# Outdoor wood



## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Is Spruce an acceptable wood for carving, painting, finishing, and displaying outside??

HJ

Another Scottart groupie


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

honesttjohn said:


> Is Spruce an acceptable wood for carving, painting, finishing, and displaying outside??
> 
> HJ
> 
> Another Scottart groupie


it's pine...
so it enters in to the realm of high maint and so-so suitability...


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Only reason I mentioned spruce is that's what's used up here for wood trim up on houses, especially tudors. Paint it every few years and it lasts. I've replaced part of my trim after 20 years, and some of the original boards are 30+ years old.

I figure red oak is out but was also wondering how maple faired.

Just looking at availability and cost.

HJ


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

@honesttjohn
you said carving...
that covers a lot of sizes... from logs, timbers to lumber...
once it splits from the variety of thickness, grain orientations and wood movement the maint factor climbs...
add water entry to the splits and degradation starts...
continuous wetness promotes rot.. freezing - more splitting... sun - drying out and unbalanced MC content...
like I said.. so-so suitability and high maint...
maintained trim on a structure id a whole different story...


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Good point, Stick. I'm referring to signs and stuff, about an inch or two thick. Kinda like what Scottart does. Also, got some slabs that are up to a few inches thick that fit on a CNC machine.

HJ


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

honesttjohn said:


> Good point, Stick. I'm referring to signs and stuff, about an inch or two thick. Kinda like what Scottart does. Also, got some slabs that are up to a few inches thick that fit on a CNC machine.
> 
> HJ


they'll split...


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## bgriggs (Nov 26, 2008)

Try cedar for outdoors.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Plus 1 for red cedar. Also redwood and teak are commonly used where weather resistance are needed but the cost of teak usually rules it out. I'm not sure what redwood is worth.


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## Scottart (Jan 8, 2015)

OK, in a dream world all my carvings would be out of Bass wood and would be stored in doors in a glass case. I would also like to live in a part of the world where I could find slaps of Walnut in peoples fire wood pile...like my mom's yard in Pennsylvania.

Alas, i live in Alaska, so much of what I do is spruce as it is all that is available in large formats. So I spend my time figuring out how to make it last out in the sun, rain and UV from endless days up here. ON large log carvings I run a split chainsaw cut down the back to control where the splitting occurs. I do find that reasonably dry Spruce, once sealed well will remain stable and stop splitting. The biggest killer is UV, and that turns it that weathered grey. Spar varnish is the best solution for that ( cabots) that I have found...... but I still loose that fight if the piece is in sun all day and not taken care of over the years. 

Cedar is wonderful outdoors but does not hold much detail, Redwood... never carved that. 

I want to learn more about carving foam for signs.....but it does not have appeal of wood. Wood is like a favorite dog.. it is going to pass some day, take care of it and enjoy it while it lasts.


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## Scottart (Jan 8, 2015)

honesttjohn said:


> Is Spruce an acceptable wood for carving, painting, finishing, and displaying outside??
> 
> HJ
> 
> Another Scottart groupie


funny guy... 


Here is a snow carving i did... really hard to get these to last outdoors.. or indoors..


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## tvman44 (Jun 25, 2013)

Cedar for outdoors. :wink:


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