If you want to start a new carving process, you need to know if the wood you have is good for it. Do you want to use ash wood for carving? Dive into this page to know the answer!
Carving Ash Wood
Ashwood is good for carving due to its durability and resistance. Many people like using hardwoods for their carving projects, and ash wood is an excellent example of the benefits it can get you. It will last for years and years.
Although Oak is one of the most durable hardwoods on the market, Ash is even stronger than it, and that makes it a top option for anyone looking forward to making a project with durable hardwood.
Ash is one of the most affordable types of wood on the market, so picking it for carving projects can also save you a lot of money.
Keep in mind, though, that thanks to how hard ash wood is, you need sharp tools if you want to carve it. Some people even use ash wood for chainsaw carving.
Are There Any Drawbacks to Using Ash Wood for Carving?
Using ash wood for carving has some drawbacks, but they are not a setback that could keep you from picking this option for your future projects.
However, they are things you should do to make sure they don’t bother you during the carving process.
The first “problem” with ash wood in carving projects is how hard this type of wood is. Although we previously mentioned this was good, it may be a setback for someone with trouble with harder pieces.
If you don’t use sharpened tools for the job, carving wood will be almost impossible due to the wood’s durability, so you need to ensure you’re getting premium-quality tools for your project.
Weather can be problematic when carving ash since this type of wood is not weather-resistant. You should also keep it away from any insects or fungi that could damage it. We recommend you don’t use ash wood for outdoor projects.
Apart from that, people carving ash wood need to do it in the direction of the grain, but noticing where grain is in ash wood can be a bit complex at times.
Besides those issues, there are no problems with carving ashwood.
What About the Benefits of Carving Ash Wood?
Now that you know all the cons of carving ash wood, you should also know the benefits you’ll get when doing it. The first of them is how affordable ash wood is. Since not many people use this kind of wood for their woodworking projects, it has become cheaper.
Hence, people working on a budget won’t have to spend that much money on them.
As we mentioned before, the durability of ash wood can be both a pro and a con. What are the benefits of working with durable wood? Mainly that anything you carve will last years. You won’t have to worry about your project losing its shine or deteriorating over time.
There are also many types of ash, so you can pick the one that best fits the vibe you want for your project. We mentioned ash wood wasn’t good for outdoor projects, which makes it excellent for indoors!
You won’t have any problem with ashwood as long as you keep it in a safe place in your house, so it’s excellent for home or office decorations.
Some Tips to Carve Ash Wood
Carving ash wood is relatively easy, but if you want to make it even easier, get high-quality tools. Try to sharpen them for at least a few hours before carving the wood to ensure they are up for the job too.
If you want to go for the easiest path to carve ashwood, use a chainsaw. Remember that carving takes time, so have all the patience you can and be ready to spend some time on it.
Beginners should always get a bit more wood than what they need for the actual project to practice before starting to carve what they want.
Bottom Line
Do you want to start carving? There are many wood options available for you on the market. Ash is more than a decent alternative, so don’t hesitate to use it to carve something that will stay with you for a long time.
Regardless of that, if you want to use other types of wood for your carving project and don’t know if they are good, you can check out our website! We have many articles discussing different wood types that best fit any carving projects.
