question about waterlogged hemlock

P

Paul John

New member
Couple of questions on wood selections for decoy stock. Met a guy that is a sunken log logger, he bases his operation out of a property I have access to hunt. He mostly gets fir and rarely gets a pine log. He does have an old growth Western Hemlock siting on his barge and would get me a chunk if I wanted. So my questions are:
Does anyone have experience carving W Hemlock? I do know the dust is bad like western red cedar.
Does anyone have experience with preparing waterlogged wood for carving. I'm assuming I can just cut it up, seal the ends and wait a long time.
Thanks,
Paul John
 
Hey Paul,

I carved some hemlock from Alaska that I air dried. It was really hard to carve and difficult to sand smooth. I carve western red cedar all the time and prefer it to hemlock by a mile. Free wood is free wood though, but on a scale of 1 - 10 I'd put red cedar at and 8 and hemlock at a 2 or 3. Just my 2 cents,

Mike
 
The hemlock that grows here in the UP ( not sure if its the same) Is dense wood so I would consider it heavy for decoy production would need lots of work hollowing out. I am not a fan of the oil or smell in it either my skin rashes slightly when I split and carry it for camp fire wood.
 
Paul, My house has a lot of hemlock. As far as large pieces it is very strong. Beams 2x4s 2x6s 2x8 etc. It does not make very good board lumber. It has what is called the shakes. It splits along the grain. I haven't carved it but have chiseled it. Some times large chunks break off. I would not think it would be a preferred wood for carving because of the grain splitting.
 
I don't know nuttin about hemlock but is a log that sunk once really the ideal wood for decoys? Just a thought. :)

Tim
 
Thanks for help guys,
I think I will pass on the hemlock, sounds like would be more trouble than it's worth.
Thanks,
Paul
 
Passing is probably a good idea; green western hemlock sinks in water, even salt water because it is dense. I can't speak to it after it's dry, but it is used quite a bit in home construction, usually combined with white fir for the same strength. The white fir/hem grade woods are light but not very strong and mostly used (I think) for trim. You could take a round, paint the ends to keep it from checking and then wait for it to dry, but you may be waiting for quite a while.
 
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