Basswood decoys help

I've only carved a couple of basswood decoys. But it seemed heavier than the pine and cedar that I've used. Therefore hollowing would help lighten the decoy up a bit.
 
Hi Colin. Back when I first started carving, I used basswood exclusively. After a couple of years, I started having problems with the hollow ones, specifically, water getting into the hollow and some even tried to sink. I was using oil paints on what I presumed was good dry basswood. Eventually, either the wood would expand/contract resulting in cracks in the paint or somebody would drop or scuff them or some such thing. I started applying a liberal dose of Thompson's water seal to the core before painting the bird. I was keeping the body thickness to about 3/4" and when I brushed on the Thompson's (in the hollow), I would see wet spots on the breasts where the Thompsons telegraphed all the way through the wood and showed on the outside. After that, I went to cedar.

I never tried shellac on the inside, but I'm thinking it might be a better choice for sealing the hollow.

John
 
Basswood is heavy and much harder than cedar. I stopped using it for some of the same reasons John said.
 
by the sounds of things i am better off just starting with cedar? anybody know a good place to get cedar blocks of blanks im in New Jersey Thanks for all the help great forum!
 
Hi Colin. With regards to buying cedar in NJ.....since I'm not in NJ, I can offer to suggestions as to where to buy blocks. But I can add that if at all possible, buy cedar cut in the winter. The sap content is lower and it will check less. Now, having said that, here in Vt, I can buy all the winter cut cedar I want, and I still have problems with checking on the end grain. Thats why, if at all possible, I buy 6 and 8 foot lengths of cedar timbers, and cut the blocks out, 1 at a time as I need them. I lose much less linear length to checking. This becomes especially problematic if you intend to carve hollow deeks, as you don't want to have it check on you so that the checks protrude into the hollow portion. I think it was Andy that suggested coating the interior with epoxy. I've never tried it, but I bet it would work well.

If you ever decide you need a mid winter adventure, and want to drive to Vt to buy cedar timbers, let me know ahead of time and I will send you the name and address of the woman who runs what is probably the largest cedar lumber yard on the east coast. And she lets you pick through the piles....She has acres of cedar timbers on her property.

At the present I have drying under my porch a half dozen 8 foot long 6"x8" cedar timbers I bought a year ago. At the rate I carve, thats probably 4 to 5 years worth of wood.

John
 
by the sounds of things i am better off just starting with cedar? anybody know a good place to get cedar blocks of blanks im in New Jersey Thanks for all the help great forum!
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Have I mentioned lately how much I hate cedar?
 
If your hand carving, Basswood is a pain in the butt. The longer you have it, the more it gets harder than the Hubs of Hell. White Pine, Sugar Pine, and in a pinch White Cedar. Makes good fish though.
 
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