Wood it's characteristics and use in model building

Jimsky said:
Here is another article knowledge about the boxwood (real boxwood)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buxus
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Castello Boxwood is actually a good wood for model building and carving there is no argument about that.

the issue is leaving out the "substitute or alternative" to boxwood and not suggesting it is boxwood but call the wood what it really is Lemonwood or Pau Marfim or whatever it happens to be.

As an example if you were to purchas a carving that stated made of "ivory" you would naturally assume it is actually ivory because the seller left out the word "Alternative"

the proper name would be Castello Alternative Boxwood and not Boxwood or even South Americam boxwood

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Holly is hard, dense and bends wonderfully as well as being flawless (unless cut in winter, in which case may contain greyish stains) and vey white. Poplar is a very good substitute for Basswood very flaw free easily worked, holds a edge. Color is a little uninteresting but can be stained.
 
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Jack Sparrow said:
have a question. Is limewood the same thing as boxwood? I see in certain kits that they use limewood instead of boxwood and it almost sounds like they are the same thing?
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Jack, I think it is a typo with Boxwood, it probably said Basswood.

Limewood (also known as basswood) is the most popular type of wood for carving. Whether you're a complete beginner or a member of the carving elite, this species should be near the top of your list. Extremely soft and crisp, lime wood is perfect for intricate carving and works exceptionally well with hand tools.
 
Jack Sparrow said:
i wonder why they make this substitution?
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Basswood and Boxwood are totally different woods. Kit makers will rarely use Boxwood and will use Basswood instead the reason is cost you can buy Basswood for around $8.00 a board foot Boxwood cost $32.00 and up per board foot. Also Boxwood is very hard and difficult to work with as were Basswood is an easy working wood.

As Jim pointed out Basswood and Limewood are the same thing. Just like Sweet gum and Red gum are the same thing just depends on where you live. Kind of like saying soda and pop same thing just called different.

Basswood is the go to wood for carving all those old wooden statues you see in churches are carved from Basswood. It is great for solid objects but not so great as a structural wood because it is soft and weak.
 
The English and Europeans in general use Lime. The limewood has a grainier, darker, more iridescent quality than Boxwood. I'we used the lime strips I got in European kits for deck planks. I was very happy with the way it finished and its depth of color.
Oops. I meant to say basswood which is the counterpart of limewood as used and supplied in most American kits. As opposed to Boxwood.
 
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Jimsky said:
Jack, I think it is a typo with Boxwood, it probably said Basswood.

Limewood (also known as basswood) is the most popular type of wood for carving. Whether you're a complete beginner or a member of the carving elite, this species should be near the top of your list. Extremely soft and crisp, lime wood is perfect for intricate carving and works exceptionally well with hand tools.
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My bad. you are correct. I seem to get boxwood and basswood mixed up
 
Peter Gutterman said:
The English and Europeans in general use Lime. The limewood has a grainier, darker, more iridescent quality than Boxwood. I'we used the lime strips I got in European kits for deck planks. I was very happy with the way it finished and its depth of color.
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are you saying Limewood has moe iridescent qualty than boxwood. Limewood and Basswood are way softer than boxwood. boxwood is hard enough you can polish it like marble.
 
Dave Stevens (Lumberyard) said:
This was a hard learned lesson in color changing. This is a model hull of the Great Lakes bulk carrier Argo.
it is an old photo and the color is faded but it demonstrates what happens to wood over time or cutting the same plank of wood a year later.
The colored arrows are pointing to section of the hull built over different times. The front section was built first and the wood ages darker then the light green arrow at the stern. The darker blue arrow is the same framing stock cut about a year later. Wood cut at different times do not "catch up" to the older wood. As the newer framing stock is aging darker the older framing stock is also aging darker at the darker green arrow at the bow section.

if you are going to frame up a hull it is best to cut ALL the framing stock at the same time or you will end up with color zones in the hull. The deadwood at the stern is the same wood as the frames at the bow just cut much later in the build.

color will also vary as in the last post so if you start a project and maybe 6 months or year later and you reorder more wood, maybe you will get the same color as before OR maybe not and it will not match what you have already done.

View attachment 45793
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What kind of wood did you use for the frames? I'm having a problem with that right now and don't know what is best to use. Norgale
 
Norgale said:
What kind of wood did you use for the frames? I'm having a problem with that right now and don't know what is best to use. Norgale
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framing of the Argo was done in Beech, it takes a long time for Beech to change color as apposed to a wood like Cherry which will change within months.

i have noticed in the shop the patina on wood from aging does not go very deep in the wood and it can be sanded off. however the longer the wood sits the deeper the patina will go. I have boards of Cherry sitting around for a few years that darkened, when i sanded the wood the dark patina was a good 1/16 inch

what wood are you using? and exactly what is the issue? are you using a new fresh cut wood on an older project?
 
Thanks for the reply Dave. I used plywood first and got pretty much all of the frames set. They didn't line up well at all and I removed them all but ruined the whole thing trying to get it apart. So I'm starting over and wondered if there was a better wood that is common at Home Depot or such and won't break my meager bank. Basswood has been suggested along with pear or apple which I can't get in large pieces ( the mid-hull frames are 13" wide and 12" tall, the rest get smaller by degrees) and then there is poplar suggested in this post which I tend toward using. Otherwise I may have to use plywood again but the frames are soft and flexible and tend to separate at the plys in some places especially near the keel. I used cabinet grade plywood but maybe there is something better. Norgale.
 
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