Thread: Seeking Basswood/Limewood.

Limewood / Basswood (Linden) is a cool climate wood and not found, grown or milled in Australia. Most would be imported.
There are a few suppliers of imported woods. Mathews & Trend are often mentioned, although American Hardwood are also likley to have it. Their Phone number: 03 9808 5001

Have you considered using Qld White Beech? It is a renewed carving wood. NZ woods like Kauri are also used as well as the imported Jelutong.

Smaller trees also produce nice fine carving woods for small items eg Pittosporum, Denhamia as well as Boxwoods and even some ebonies.
It all depends

Another substitute might be powlonia.

Hi Euge, Thanks for the info I have used QLD White Beech before for kitchen spoons and spatula's and still have a block in the shed but. Not sure I like the dark colour of the timber when finished with oil but I have not even considered it for other carvings. But the colour is not a consideration for practice pieces so I will give it a go. Thanks again Brian.

Another consideration could be woods from the Citrus family, most with fine textured, hard white featureless wood.
Holly too. It a weed in some areas in Vic and is cleared. Pittosporum in Tas and Vic are commonly cut down and even the ornamental ones (NZ varieties) have white wood. BUT most of these are non commercial, not in milled dimensions. But they are sort of species some woodies here would come across in gardens etc and could provide in small log form. I have none but I have small quantities of Denhamia (fine white texture, no grain) for small small items. Its also called Orange boxwood (from its orange underbark). Try for basswood first I reckon, should be around.

Originally Posted by Euge

Another consideration could be woods from the Citrus family, most with fine textured, hard white featureless wood.
...

Would not be my choice for easy carving, Euge.

European limewood (Tilia x europaea) is commonly known as linden in Australia and it is definitely not a citrus. It is a very fine grained, pale, featureless, bland and very soft "hardwood" which is very popular with carvers because of those properties. It has a hardness janka of 3.1 kN; for comparison radiata pine has a janka of 3.2 kN.

Fruit woods, including most citrus, tend to be very attractive woods and much harder. A lot harder to carve.

Stumbled onto another reference: the Canberra based Wood Craft Guild has also looked at this issue.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...IwJgEzp6iNgiHI

My thanks to all who replied, this forum never fails to answer a query. Thanks for the information sheet Graeme have copied it for future reference and subject to supply offers a number of options with different timbers. Thanks again Brian.

Basswood is pretty good for kumiko too.

Some of the other suggested are good too.

This is my preferred list:

jelutong
powlonia
cedar - pale
hoop pine
poplar

Getting good, clean, clear lumps of these is hard. Ive not had much luck

Hi Woodpixel, I've found it hard also hence the the reason for starting this thread, have contacted two suppliers who advertise as having stocks of some of the timbers listed by you and others in this thread and neither of whom have answered my emails. Am not going to name them but their names do appear regularly on this forum. Would have been so easy for them to have replied but really deserve to have bad reviews written about their service (or lack of). Cheers Brian.

Hi Durham,
Been following this and I'd also like to try some basswood.
I've also tried calling some of the nominated sources without success or calls returned. But I note they are Melbourne based and we are mostly locked down at present, with many companies temporarily closed, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt for now.

For now..........

I don't know what size pieces you're looking for, or how much each piece normally would cost - so forgive me if this is a red herring.

But, if you have Amazon Prime, suddenly you get the luxury of ignoring shipping costs, and something like this comes into play: Whittler's Premium Basswood Carving Block Kit - Best Gift Set for DIY Craft Hobbyists - Preferred Whittling Soft Wood Block sizes included - Made in the USA: Amazon.com.au: Toys & Games

There are several more offerings on Amazon similar to this, and I haven't figured out which is the "best value" yet, though that may also be influenced by the sizes you want here's another one for comparison: Lulu Home Basswood for Carving, Basswood Carving Whittling Blocks Kit for Beginners, 12 Pieces Smooth Basswood Carving Blocks for Kids and Adults: Amazon.com.au: Kitchen

I'm looking into Basswood myself because I want to make kumiko at some point.

Hi Midnight Man, Thanks for the info re Amazon have ordered some today and will se how I go with it. Have also thought about having a go at Kumiko as well, am having a think about getting one of the cutting jigs. Thanks again Brian.

I don't know much about prices but I had a scroll through the Amazon reviews for the Basswood and noticed the first 10 lots of feedback complaining that the blocks were tiny. The pieces are 5cm x 5cm x 10cm for example.

In Victoria at least there are some suppliers of Huon Pine. Wheelan the Wrecker has some I think. Apparently very pricey.... but could be ok for a metre or so posted. Rough slabs can be found that I believe could be cut up for carving for less than the Basswood.

Having said that, I'm yet to try carving in either timber so I don't know the differences in their carving properties - but given the choice I'd choose the sweet Huon smell!

Originally Posted by Midnight Man

I don't know what size pieces you're looking for, or how much each piece normally would cost - so forgive me if this is a red herring.

But, if you have Amazon Prime, suddenly you get the luxury of ignoring shipping costs, and something like this comes into play: Whittler's Premium Basswood Carving Block Kit - Best Gift Set for DIY Craft Hobbyists - Preferred Whittling Soft Wood Block sizes included - Made in the USA: Amazon.com.au: Toys & Games

There are several more offerings on Amazon similar to this, and I haven't figured out which is the "best value" yet, though that may also be influenced by the sizes you want here's another one for comparison: Lulu Home Basswood for Carving, Basswood Carving Whittling Blocks Kit for Beginners, 12 Pieces Smooth Basswood Carving Blocks for Kids and Adults: Amazon.com.au: Kitchen

I'm looking into Basswood myself because I want to make kumiko at some point.

Originally Posted by Durham Lad

Hi Midnight Man, Thanks for the info re Amazon have ordered some today and will se how I go with it. Have also thought about having a go at Kumiko as well, am having a think about getting one of the cutting jigs. Thanks again Brian.

If you keep having problems DL (and are desperate) I can offer some spare Qld Beech, Qld and Pacific Kauri (blocks & slabs), Denhamia (block) & Huon boards. All these are softish. There are others.

And some hard pale woods eg Satin Box.

Delivery my obstacle.