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Scarred Box; Hickory and (Pine) Fatwood
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Michael Anderson

Scarred Box; Hickory and (Pine) Fatwood

This box's exterior shows off the beautiful vein-like pattern of the cambium layer. I turned it on two axes so you get a glimpse of the wood beneath the cambium. The lid is made of pine fatwood. Fatwood isn't really conducive to sanding, so it's a tool finish. To add a bit of fun, I made the lid into a spin top, with the contact point being being an oversized glass marble. This decreases the friction and adds a bit of color. Of course, the top is very wobbly, give the partial natural edge I kept to match the box's form. Still, it's a satisfying spin!

7"h x 3.5"d
Click to expand...
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Reactions: Will Armstrong, Gerald Lawrence, Tom Hale and 6 others
Michael Anderson
Fun fact: if you’re ever in need of a natural fire starter, Fatwood is about as good is it gets. Look for the broken limbs of fallen and decayed pine trees. Voilà!
 
Russ Braun
I like the effect of the multi-axis turning, the grain and the checks, Michael! It might be the fine points vs the rustic aspect…hard to look away from!
 
Michael Anderson
Thanks a lot Russ! I had this sitting around unfinished for a while. Finally got around to making a lid that matched the body. Fun stuff!
 
Michael Anderson
Thanks @Doug Agee!

@Will Armstrong Christian has some nice pieces on his site! For this box, I made the slits by turning on the wood between on a parallel axis to the original. Here's the basic process:
  1. Shape the outside of the log between centers. In this case I just trued it to round, but cut shallow enough to only remove the bark and leave the cambium intact. Sand as needed, and also cut a tenon for hollowing later
  2. Reset wood, but offset the centers a bit. I think for this I was 1/4" away from the original. It can be helpful to use a square to keep everything parallel.
  3. Cut slits using tool of choice. In this case I used a diamond shaped carbide cutter, but a spindle detail gouge or a skew would work. Because of the offset, your cuts will be deeper on one side of the wood than the other. Sand as needed.
  4. Put your wood between the original centers, OR in a chuck and hollow out the inside.
This is just one method, of course. You could also use an offset glue block, or an eccentric chuck. Always fun to experiment!
 

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