Bald Cypress Truck Carving

[Raindog]

I have purchased a bald cypress and was wondering what would be the best time to do serious carving on the truck. It was bare root and I will wait until the roots are fully established, but I'm not sure what time of year would be the best. Located in NE Florida.
Thanks

 

[sorce]

If I recall....there are a few particulars to keep in mind about carving BC.

@johng

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Dav4]

I'd say any time the tree is actively growing would be fine. My preference would be just as the tree is breaking dormancy.

 

[bilbocannon]

I was going to do the same. Just waiting on it to thicken up some more. It will be great to see what yours looks like.

 

[Giga]

I do it just before bud break - or right after the first defoliation at the end of spring. I'd image you can do it now if you want as BC are very tough. Just be careful of damaging branches that may be in the way.

 

[rockm]

I have purchased a bald cypress and was wondering what would be the best time to do serious carving on the truck. It was bare root and I will wait until the roots are fully established, but I'm not sure what time of year would be the best. Located in NE Florida.
Thanks

Hate to be a painintheass, but it's a trunk, not a truck.

I'd wait at least two years before carving a newly planted tree that's been barerooted. Carving with power tools creates a lot of vibration on the tree that will rub off, or simply break newly developing roots. Once the tree sits firmly in the pot--if it doesn't move when it's pushed to one side--you can carve it.

Technically you can carve at any time of the year--carved wood is, or should be dead. I carve my BC in the early spring when it hasn't pushed new growth. No leaves makes it easier to see what the heck you're doing and avoids disturbing new shoots.

It's easier to carve after the wood has dried out. By dry, I mean leaving it alone for a year or two after you've fist exposed it. Newly exposed cypress wood has a lot of moisture in it and it tends to "fuzz up" when you take a carving bit to it. Dried out wood (of any tree) carves more easily and cleanly.

 

[Giga]

Hate to be a painintheass, but it's a trunk, not a truck.

I'd wait at least two years before carving a newly planted tree that's been barerooted. Carving with power tools creates a lot of vibration on the tree that will rub off, or simply break newly developing roots. Once the tree sits firmly in the pot--if it doesn't move when it's pushed to one side--you can carve it.

Technically you can carve at any time of the year--carved wood is, or should be dead. I carve my BC in the early spring when it hasn't pushed new growth. No leaves makes it easier to see what the heck you're doing and avoids disturbing new shoots.

It's easier to carve after the wood has dried out. By dry, I mean leaving it alone for a year or two after you've fist exposed it. Newly exposed cypress wood has a lot of moisture in it and it tends to "fuzz up" when you take a carving bit to it. Dried out wood (of any tree) carves more easily and cleanly.

This is true - I didn't see that it was barerooted

 

[Dav4]

I have purchased a bald cypress and was wondering what would be the best time to do serious carving on the truck. It was bare root and I will wait until the roots are fully established, but I'm not sure what time of year would be the best. Located in NE Florida.
Thanks

I'd say any time the tree is actively growing would be fine. My preference would be just as the tree is breaking dormancy.

My assumption is that the op will be carving into live tissue, ie. where the chop is. If the wood is already dead, anytime is fine. If the wood has living cambium on it, carve when the tree is actively growing, as it will heal quickly.

 

[rockm]

Carving, for me anyway, is a two-step process. I expose the wood I want to make deadwood. Let it be for a while, then come back and carve it. The longer I can wait, up to three or four years, to carve the deadwood, the better the results in carving. Carving newly exposed wood is a mess and the results aren't as convincing as they are on dried wood that's had some seasoning from weather already. Also, that time span can actually be a great help in carving as the wood will naturally split and crack on its own. Those natural stress points can be exaggerated by carving, instead of the arbitrary cracks and hollows that you have to artificially create with newly exposed wood.

 

[Giga]

Carving, for me anyway, is a two-step process. I expose the wood I want to make deadwood. Let it be for a while, then come back and carve it. The longer I can wait, up to three or four years, to carve the deadwood, the better the results in carving. Carving newly exposed wood is a mess and the results aren't as convincing as they are on dried wood that's had some seasoning from weather already. Also, that time span can actually be a great help in carving as the wood will naturally split and crack on its own. Those natural stress points can be exaggerated by carving, instead of the arbitrary cracks and hollows that you have to artificially create with newly exposed wood.

ditto - and i don't use lime sulfur until that final carve

 

[rockm]

ditto - and i don't use lime sulfur until that final carve

I don't use lime sulfur at all for Bald Cypress, as I WANT it to rot a bit. The white can also be a bit stark for me, even when colored with something.

 

[Raindog]

Carving, for me anyway, is a two-step process. I expose the wood I want to make deadwood. Let it be for a while, then come back and carve it. The longer I can wait, up to three or four years, to carve the deadwood, the better the results in carving. Carving newly exposed wood is a mess and the results aren't as convincing as they are on dried wood that's had some seasoning from weather already. Also, that time span can actually be a great help in carving as the wood will naturally split and crack on its own. Those natural stress points can be exaggerated by carving, instead of the arbitrary cracks and hollows that you have to artificially create with newly exposed wood.

When you refer to exposing the wood you want to make deadwood, are you referring to removing the bark or both the bark and cambium?
Thank you all for your quick replies.

 

[rockm]

I like to remove both the bark and cambium on most deadwood, although the cambium can add some extra interest if worked right.

 

[Cypress187]

I have purchased a bald cypress and was wondering what would be the best time to do serious carving on the truck. It was bare root and I will wait until the roots are fully established, but I'm not sure what time of year would be the best. Located in NE Florida.
Thanks

Welcome to the forum! Pictures!, or it didn't happen.

 

[Giga]

I don't use lime sulfur at all for Bald Cypress, as I WANT it to rot a bit. The white can also be a bit stark for me, even when colored with something.

I add Indian ink and it make it grey which pretty close to what I see in the old BC in the swamps here

 

[Raindog]

So if I received a bare rooted BC and make a top cut before I set it in soil (as I was instructed), would it be advisable at this time to also expose a portion of the top for future deadwood carving?
Thanks

 

[just.wing.it]

I wanted to see a BC carved into a wooden tailgate on some old truck.

 

[rockm]

So if I received a bare rooted BC and make a top cut before I set it in soil (as I was instructed), would it be advisable at this time to also expose a portion of the top for future deadwood carving?
Thanks

If you carve the trunk down to expose the wood underneath the chop, I would do it BEFORE you plant the tree in soil. If start messing with removing the bark and cambium when it's in soil, you're risking root damage, which could be quite bad if the tree's roots are scarce.

 

[johng]

I agree with most everything that has been said...
Wait for the roots...I have successfully carved in the season after collection(1 year) many times.

If you want a live edge that rolls into the area you carve, or you are carvng a chop for taper and expect the wound to heal, I prefer to do the carvng during the active growing season in combination with defoliation if needed....but BC are very vigorous for me in the heat of the summer...your mileage may vary if you live further north or in more arid climates.

Its probably just semantics, but outside of carving chops for taper, I am hollowing more than carving when I am working on BC...to a degree a less exacting process than carving to represent aged deadwood but I certainly agree with Rockm that it is a two step, or more, process...

 

[Raindog]

Thank you for all the helpful responses.