, scrapers, grinders and sanders to contour the pieces. The two ends will be identical. In order to get a smooth gloss finish, especially on the end grain, I'm thinking of using a CA glue to fill the grain, similar to what wood turners do to get a smooth finish. What do you think about that idea?

I will end up with seams that I'm thinking to fill with Bondo, before sanding smooth.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

> Basswood makes a nice medium to work with. Easy to carve, firm enough to hold lots of detail and easy to finish.
> 
> You mentioned "glue" and gluing up 1" think planks - You can purchase Basswood in different width/thickness/lengths. I ve been able to pick up 4" x 6" x 36" Basswood from WOODCRAFT. Easier to glue up a couple larger pieces than numerous smaller ones (imho).
> 
> ...


Originally I was looking for a solid block of basswood, 6" x 8" x 18", but couldn't find in that size, not even in balsa, so I just ordered some 1" x4" x 18" basswood planks and will glue them up to the required size. At $81.00, I am now committed to basswood. I wanted to use a material called "high density urethane" precision board. It comes in different densities and the density I was interested in would cost about $340. Although it is the perfect choice for carving contours, it is way too expensive for me to use.


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## John Smith_inFL (Dec 15, 2017)

Ron - if you wanted to try some HDU, I can send you some.
I have quite a bit left from my sign making career.
I can glue up a solid blank in whatever size you need.
PM me your address and I'll send it to you.
if you don't think it will fit your needs, you can always use it
for something else.

.

.


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## Planeman40 (Nov 3, 2010)

Basswood is a good choice. White pine is also good, but not quite as good as basswood. And I used Aspen for a train model (https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/369457), (https://www.lumberjocks.com/projects/369465). Aspen is interesting as it has almost no grain, is a light colored wood, and works well. It holds detail very well. Its negatives are it doesn't take stain very well and is a bit harder than basswood. The grain is so tight that Aspen is almost like working with a plastic.


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## ClaudeF (Sep 22, 2013)

I agree with Phil. http://www.heineckewood.com/ will do custom size blocks at no additional cost (pay per board foot, basically). It's good Northern Basswood.

Claude


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