..... Timber ! ....

[Richard Coombs]

.... well any reply to that will sound like a double entendre ..so I wont touch it with a Barge-pole ( whatever wood they are made of )

[Chris]

Usually Ash, I believe.

[rosemarybeetle]

Hi,

beech is traditionally used for furniture, rolling pins and Chisel handles amongst other things, and is pretty stable. It is used green, bodged for chair legs etc. I have a pestle and mortar I carved from green beech, which I have hammered for 20 years, and it has not cracked.

Whoever said make it a bit larger is right, but its not a complete showstopper. Beech shrinks, but not as drastically as some woods.

I think that for a puppet, how easy it is to carve is not as important as how well it will perform.

Oak is not ideal for puppets. It is heavy, and although tough, sticky-out bits can will snap off fairly easily.

Willow is pretty awful to carve, but is immensely resilient to violence. That's why cricket bats are made out of it. It has an interlocking grain.

Lime is traditionally one of the best woods for carving, and is quite light, but is not that strong. I have carved this green, and found it cracks.

Holly is a lovely wood, used like box for wood engraving. it shrinks and should be seasoned before carving

I am intrigued by microwave seasoning. My father told me it was common to to season logs by leaving them in streams for a few years. It drives out the sap I understand. The same reason driftwood branches are usually easily seasoned.

I think try all methods you are able to, and tell us what happens. Lovely!