AusBonsai

Hi people,

A few weeks ago I bought myself a cordless dremel with various attachments. Since then life has not allowed me time to play with it, but today I decided to practice on a boug cutting that has sprouted shoots everywhere. The cutting had branches that had been cut and had died back, and I wanted to remove them and tidy up the joints. One branch had hollowed out down the centre, and would fill up with water. I wanted to open the hollow and leave a 'drain' so the water wouldn't pool.

I had been told boug deadwood rotted easily, yet I found the deadwood to be as hard as old nails to carve, and the live wood around it was very soft.

I haven't styled this at all - just plonked it in soil in a pot, and let it shoot. Comments and constructive criticisms are welcome.

Glenda

You are right. Boug are hard wood, but they do rot quickly

Carving is good fun I am still only a learner too

Ken

Nice work! No more pooling water, excellent!
Just in regards to pooling water in wounds, I have a 5 inch thick cutting which I have created a little swimming pool in the flat chop on top. Every now and then I come along and scrape the soggy wood in the middle allowing the rotting to continue down the stump. I have about 1 inch more to rot out, then I'll do something similar to this and carve it out nicely.

Good on you Glenda, now you've got a taste for it you'll be looking everywhere for things to carve I haven't tried out my "Ozito" yet but am looking forward to it....have used my reticulating saw a few times and love it
HAPPY CARVING GIRL lORETTA

Good job Glenda, some ideas I use and keep in the back of my mind when I am carving. Keep it relative, tell a story - look at trees in nature with dead wood - maybe a storm ,insect or disease damage. To make it interesting use contrasts, that could be bark against deadwood , depth of carving- it`s good to see darkness , it is also good to see light - that could be a hole through your work. It is good to seperate jin from shari with a live vein of bark. Texture is another thing,try to erase any man made look -very hard to do I use a wire brush on my machine for that does a great job.Keep it flowing and fluid most of the time this works there may be exceptions, I sometimes find the tree can guide your hand when you are carving, I know this may sound strange I think the tool follows the softer wood, when you fee lit you will know what I mean . I also try to keep off centre that helps create interest. Glenda I love carving and I don`t claim to be a expert the more I do it the easier it is , like anything. It can make a very average tree something special. I think you are on the right track well done! I hope this helps Glenda it is all the things I think about when I am carving.
Cheers Rod..

Thanks people. What I want to know is -
1. Do I need to use wood hardner?

2. If I do, do I paint it only on the deadwood?

3. If I get any on the live wood, will the bark roll over?

I have tried to leave the live bark higher than the rest to encourage roll over, and I would like some roll over

Glenda

G`day Glenda you will have to treat the wood on a boug, I use earls wood hardener though I have heard other people saying they water down pva glue and it works the same. I also use lime sulphur over it, I have had no ill affects doing this. I think others like Pup burn the wood as well I have never tried this, I think it hardens the wood. Sorry I forgot to add only do the dead wood ,you will find it takes time to get the roll over effect you are after.
Cheers Rod