I’ve had trouble on occasion where the wood grain of my stock is so pronounced that it completely overwhelms my carving detail. Here’s a recent example:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1Sx8UoqolwlR25PSmFGcm9fdjQ/view?usp=sharing
This carving was made in poplar and then stained. Anyone have some suggestions on how best to avoid or at least minimize this? I know there is always the option of something like MDF, but I really like the look and feel of real wood on a project like this. Maybe a different kind of wood recommendation?
Try select pine (no knots), Maple, Cherry or Mahogany. Red or White Oak is another good choice.
Thanks for the suggestion, Marc. I do have some scrap Home Depot common board I could take a look at. Sometimes that stuff is hit or miss, but I might have something with less pronounced grain I could use.
I have been doing items like this in a different way. I stain first, then carve. It gives great contrast!
Not mine but similar -
Sign
I agree with @TysonSwan, the problem is with the finish, not the wood.
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I like Tyson’s idea too, and it would work well if I was just making a simple 2D clock face. However, with the 3D part that features the two people it wouldn’t work so well.
Some wood species , poplar included, can tend to have a soft pliable grain texture that does not shear cleanly as it is cut but instead, gets pushed a little bit out of the way as the cutting edge goes past or fails to detatch the fibers completly resulting ing a “fuzzy” apppearance. Sharp cutting edges can help but not always, and sanding the fuzzies only removes the detail that much more. a differnent piece of wood oran alternate wood species altogether is your best bet in these instances.
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