Thank you Andy. Start well from the basics for greater success in the carving stages. How then do you keep it "green" or do you get to carving it up fairly quickly?
A great question! Glue the ends of the log if you are not splitting it right away, and I will often keep a selection of split wood in a tub of water with a bit of white vinegar (keeps the water free of bacteria for longer), or even freeze some blanks if I can!
@andyspoons Thank you Andy! How long would you keep the wood in water and how frequently would you change water? (I'm asking because my access to green wood is limited)
great video and i am learning so much from you! Thank you for taking the time to teach us. You mentioned putting blanks in the freezer. Are blanks the wood before you axe it into billets? Also, do you have to thaw it out before carving? I have just found a bunch of apple wood that was cut down about 3 months ago. It still has a fair amount of moisture content, but I want to get it in the freezer before it dries out too much. i have been making billets for the freezer but maybe i don't have to go that far?
Billets for the freezer are a good move! Even if it's just to save the space! It's always best to keep it in the longest length of log with sealed ends if possible, but the moment you split the timber, the drying process increases dramatically
Really helpful thank you. How do you store your billets before you are ready to carve them?
Check a few comments back, I mention some techniques there 🙂
Beautiful timber. What part of the antipodes does it come from?
Acacia Melanoxylon is native to most of continental Australia 👌
Thank you Andy. Start well from the basics for greater success in the carving stages. How then do you keep it "green" or do you get to carving it up fairly quickly?
A great question! Glue the ends of the log if you are not splitting it right away, and I will often keep a selection of split wood in a tub of water with a bit of white vinegar (keeps the water free of bacteria for longer), or even freeze some blanks if I can!
@andyspoons Thank you Andy! How long would you keep the wood in water and how frequently would you change water? (I'm asking because my access to green wood is limited)
You can pretty much keep it in water indefinitely, and I would change out the water once every week or two
great video and i am learning so much from you! Thank you for taking the time to teach us. You mentioned putting blanks in the freezer. Are blanks the wood before you axe it into billets? Also, do you have to thaw it out before carving? I have just found a bunch of apple wood that was cut down about 3 months ago. It still has a fair amount of moisture content, but I want to get it in the freezer before it dries out too much. i have been making billets for the freezer but maybe i don't have to go that far?
Billets for the freezer are a good move! Even if it's just to save the space! It's always best to keep it in the longest length of log with sealed ends if possible, but the moment you split the timber, the drying process increases dramatically