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While you can carve any wood, some are better quality for carving than others. One question we get asked often is "is macrocarpa good for carving?" Macrocarpa is a good wood for carving with a lot of potential. However, the wood needs to be dried out before you begin carving. Many people use macrocarpa for different pieces of furniture and for turning. Do you have macrocarpa wood that you would like to use for carving? You're in the right spot. Today, we're going to discuss everything you should know about using macrocarpa wood for carving. Keep reading to learn more. Is Macrocarpa Wood Easy to Carve? Click Image for More Info Macrocarpa wood is easy to carve, which makes it a good choice of wood for people that are learning how to carve. The reason macrocarpa wood is great for carving is that it's the perfect balance between soft and hard wood. However, it is classified as a soft timber. A lot of people are taking interest in carving macrocarpa because of the coloring of the heartwood. It is an attractive golden-brown shade that often has speckles of a pink hue running through it. Before starting a carving project, you should make sure the wood is dried out. However, when this wood is freshly cut, it has a very interesting spicy fragrance. The fragrance of the wood will settle as it dries out, but many carvers do notice a slight aroma as they carve into the wood. The texture of this wood is fine, making it very easy to carve into. People that are familiar with carving enjoy using this wood because it can be very forgiving and carving pieces last a lifetime. To check the current price and availability of Schaaf Wood Carving Tools, click here to view the listing on Amazon. Best Things to Carve With Macrocarpa Wood Since macrocarpa wood is attractive and easy to carve, people have a lot of options for great carving projects. While we're going to share some of our favorite things to carve from macrocarpa wood, this is only a fraction of the options you have to choose from. Let's take a look at some of the best things to carve with macrocarpa wood. Tree Portraits Do you have macrocarpa trees on your property? We mentioned earlier that it is a very forgiving wood, which gives you more carving options. If you don't want to cut down the macrocarpa tree on your property, you can still use it for carving by carving a design directly onto the tree. This is a common practice on campgrounds, where they will carve different animals directly on the tree. However, this project is more successful in using electric carving tools. Pens Since macrocarpa is a good turning wood, you should take advantage of the wood for different projects in this category. Pens are a great starting point for beginners who want to try turning wood. The coloring of macrocarpa makes it a great wood for making pen barrels. Personalized Bench Macrocarpa is a great wood for making furniture. If you want to make a stylish piece of furniture for outdoor use, macrocarpa wood is excellent for making custom benches. Once your wooden bench is assembled, you can carve a design or writing into the wood to completely customize it. Masks Macrocarpa wood takes detail very nicely, which makes it a great choice for carving wooden masks. There are many different ways that carvers can create a unique wooden mask for decoration or as part of a costume. This wood already has stunning color, but it also takes stain and paint very well. Deep Plates ; Bowls Since macrocarpa wood is a softwood, it can be smoothed and finished very nicely. This makes it an excellent choice of wood to use for things you need in the kitchen. Our favorite kitchen items to make with macrocarpa wood are bowls and deep plates. Rocking Horse If you have a large piece of macrocarpa wood and are up for a challenge, you could carve a beautiful rocking horse. You could also make a miniature rocking horse for display from a smaller piece of macrocarpa. Since the macrocarpa tree is very large, it's easier to get bigger pieces for large carving projects. Serving Utensils You can make a lot of great serving utensils using macrocarpa wood. This includes: Wooden spoons for serving and stirringWood spatulasSalad serving fork and spoonSpreading knives ; more Final Thoughts Is macrocarpa good for carving? Macrocarpa wood is very good for carving. It's a softwood that is slightly harder than other softwoods. This gives the wood a great density for carving. However, always make sure the wood has been fully dried out before starting a carving project. There are many reasons why people enjoy using macrocarpa wood for carving. It's a great choice because the heartwood has a beautiful golden-brown color that has hues of pink running through it. Since these trees are very large, it's a great choice of wood for larger projects, like furniture. It also takes detail nicely, so carvers can completely customize every piece they make. If you're a beginner that is looking for an easy wood to work with for carving, macrocarpa is an excellent choice. There are a lot of different options that you can choose for carving with this type of wood. It's also a good type of wood to use for your first time attempting a particular project. This wood finishes well because it takes stain and paint nicely.