Carving practice in MDF?

[Jacob]

Eshmeil

.....

I suggest you pick up your tools and a bit of wood rather than MDF and give it a go rather than asking again as it's all been said.
......

I'm not suggesting a preference for MDF, unless it's all you have available. Might be a good idea to get your hand in rather than spoiling an expensive piece of the "correct" material?
Good for sharpening practice too - "a little and often" is essential for carving where you may be working with the same tool for some time. A bit like chopping a mortice where you do a lot of chisel work and have to have your oil stone close to hand all the time.

 

[Eshmiel]

Eshmeil

You asked the question and you've had a range of answers from those who carve and those who don't but think they know. It's been done to death and the decision is down to you so you practice on whatever you want that makes it enjoyable and you feel enhances your skills.
You had an offer of suitable wood from another member and didn't take him up on it, in fact you didn't even like or respond to his post. I have a lot of very suitable wood and would have made a similar offer had you responded to him.

I suggest you pick up your tools and a bit of wood rather than MDF and give it a go rather than asking again as it's all been said.
Whatever you do, good luck with it, anyone can carve, the only difference is the level of skill and ability much of which comes from practice - ON SUITABLE MATERIAL
ATB

Oooh - I feel shame now that I didn't notice the post from the chap who offered me wood. I'll PM and apologise to him.

Yes, I'll carve on what I have, for practice as well as (eventually) to make something worth making and keeping.

 

[throbscottle]

Going back to sources of materials (for the financially disadvantaged) - if you are willing to deal with a LOT of waste and have time to spare for dismantling, the frames from old sofas and armchairs tend to be made of hardwoods like ash and sycamore, which I would have thought to be good practice woods. I made my mallet from a bit of sofa - carved my name in it!

 

[Adam W.]

Even pine is difficult to obtain at reasonable prices, these days. But there's plenty of fir and spruce. Also plenty of knots in it. But I may go to the local wood merchant and insist on examining all of their wider whitewood planks for one that at least has substantial areas in it clear of knots.

As you say, if my edges will cut pine/spruce/fir cleanly I must have me sharpening right.

My intention is to try to carve a first "good" relief carving, after all the practice, in cherry. I have a fair amount of that in wide-ish planks and it does have a fine grain for carving even if it is rather tougher than lime and similar. Black walnut is another possibility as I have some wide-ish planks of that too but I imagine it would need the right subject, because its so dark.

Spruce is a nice wood to carve, but you need to get your tools very sharp to make it work well.

C24 carves well and it's cheap. It can be sourced in 2"x 9" sections and if you look carefully, some of it has very tight grain.

 

[Jacob]

Going back to sources of materials (for the financially disadvantaged) - if you are willing to deal with a LOT of waste and have time to spare for dismantling, the frames from old sofas and armchairs tend to be made of hardwoods like ash and sycamore, which I would have thought to be good practice woods. I made my mallet from a bit of sofa - carved my name in it!

Makes it even better if you have a wood-stove for the left overs.