Learn the different types of wood your instructor recommends carving.

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Video

Title: Best Carving Materials

Time: 5:42

Summary: Learn the different types of wood your instructor recommends carving.

[INTRO: MUSIC PLAYING]

Carving the right kind of wood will save you hours of struggle.

As a novice, it’s hard to know which type is best suited for cutting.

My recommendations are all plywoods,

which I prefer because they are available in larger sizes at a

reasonable price. Columbia Forest Products

manufacturers my favorite.

Their eco-friendly adhesive is food grade and soy-based.

The veneer is Cherry and the underlayers are either Poplar or Douglas Fir.

These woods have straight grain, which make cutting easier.

Cherry plywood is dense,

which is one of the material’s strengths. It maybe the hardest of my

recommendations,

but you need that characteristic to carve fine details.

Columbia Forest Products partners with Home Depot to offer fast

free home delivery. To purchase,

visit Home depot.com and search “pure bond cherry plywood.”

The wood is available in quarter inch, half inch,

and three quarter inch thicknesses.

Quarter inch is prone to warping and three quarter inch is unnecessarily

thick.

Select any half inch thickness available in various dimensions up to

48 inches square.

The wood will be delivered in five to seven days after completing your order.

As a bonus,

Columbia Forest Products will cut your wood to a smaller size at their

factory. For example,

you can order a 48 inch square and request the factory to

cut it into smaller pieces. First, complete your order.

Then click the custom cut banner midway down the product page

to request this service.

Please fill out the form on the next page and submit it. Voila,

your order will arrive cut to your specifications.

I also recommend Shina Plywood available at McClain’s Printmaking

in Oregon. It cuts like butter and holds fine details well.

Shina can be costly, especially in larger sizes. Still,

artists have told me time and again, the material’s

ease of use makes up for the additional expense.

If you have arthritis or want the best overall wood,

Shina is my recommendation.

My final recommendation is called Medium Density Fiberboard.

It’s often abbreviated as MDF. MDF is a combination

of sawdust and glue pressed into a flat sheet.

details can accidentally pop off or flake away when cutting.

Also, the glue content in MDF dulls cutting tips faster.

MDF is also super dusty. If you carve it,

wear a mask to avoid breathing in particles.

It works well as a budget option,

I recommend exploring the rustic beauty of well worn woods

once your skills reach an intermediate level. Finally,

remember to order enough wood to allow several attempts at

carving your design. Having extra is always helpful for practice.

I recommend storing plywood on a flat level surface.

Scrap pieces are ideal for experimenting before you make the final cut,

Please see the resource tab accompanying this video for additional

information.

[OUTRO: MUSIC PLAYING]

3/8″ Shina Plywood – imcclains.com
Shina plywood is your best option. It is easy to carve and holds fine details. The wood’s grain can be wire brushed and printed. However, it is the most expensive of your instructor’s recommendations, and inventory is limited to one online supplier. If you want to try Shina, McClains Printmaking sells a grab bag for experimentation.

or

1/2″ Cherry Plywood – homedepot.com
Cherry plywood is a better option. It is composed of hardwood, so carving it can be more difficult. Request Purebond Cherry Plywood by Columbia Forest Products if purchasing this product locally. Any B2 grade or higher cherry plywood will work, but Columbia is the brand your instructor uses. Ensure you don’t buy cherry-veneered Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF).

or

1/2″ Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) – homedepot.com
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is a good option. MDF is compressed sawdust, so carving it is easy. It is locally available and inexpensive. Small details are more challenging to carve because the material may flake away. Because of the MDF’s glue content, you will spend extra time sharpening your chisel tips. Also, MDF lacks woodgrain, which can be used in your design.

Do not use 3/4″ thick material. It is unnecessarily thick.

Plywood is manufactured by stacking thin sheets of wood. Use the other side of the sheet if you see any open areas underneath the veneer. Seams in the core are okay. You won’t be carving that deep.

FAQS

Q: The recommended link to buy cherry wood from Home Depot lists the max size for purchase as 4 feet by 4 feet. Do you know where I can get larger sizes?

You can find large sizes of cherry plywood in your local lumber yard. They may or may not carry our recommended Columbia Forest Products brand, but that is not an issue. Just ensure that the plywood’s quality rating is A or B. You can also find Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) in larger sizes at your local lumber yard, Lowes or Home Depot. If you are preparing for a BIG INK workshop, please ensure the retailer cuts the board down. To know the maximum size that can be printed, please refer to the workshop outline in the Student Center.

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