Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:07:50 -0500
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Sculpting Pine Wood?


Linden is superb.  We know it as bass wood.  Pine is fine in fact If
you can get sugar pine, it is very nice soft carving wood.  The pine
you have Mathieu is probably fine.  I use spruce 2X4 s all the time
for bodies or legs.  Not sure I'd use it on a face though.  I agree
that a band saw and a belt sander would work wonders on it.  There are
some other woods I really like to use.  Maple for controls.  It is
hard as rock and I use the above tools.  It is extraordinarily strong
and holds fine detail.  I bought a 12 foot piece of 4X 8 of bass wood
twenty five years ago and have 2 feet left. It iis a good all around
wood for heads and hands.  Black walnut is another favorite for
carving very small rod puppet heads and hands.  I use dremel drills
with carving burrs.  My very favorite wood for a 2-3" diameter head is
holly .  I have only two puppets out of holly.  It is very slow going
and again is mostly grinders till the end, when I use chisels and
knives for fine detail. The polished holly looks like porceline and I
don't finish it with any paint or sealer.

On Mon, Dec 22, 2008 at 3:03 AM, Caro Stewart <taocila-AT-yahoo.com> wrote:
> Mathieu, one of the best wood for carving is linden. It doesn't scratch nor dents easily. I was told that the puppets/marionettes in our Romanian puppet theater were carved from linden. It was amazing to see puppet heads, hands or shoes looking like new after being used for at least 500 shows. I haven't used it yet, since I had cedar and pine around for free (when living in Queen Charlotte Islands, BC).
> About balsa, I only looked and touched it, never carved it. Let us know how the pine wood worked for you.
>
> --- On Sun, 12/21/08, Mathieu René <creaturiste-AT-primus.ca> wrote:
>
> From: Mathieu René <creaturiste-AT-primus.ca>
> Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Sculpting Pine Wood?
> To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
> Date: Sunday, December 21, 2008, 11:20 PM
>
> Thanks for your input, Carolina.
>
> Yes,  Pine has long fibers. I find it requires a lot of filing and sanding,
> but when done properly, the grain shows beautifully, especially at the tips
> of dowels.
>
> The three main reasons why I'm still using pine (for controllers, some
> rough
> body parts, and bases) are:
>
> -economical: I already have the leftover pieces, I can get more for cheap.
>
> -ecological: re-using something that would otherwise be burned or trashed.
>
> -Flexible: I try to adapt to whatever material I already have on hand, or
> can get easily. I do not want to be a "slave" to a material I would
> have to
> import every time I need it. Delays on delivery can put a deadlined project
> in danger, as well. Once is enough for me, thank you!
>  (I found out the hard way how Apoxie Sculpt was inappropriate for making a
> very small marionette head and hands, the head cast in molds: too heavy, too
> brittle(fingers), very hard to paint.)
>
>
> Balsa to me seems like THE wood to avoid for making wooden puppets.
> It's so easy to dent, scratch and break.
> Then again, it could be used (instead of styrofoam) and covered in paper
> mache, if it didn't cost so much.
>
>
>
>
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