What is the best type of wood to use for intricate designs that will not bake easily
1 Like
Welcome to the forum!
Can you elaborate on what you mean?
I’m not quite clear when you say
Do you mean small intricate pieces that won’t break easily?
I would use plywood. But if you can elaborate and tell us what type of item you are looking to make, it could help us provide more specific feedback. 
6 Likes
Welcome to the forum.
In my opinion, there is no “best” wood because different projects and aesthetics call for different materials. I suggest you read as much of the forum as possible and look through the gallery for inspiration from others.
5 Likes
Hi,
I have cut earrings that have a lot of cutouts in the one design using hardwood and plywood but they fall apart if you play with them. I thought if i sprayed a clear coat of lacquer on them it would make them more stable but they still break.
1 Like
If you are cutting earrings in wood, thin Baltic Birch will be the sturdiest by far of commonly available plywoods. If you are looking for solid wood you need tough and strong. Really hard maple will do best for the price. Walnut can be quite a range I have discovered but really hard works there also. Beyond that, there are a number of exotics that are really amazing.
However, Acrylic is usually the most constant and comes in many colors but it does look like plastic.
4 Likes
What thicknesses have you tried? 1/8" will be more delicate than 1/4" but of course 1/4" doesn’t work for all designs.
I think it may take some trial and error to get things just right.
I would try several layers of sealant instead of just one. I would use plywood or acrylic before using hardwood. When I was first starting out I tried making a delicate design with hardwood and it kept breaking… but it worked better with plywood.
Do you use know how to use vector software and make your own designs or are you using designs you have gotten elsewhere? If you know how - I would consider doing an offset path to make the design a little less delicate. I’ve had to do this with many of my designs for this same reason. Sometimes it requires testing with different widths of offset path to find just the right balance.
Another thought is you can coat with resin if you are ok with using something like that. I am allergic and don’t use that, but I have another product that I love that is similar to it but nontoxic.
5 Likes
Hi,
Thank you for all of this information. I have tried plywood but they still would break. I have used both my own designs and others. It sounds like I will have to do some trial and error. I am going to next try multiply layers of sealant for the ones I already created and see what happens.
Thanks again for all of your advice.
1 Like
I would use thin CA glue. It will harden the wood and you can get a pretty high polish on it.
3 Likes
Thank you
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.