Post #30660 by PolynesianPop on Thu, Apr 17, 2003 9:17 AM

MT,
Lately, I've been carving with Pine. I don't know the different kinds of pine so I'm not exactly sure what type it is.

I've been carving the logs sooner than later because they're softer. I have a pine log that I dried out (about 12 months) and its hard as a rock. I don't even want to carve it anymore because I'm afraid it will really dull my chisels! Now I'm carving logs that are only about 30 days dry. I just seal them completely with several thick coats of varnish (per ChikiTiki's advice) and so far, they've been fine - no cracks, checks, etc.

The negatives about carving these pine logs in comparison to palm is that they're a heavier because they're still densly packed with sap. This makes it a little harder to manage the log. Also, they seem to be a little more of a pain to bark. Other than that, they smell great while you carve em - Pine Fresh!!!

BTW - I'm no pro, so take this info with a grain of salt, if you will. I know a few other carvers on this board have carved pine - Chiki, Tikifille, Hula Hula to name a few. Maybe they can give you some input as well.