First try at carving: Boug

[tmpgh]

The first image is the before I started pic.


The second image is of the same location after I finished carving.



The third image is of another carving I did low on the trunk. I did not before pic it. Sorry.

What do you guys think so far?

 

[october]

Can you post a pic of the entire tree so we can see the whole composition?

Rob

 

[tmpgh]

Here you are. Hastily taken and a bit blurred, but you get the picture. The carved portions are on top of the main branch on the left and the bottom left of the trunk.

 

[tmpgh]

Also, when I repot next I will be rotating it counter clockwise about 20 degrees and leaning it forward a bit. This will show the part I carved on the left branch more. There are several stumps in there where large branches were sawed away before I bought the tree. I will be carving at them in time as well.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

What do you guys think so far?

I think, if you're going to carve...carve! You can easily go this far:

 

[tmpgh]

I appreciate your confidence in my ability, Brian, but I must LOL. I'm years of practice away from trying that yet.

 

[berobinson82]

I appreciate your confidence in my ability, Brian, but I must LOL. I'm years of practice away from trying that yet.

How will you practice without practicing? You can always refine later.

 

[october]

Brain gave you good advice. Give it a shot. Just start the carving a little above the soil line. Carving too low can lead to rot if the deadwood is in the soil.

Rob

 

[ABCarve]

I appreciate your confidence in my ability, Brian, but I must LOL. I'm years of practice away from trying that yet.

This is what we called paralysis by analysis. go for it!!

 

[Dav4]

Caarrrrve it!!!!!!!

 

[Dav4]

By the way, is October the right time....assuming there is a right time....to heavily carve a bougie in PA? I know carving on temperate trees should be done during the active growth cycle, but have no clue with tropicals and semi tropicals.

 

[A Random User]

For the record... If there isn't actually any deadwood on the front of
that trunk, I wouldn't DARE carve into a Bougie !!!

I have a whole yard full of Bougies that their day as a bonsai will be
very short live !!! Because of the rotting and falling apart deadwood...
Quite a few of these have actually required intervention in the form of
drilling and adding screws to hold them actually together !!!

Wood preserver only slightly prolongs this. With Bougies they will
actually wick up moisture as well from within the trunk, which there
is no way to apply preserver too... So, the outside will be hard, and
just behind it will be mush...

There is a difference when one collects a tree that already has problems,
and tree that doesn't ... that you just created them...
Just my nickel, 2 dimes and 15 pennies...

 

[Dav4]

Sam in Hawaii carves loads of Bougies and doesn't have any issues, or doesn't mention any. Granted, his material, being collected, requires massive reduction of parts of the tree to create a design, but I wouldn't think he would go to such lengths if the trees were all doomed to fall apart in a few years. I'd love to hear his opinion on this.

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?5154-workin-the-stumps

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?5095-then-to-now

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?5376-creating-deadwood-on-collected-bougainvillea

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?4659-monster-pink-pixie-bougainvillea

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

For the record... If there isn't actually any deadwood on the front of
that trunk, I wouldn't DARE carve into a Bougie !!!

I have a whole yard full of Bougies that their day as a bonsai will be
very short live !!! Because of the rotting and falling apart deadwood...
Quite a few of these have actually required intervention in the form of
drilling and adding screws to hold them actually together !!!

Wood preserver only slightly prolongs this. With Bougies they will
actually wick up moisture as well from within the trunk, which there
is no way to apply preserver too... So, the outside will be hard, and
just behind it will be mush...

There is a difference when one collects a tree that already has problems,
and tree that doesn't ... that you just created them...
Just my nickel, 2 dimes and 15 pennies...

You may be right...but it appears (3rd photo) to have a dead spot from the dead root and going upward, which will likely follow along the line I highlighted.

 

[tmpgh]

My intention is to only work on the areas which have already been cut to stumps in order to make it look more natural. I don't want to cut into the live trunk, as I like it quite a bit as it is.

As for learning, I can practice on lots of material that isn't a tree I like. Once I've learned technique and control, then I can begin significant work on material I value. I have some practice trees around and did some work on them to gain enough confidence to mess with the little bit I've done already.

I worry about the health of the tree as well as the aesthetics after the work is complete. Until I know more about the species and the techniques it's not wise to carry out the work, right? Some of the advice above was to do some work and then refine it later. That's the path I've chosen. The most logical way down that path seems to me to be starting slowly. You can take wood off later, but can never put it back on.

 

[tree4me]

Just wanted to chime in on this thread. I have several bougies...if I don't have to carve I don't as deadwood is not natural on them cause they rot so quickly, but some times it is a necessity. I have had one tree for about 10 years and carved it about 9 years ago. The inside was all wet and rotting. read all I could and with minimal tools, drill bits and sawzall at the time, went to town, it was my 1st attempt at carving anything. I had to hollow out the entire inside because it was rotting from the top and the bottom. I use lime sulphur and minwax wood hardener at least twice a year. The live wood has been rolling over the treated areas nicely. So...if it has to be carved to stop the rotting and save the tree, do it as you learn from accomplishments as well as errors. Jut my 2 cents

 

[ABCarve]

I use epoxy on the wood after it has dried and lime sulfured. It soaks into the surface and is impervious to water. It doesn't break down (last years) as quickly as minwax. It keeps out the air which is what allows the rot to happen. It is shiny where it doesn't totally soak in, but scotchbright takes that off. Punky areas can be firmed up if it's not too bad.