Help needed with locating carving wood

lancers21

Hi, im in the bristol area, and have really been struggling to find somewhere to buy a piece of wood to carve from! All i seem to be able to find is precut wood for building etc., that isnt suitable to then go in and carve into.
Was wondering if anyone out there knew of anywhere i can buy a lump of wood basically?
Any help will be greatly apprieciatied!

hex2

Hi Lancers, welcome to MSE.

My lovely husband does a bit of wood carving. It really depends on what size wood you want. If you are talking about big lumps then your local tree surgeon may be able to help. If you are talking little bits to try chip carving for example on then have a google on axminster tools, they sell smaller bits in their stores. We also bought some via mail order, again worth a google.

Good luck with it.

westcoastscot

Hi,
I'm interested in this too, but have had no luck finding anything - shall look at those links, thankyou hex2. I'm wanting to carve some spoons for use in the kitchen - I made myself a promise this year to only either make or purchase hand-made items for myself and my home where possible. I was hoping to find a kit of some sort as I haven't carved since my teens.
WCS

jammy_dodger

i live in NE scotland so "free "" wood is in abundance here . Me and my daughter have been on many bushcraft courses including swedish woodcarving , we make bowls spoons etc from any bits of wood

the best wood to use and easiest to carve is green wood ..freshly cut ,
do you have a copse or woodland about ?? with some fallen birch or sycamore , you'll only need a wrist thickness bit . say length of wrist to elbow to split and carve , may i suggest too a website www.bushcraftuk that will give you heaps of advice in there forums too

one of the easist wood for beginners to carve with is lime has a fine tight grain . we use a mora knife for carving splitting etc available on ray mears website or nordic outdoors sells em mial order

hth

any further advice please feel free to ask

Pretani

2nd hand Railway sleepers is one option.

MDF is another option and its easy to carve. It only comes in approx 2inch thickness, so if you want to bulk it up you can glue sheets together.

If you glue grained wood blocks together and place the grain in different directions, it would look nice when carved, sanded and stained.

Apollonia

http://www.yandles.co.uk/browse.php/section/32/level/2

Try Yandles - it's near Yeovil so you may even be able to visit in person, although you can shop online.

hex2

Found the supplier we used last time:

http://www.ockenden-timber.co.uk/

Lime carving blanks.

jammy_dodger

why dont you have a look about the ground in some local woodland ? you shouldnt have to buy wood to carve , even drift wood makes very fine carving medium , or ivy / rhodedendron ??? i wouldnt advocate railway sleepersif you intend to use the item for eating with / out of as sleepers are soaked in creosote . and please done use Yew its poisonous

Pretani

jammy_dodger wrote: »

why dont you have a look about the ground in some local woodland ? you shouldnt have to buy wood to carve , even drift wood makes very fine carving medium , or ivy / rhodedendron ??? i wouldnt advocate railway sleepersif you intend to use the item for eating with / out of as sleepers are soaked in creosote . and please done use Yew its poisonous

I didn't know that, good;) point.

jammy_dodger

fruit woods are also a lovely carving wood do you know anyone with an apple tree perhaps that a limb has been blown down on or they are cutting it back ? just at thought

lancers21

Thankyou ever so much for your replies, Im actually attempting to carve wooden puppets atm, so thats why im in search of wood, and also why I kinda needed to get a lump of it. I shall pursue all of your suggestions! and once again thankyou every so much!