# Florida wood for carving



## karen936 (Dec 29, 2012)

I'm pretty new to carving and I have only used norfolk pine. My neighbor glues cypress boards together for reliefs that look nice. What other woods would you recommend for a newer chainsaw carver here in southwest florida. I like the look of camphor carved but can't find it local. Thanks in advance and Happy New Year.


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## TreeGuyHR (Dec 29, 2012)

There's a lot of oak. Not sure how this oak was carved (photo taken in Bushnell, FL, a couple years ago)

View attachment 270252
View attachment 270253


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## karen936 (Dec 30, 2012)

*Thanks*



TreeGuyHR said:


> There's a lot of oak. Not sure how this oak was carved (photo taken in Bushnell, FL, a couple years ago)
> 
> View attachment 270252
> View attachment 270253



Thanks. I would really like to try and carve some softer woods, just don't know which ones are considered softer other than cedar and maybe camphor down here. Thanks again.


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## rskybiz (Jan 19, 2013)

Cypress is a very nice wood to carve. We also have sweetgum galore that is also nice to work with. Good luck and should you need some I'm 15+min from Gainesville 
Joel


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## karen936 (Jan 19, 2013)

*softer wood*



rskybiz said:


> Cypress is a very nice wood to carve. We also have sweetgum galore that is also nice to work with. Good luck and should you need some I'm 15+min from Gainesville
> Joel



Thanks Joe but I'm at the other end Fort Myers.


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## rskybiz (Jan 19, 2013)

No problem I have a friend near you who is due a visit I could send him home with some for you. What size things are you carving?


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## karen936 (Jan 19, 2013)

*size*



rskybiz said:


> No problem I have a friend near you who is due a visit I could send him home with some for you. What size things are you carving?



Gosh thats awful nice of you. View attachment 274273
My stuff is about 4 feet tall and 1 foot across. 
View attachment 274274



View attachment 274275


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## rskybiz (Jan 19, 2013)

Very nice looking carvings! I'll post you a pm when my friend is comming up and send him back with a couple blanks for you to work with. May be a month out but hope to get you hooked up with some good stuff! Till then happy carving.


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## karen936 (Jan 19, 2013)

rskybiz said:


> Very nice looking carvings! I'll post you a pm when my friend is comming up and send him back with a couple blanks for you to work with. May be a month out but hope to get you hooked up with some good stuff! Till then happy carving.



Thanks really appreciate that, I've still got a long way to go, but I really do enjoy it the only problem is lots of time I have to wait long time in between wood so I have to start over, we want to move to Tennesse and then I think wood won't be an issue, I'm hoping, thanks again. There's some red oak on craigslist here hows that for carving.


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## rskybiz (Jan 19, 2013)

Red oak is hard and the cracking and checking, happen easily.


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## karen936 (Jan 20, 2013)

*camphor*



rskybiz said:


> Red oak is hard and the cracking and checking, happen easily.



Hey, have you tried carving camphor my neighbor did a piece and the colors of the wood are beautiful.


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## rskybiz (Jan 20, 2013)

karen936 said:


> Hey, have you tried carving camphor my neighbor did a piece and the colors of the wood are beautiful.



I have not I am also new in my desire to carve. I climb and have been doing so since 1999 I get requests from clients frequently and have begun to try. I do mushrooms galore (wifes favorite). I would think it should be good to carve. If you have Hackberry down there I would try that also, it will carve nice I'm sure if still green or moderately so.


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## jason8217 (Feb 25, 2013)

*Look for Pecan*

I have come across some pecan and it is nice to carve on. So far no splitting or cracking and I cut off a piece and let set in sun for 2 weeks now and still looks nice. I am near Tampa.


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