# Wood types for 3D bias relief **URL:** \ **Category:** Materials\ **Created:** [March 5, 2023, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/wood-types-for-3d-bias-relief/19222 "2023-03-05T17:20:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hobbyist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Hobbyist](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Hobbyist)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2023, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/wood-types-for-3d-bias-relief/19222/1 "2023-03-05T17:20:38Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![ChrisS](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/chriss/32/22864_2.png) [@ChrisS](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/ChrisS)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 3:14pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/wood-types-for-3d-bias-relief/19222/2 "2023-03-06T15:14:08Z")
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) ![20230104_120551](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/onefinitycnc/original/3X/d/6/d6efb8b80f701fa4abbf1c23b03b8290d61f5d34.jpeg) ![20230216_181540](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/onefinitycnc/original/3X/0/3/0309113a4fd9972e24662d241bbfc6fbdfd12cf2.jpeg) ![20220706_161819](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/onefinitycnc/original/3X/d/3/d3e9daad17fe7733efda2b9caca06179e0807c2c.jpeg) ![20220509_084723](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/onefinitycnc/original/3X/d/b/dbf80ee2992702e5ccfde3634024d469f6f861ca.jpeg) ![20220207_170859](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/uploads/onefinitycnc/original/3X/8/5/85c2015d4c381cc6d1fe40b85321ce8632543455.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![ChrisS](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/chriss/32/22864_2.png) [@ChrisS](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/ChrisS)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 3:19pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/wood-types-for-3d-bias-relief/19222/3 "2023-03-06T15:19:44Z")
> [@Hobbyist](#): > > All I see on Etsy are darker wood, but maybe they just photograph better 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. ---
**Author:** ![JimHatch](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/jimhatch/32/3928_2.png) [@JimHatch](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/JimHatch)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 3:39pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/wood-types-for-3d-bias-relief/19222/5 "2023-03-06T15:39:36Z")
> [@Hobbyist](#): > > I’m not sure what type of wood will carve the best, and still be easy to sand for the inevitable cleanup 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. ---
**Author:** ![Hobbyist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Hobbyist](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Hobbyist)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2023, 5:40pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/wood-types-for-3d-bias-relief/19222/6 "2023-03-06T17:40:29Z")
Thank you all. I have some maple that I will try. Mike ---
**Author:** ![87chevytruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/958977/32.png) [@87chevytruck](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/87chevytruck)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 2:45pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/wood-types-for-3d-bias-relief/19222/7 "2025-01-07T14:45:17Z")
I know this is an old thread, but curious what finish you used on your Hickory and Mesquite carvings in your pictures? I really like the way they look and came out. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisS](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/chriss/32/22864_2.png) [@ChrisS](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/ChrisS)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2025, 7:47pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/wood-types-for-3d-bias-relief/19222/8 "2025-02-11T19:47:57Z")
all use gloss lacquer must make 20 characters ---
**Author:** ![Desertwoods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@Desertwoods](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Desertwoods)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2025, 8:14pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/wood-types-for-3d-bias-relief/19222/9 "2025-02-11T20:14:59Z")
I live in the desert and its hard to find walnut cherry etc, so I use the desert hard woods, Mesquite, Eucalyptus which is my favorite for 3d carvings. Another good wood out here is Ironwood, one of the more harder wood, will actually sink in water. One of the worlds densest woods, Janka of 3260, weighs in at 6.3 pounds a BF. Don ---
**Author:** ![jakasspeech1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e7dd6/32.png) [@jakasspeech1](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/jakasspeech1)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2025, 9:17am UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/wood-types-for-3d-bias-relief/19222/10 "2025-02-15T09:17:33Z")
> [@JimHatch](#): > > 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 [https://sharpedgeshop.com/it/collections/nakiri-usuba-knives-vegetable](https://sharpedgeshop.com/it/collections/nakiri-usuba-knives-vegetable) 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. For crisp lines, I swear by cherry. Have you tested mahogany? Good balance of workability and detail ---
**Author:** ![Off-kilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9adbd/32.png) [@Off-kilter](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Off-kilter)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2025, 11:51pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/wood-types-for-3d-bias-relief/19222/12 "2025-02-20T23:51:57Z")
If you want a dark wood that will hold detail well, keep an eye out for torrified ( also called caramelized or toasted) maple. The wood is dressed ,then stacked and placed in a large air tight kiln, the air is drawn off to make a vacuum and then heat is applied to toast the wood throughout. You get all the benefits of maple with a nice dark walnut tone right through the wood with no light sap marks. Usually also retails for less than walnut. So there’s that too. ---
**Author:** ![PezWoodworks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ea5d25/32.png) [@PezWoodworks](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/PezWoodworks)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2025, 12:44am UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/wood-types-for-3d-bias-relief/19222/13 "2025-02-21T00:44:13Z")
1/4 sawn Sapele works great and not too expensive at least here in Utah Pat