October 14, 2021

Carving Lilac Wood | A Smart Guyโ€™s Guide

I have been looking for a good way of carving lilac wood since my grandpa passed away several years ago. I have always been fascinated by wood and the process of carving. The first time I tried to carve lilac wood, I was confident that I had cut the first slice.ย 

I had chiseled away at the grain of the wood until I had enough to make the long, fine incision that I believed was the beginning of the shape. I then took a small nibbler to that incision to open it out a little bit. My heart sank as I saw the wood grain had been destroyed. I tried making the first incision again, but it didnโ€™t seem to go anywhere this time. I tried again, but the nibbler was the only tool that would work.ย 

This post will help you avoid some of my mistakes when lilac wood carving. Here is what I have learned along the way.

What does lilac wood look like

Lilacs are shrubs in parks and gardens. Their scientific name is syringa Vulgaris. They come in several hybrids and grow in well-drained soils. They flower on old wood, and more flowers if unpruned. If pruned, the plant produces fast.

Lilac wood is close-grained and diffuse-porous. It belongs to the hardwood family. The sapwood is cream in color, and the heartwood has numerous shades of brown and purple.ย 

Dominik Matus,ย CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lilac wood is hardwood for carving and making musical instruments. When drying, the wood curves as a twisted material and splits into sticks. New branches feed into older branches, making them thicker. Availability makes lilac wood a convenient wood type.

The color of Lilac wood changes depending on the species harvested.ย  The most popular sapwood samples are pale, and the heartwood comes in colors ranging from reddish to brownish. At times it features a reddish-to-lavender color. Multiple colors are a sign of the variability of Lilac wood.ย 

Lilac wood grain is in smaller trees, shrubs, and vines. It has a fine texture and a natural luster from natural wood oils. The end grain of Lilac wood is small to medium in terms of pore size.

Since the wood comes from short bushes, it is too small to make cabinetry and furniture. That makes it ideal for carved items such as bowls and decorative products. It compromises the natural state of products, resulting in lilacโ€™s twisted sticks during drying.ย  Lilac has a distinctive floral scent when being worked. That makes you feel comfortable around the wood.

Although Lilac wood makes musical instruments, it is not clear what type of instruments they are. Lilac pieces make turned items such as pens or small bowls, as well as carved items. These include knife handles due to the hardness and density of the wood.ย 

Multiple handmade wooden spoons are carved from a carefully selected piece of lilac wood. The hardwood comes with tight growth rings and colors ranging from ivory white to deep purple. Lilac makes kitchenware.ย 

These qualities also make it smooth and give a silky finish. The subtle grain pattern makes it beautiful. There are interesting shapes on spoons made from Lilac wood. Lilacs do not contain poisonous chemicals that will poison animals or humans. That marks it as safe wood.ย 

What to be mindful of when carving lilac

Lilac is not toxic, but when burnt, it produces toxic sap. Make sure after using the wood; you wash your hands.

Dominik Matus,ย CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Avoid using Lilac wood for food smoking. Lilac produces a mild and sweet smoke preferred for cooking poultry and lamb. However, lilac becomes harmful to your health. It contains a lot of sap. Smoke from sapwood leaves aย  weird taste in the food.

Mind the length and width of the wood you are working on since it is short.

Using the right blade

Make use of a precision knife, craft knife, or carving knife. It has to stay well-shaped, so there will not be any compromise on quality. Carving knives come in different sizes and shapes, depending on their use.ย 

A bench knife ั–ั• is an excellent tool for ease of handling. The shape of the blade determines its purpose, and the size determines how fine the details will be. A carving knife has a short blade, such as a scalpel ั–ั• for getting a bit more up close and personal with a piece of wood.

Sanding it down

Sanding is the starting point before applying any sealer. Use a clear shellac sanding sealer as a base coat and apply a clear lacquer finish over it. These do not yellow with age as they keep the purple wood alive for years. Shellac is UV resistant and prevents dulling of the sun rays. Sand between coats for better adhesion.

Putting a finish on it

Using the wrong number of finishes results in failure to cover the whole wood surface.ย Be sure to use a pre-stain wood conditioner, regardless of wood species, when using a water-based stain.

Walnut oil is a light oil you need to make the grain pop. You are allowed to use a CA finish over the oil. Give the surface weeks after oiling before applying the CA.

A natural finish is appealing from the lilac wood. If you want to subdue the open pores, fill them with a filler of your choice. Using paste filler leaves you with a natural finish. Uncolored filler allows you to tint it as required.ย 

Tinting it to the lightest color of the wood after you have stained it is a better idea. You can also use universal tinting colors (UTCโ€™s), japan colors, or artist oil colors. The UTCโ€™s tends to lack disadvantages, whereas japanโ€™s fade in strong light. The artistโ€™s oil color gives you an excellent lightfast color.

Put a small amount of filler and thinner in separate containers and mix a substantial amount of the artistโ€™s color into it when mixing filler colors.ย  As you mix well, leave it with toothpaste consistency of the color so that it breaks down and becomes liquid. That is how you did up with color concentrates.ย 

Test your filler on scraps. Mix raw sienna into the filler and check it regularly on a paper plate for color. Add small amounts of burnt umber to turn the light of the yellow down a little as needed. You are allowed to use the filler untinted. After all, it is all about personal taste.

Sand and clean or stain if you like. Wash the coat with shellac to seal the color in a ratio of 1:2. That is one part shellac, two parts denatured alcohol. Apply and remove filler as required. Allow it to cure for three days. You can choose to make shellac a final finish or varnish.

Another option is to use a thin varnish-like Minwax antique oil or watco. Apply a generous amount to the surface and wet sand it in. The oil fills the pores, and does not forget to wipe it down repeatedly. Prepare to wipe since the oil weeps out of the pores for some time. Seal it with shellac, and sand it. You are allowed to use a gel stain over the top. The pores get darker over time with the oil and sanding.

Lilac wood uses

Lilac wood is a hardwood suitable for making furniture and flooring. Uses for lilac wood include fence posts, garden stakes, and other landscaping uses. It is also a popular choice for wood carving and woodworking projects.

lilac wood hardness

Lilac wood has a Janka hardness of 2,350 lbfย (10,440 N). The hardness of lilac wood makes it a good choice for flooring, furniture, and carving. It is also durable enough for fence posts and garden stakes.

Is lilac a hardwood

Lilac wood is a hardwood suitable for making furniture and flooring. The lilac woodโ€™s hardness makes it a durable wood that can withstand a lot of wear and tear. It is also resistant to rot and pests, making it a good choice for outdoor uses.

Can you burn lilac wood?

You can burn lilac wood, but it is not the best choice for firewood. It has high water content and will produce a lot of smoke when burned. It is also a softwood, so it will burn quickly and not make as much heat as a hardwood.

lilac wood for smoking

Using lilac wood for smoking meat is popular because of its unique flavor. The lilac tree produces a flower that has a sweet, floral scent. When the lilac wood is burned, it imparts this flavor to the meat.

David D. Hughes

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