Carving letters and numbers into wood is one of my favorite projects. Although many wood species can be chip carved, beginners will have the best luck with basswood, knot-free pine or poplar.

Foote mainly uses basswood, one of the most suitable woods for hand carving and painting, he said. “It’s a very nice grain, but it gets fuzzy with the grinder,” he said. The best wood for ...

Watching a project come to life is what motivates one Northside man to continue his passion for wood carving. Derrick Finney ...