Wood types for 3D bias relief

Not sure if this is the right location for this post.

I want to start carving 3D wall hangings ( like dogs playing poker)
There is quite a bit of detail.
I’m not sure what type of wood will carve the best, and still be easy to sand for the inevitable cleanup.
I would guess that some models look better on certain color of wood.

All I see on Etsy are darker wood, but maybe they just photograph better?

Thank you

Mike

I’m a fan of cherry…
I have also used mesquite, hickory, maple and mahogany.

Cherry is my fave (heart)
Mahogany was really stringy and difficult to and. (Cross)
Hickory was a piece of firewood i saved (flag pulled down cross)
Maple came out well (bible quote)
Mesquite came out awesome, especially given design choice. (Tattered flag)





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That’s probably because there’s not many hardwoods that are light and they all get darker when finish is applied… maple is all i can think of, that is lighter.

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Maple, walnut, cherry and poplar are my go-tos for fine detail because of the tightness of the grain and with something like poplar there’s usually no real color variation on a piece of wood.

I avoid oak because of the grain. It’s good for a lot of projects but not really 3D sculpting.

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Thank you all.
I have some maple that I will try.

Mike