How hard to carve figured mahogany?

Re: How hard to carve figured mahogany?

Sam Simpson

>Hi Y'all,

Todd, I don't think one is any more difficult to carve than the other. I would base my choice of material on the ability of the grain to support the weight. If you consider that the figured wood has enough strength (not too much short grain at critical points - thin curved ankle) to support the weight it is asked to bear, then go for it.

Carving is always a shearing action, while negotiating a curved cut you are just as likely to be annoyed by the direction of straight grain as with wild grain. The most difficult part of a ball and claw foot is negotiating the curved ankle where you have to change direction at the bottom of the curve. You might find this condition improved with figured grain, it certainly will not be made worse. If your leg calls for a carved knee you might well find figured grain an advantage, because a fully relieved acanthus on the prow of the knee is very susceptible to splintering as the grain gets very short with straight grained wood.

Regards Sam Simpson.

Re: How hard to carve figured mahogany?

Todd from San Jose

>Sam,

That's great info, thanks a lot. Now I think the issue becomes more economic, I'll have to decide whether or not to break the piggy bank open for figured wood. But seeing how I only complete a piece of furniture every 6 months or so, I think it'd be worth the investment for the beauty it'll give our home.

Thank you!

Todd

Re: How hard to carve figured mahogany?

Sam Simpson

>Hi Y'all,

That's easy Todd. Just pay yourself less and spend more on materials. :)

Regards Sam Simpson.

I would do plain

Dan Donaldson

>Not because of any difficulty with the figured, which you can get around with sharp tools and technique, but rather because a ball anc claw foot is relatively complex with quite a bit of detail, and you want to call attention to the carving and not the grain in the wood in this instance. I am not a "good" carver by any stretch, and I am not too artistic, but I think that carvings look much better when the carving and the grain do not compete. An exception to this might be a case where the grain suggests something and the carving is used to accentuate it

Just my 2 cents;-)

Re: How hard to carve figured mahogany?

Dave Anderson Chester, NH

>Hi Todd- I'd go for plain mahogany for the legs. You want the interest to be in the carving and not the figure, not to speak of the fact that it will be easier to carve the plain grained stuff. The figured stuff is better reserved for the top and the drawer fronts where it adds interest and shows itself off to its best advantage.

Re: How hard to carve figured mahogany?

Jim in Michigan

>I agree about using the plain mahogany. I just finished a bench for our bedroom and the regular carved very nicely. I agree with the others in that you want the carving to be the focal point and not the grain on those feet. I'd post a pic but don't really know how. If you want, I can send a few to you. I'm a rookie carver too and used a great article by Lonnie Bird in his book, The Complete Illustration Guide to Shaping Wood.

Hey Jim

Dan Donaldson

>Where are you in Michigan? I am in Canton.

As to the pictures, are they digital ones? If so, it is not too difficult to get them posted. There is some info in the FAQ about it, and if that doesn't make sense to you, send me a few and I will take a look to see what they would need to get posted.

Thanks guys...

Todd from San Jose

>You gave me some great info. I am leaning towards plain mahogany for the legs, and figured for the top and drawers (and maybe the sides).

But it's also good to know that carving figured wood isn't too tough, as I'm going to carve a fan into the figured wood of a drawer front.

-Todd

Re: Hey Jim

Jim in Michigan

>I'm in Fenton, about 20 minutes north of Brighton. I'll check the FAQ.

Thanks..