Best Woods for Carving Using a Dremel

Do you want to carve out a design on wood but are not sure what wood to use? Worry no more; here is a guide to help you choose the best wood for carving using a Dremel. 

When choosing wood, look for one that has the following features;

• Soft.  The softer the wood, it will be easier for you to carve it. Carving is a time-consuming task. It would be best if you made things easier by choosing a wood that is easy to carve. 
• Green. Freshly cut wood is more flexible, not as brittle, and prone to breaking as dry wood. It also takes a tremendous amount of detail. 
• Clean. Knots and splits affect the workability of wood. Thus, ensure that the wood you choose to work with is clean and straight. 
• A straight grain texture.  The grain texture of wood affects the ease of tool control. Carving is more manageable when done on wood with straight or closed grains. Wood with stingy or curly grain texture is much more challenging to carve. 
• An attractive color. A wood’s color and grain pattern will play an essential part in the aesthetics of the final piece. 

With those features in mind, let’s now look at the woods you can use in your next project. We’ll start with the softest to the hardest wood. 

5 Best kinds of wood for Carving Using a Dremel

1. White pine

Wood	Grain texture	Color	Hardness	Split resistance	Comment
White pine	Closed	White	soft	Low	Excellent for carving.

White pine is the perfect wood for someone just starting on carving. It weighs about 25 pounds per cubed foot and is one of the softest woods. 

Pine is the wood to go for if you’re looking for softwood with a good grain pattern. Its grain is much more visible than that of basswood. 

White pine works better when wet. The high moisture content reduces the drag on your Dremel and gives you a smoother and cleaner cut. Wet pine is also more flexible and can take tremendous detail. On the other hand, dry pine tends to splinter and split when carved. 

2. Basswood

Wood	Grain texture	Color	Hardness	Split resistance	Comment
Basswood	Closed	Light creamy	soft	Good	Excellent for carving, especially for  detail work

If you want wood that will carve like butter, this is it. Basswood is soft and carves nicely with and across the grain. It holds details nicely and can be used to carve relatively thin forms.  

It also has a pleasing and unobtrusive white color. The light color allows basswood to take paint and stain well. 

The best basswood is cut during winter. The one cut during summer tends to be darker and denser. When working with basswood, it is recommendable to use a piece that has a very light color (white).  Gray basswood tends to be gritty and much more challenging to carve.

3. Cherry

Wood	Grain texture	Color	Hardness	Split resistance	Comment
Cherry	Closed	Reddish tan	Medium	High	Good for carving. Has a beautiful grain

If you want your final piece to have a natural finish, consider using cherry wood. This wood is famous for its color and sheen. It has medium hardness and can weigh up to 35 pounds per cubic foot.

Cherry has a beautiful closed grain that carves nicely. It is much harder than basswood and pine. Therefore, working with this wood may require a bit of skill. 

4. Honduras Mahogany

Wood	Grain texture	Color	Hardness	Split resistance	Comment
Honduras mahogany	Open	Reddish brown	Medium	Good	Excellent for carving. Has a pleasant natural color

Like cherry, the Honduras mahogany has medium hardness. It can weigh up to 34 pounds per cubed foot. Its open grains carve very nicely. 

Honduras mahogany is reddish-brown. You should consider using this wood if you want your carved piece to have a pleasing natural color. 

5. Black Walnut 

Wood	Grain texture	Color	Hardness	Split resistance	Comment
Black Walnut	Closed	Chocolate brown-purple	Hard	Good	Excellent for carving, Has an extremely beautiful grain pattern.

The black walnut is considered the king of carving woods. It’s the hardest wood among the four types of woods discussed above. Thus, it might not be a good choice for a beginner. 

It has closed grains that carve nicely. Pieces carved from black walnut are lovely, thanks to this wood’s beautiful grain pattern. Like cherry, black walnut is suitable for projects that require a natural finish. 

Conclusion: Best Woods for Carving Using a Dremel

Carving can be daunting, but selecting the correct type of wood can make your work easier. The wood you choose to carve on should be green, soft, and free from knots. It should also have closed or straight grain.

White pine and basswood are soft woods that carve excellently. Both have a closed grain structure and are perfect for a beginner. 

Cherry and Honduras mahogany have medium hardness. They have a pleasing natural color and carve nicely too. You’ll require a few carving skills when working with these woods.

The black walnut is the hardest wood used for carving. It has beautiful closed grains that turn nicely. The walnut is not suitable for someone just starting due to its hardness. 

One of the many powerful tools we use in woodworking is the Dremel. We can also use the majority of power tools. For more information, see this article on the Best Power for Woodworking.