Aging Redwood - Results...

[S. Clark]

I completed my project which required attempting to match Mother Natures aging of redwood. Since I got a lot of good advice here, on what to try to achieve this, I thought I’d show you my finished product. At first I was going to show the sample pieces I made while testing various methods but photographing those is too cumbersome; I have 15 or 20 samples on little 1½†x3†chips of redwood. I didn’t try every suggestion. At a certain point I just had to begin applying what I was discovering. I am happy with the result. Here is the process that I used.

1) Propane torching followed by the use of a small hand wire brush. I had to shield the areas I wanted to leave fresh. Then a nylon brushing.
2) Several treatments with a strong sodium bicarbonate solution to darken specific areas. 3) Two coats of tung oil.
4) One coat of Zinzer white enamel followed immediately with had rubbing using 0000 fiber wool.

The underside of the bowl is simply finished with several coats of sanding sealer and then polished. That was the easy part.

I have additional images uploaded to my gallery.

- Scott

 

[Jeff Jilg]

Whoa - nice woodpile in the background. That looks like a stealth gloat if I ever saw one! :cool2:

 

[Jim Bremer]

I'll buy

Beautifull stuff!

I'll pay good money for some of that wood. I'm interested in large pieces at least 18-24 inches by 4 inches. Send a photo and name a price.

 

[S. Clark]

The wood pile is actually on a beach on the Sonoma coast (CA). This is at Jenner where the Russian River enters the Pacific. The wood builds up every year and believe it or not, the Parks Service burns it off. Next year it’ll be right back again. The funny thing is that there are rules regarding how much you are allowed to collect; 50lbs per person on any single trip. Rather silly considering that there is several hundred thousand pounds or more on the beach that’ll end up being burned off. The fun part is climbing the trail back UP to the road with your collection. Needless to say, I have more than I can readily use already in my back yard.

By the way, any apparent stealth was purely accidental. 😉

- Scott

 

[pyrocasto]

Some kind of homebuilt winch with a bag to hold the wood may be in order to drag it back up. That way you can make trips all day long without much effort. 😛

 

[Mark Mandell]

Political Solution

"They'll only allow 50lbs. and then burn the rest"?

Guys, you are not thinking straight on this issue. The Park Service has obviously embarked on a course which squanders our Precious National Resources while at the same time Contributes to Air Pollution and Global Warming with unnecessary Open Burning!

THIS MUST BE STOPPED!​

As turners (and woodworkers) we are the Natural Stewards of the Forest and must stop this now-exposed egregious Government Waste! Letters to Congress; pickets at the NPS offices in CA and D.C.; sit-ins at park entrances (that's right, ALL park entrances! If they do it in CA, they do it everywhere); bumper stickers, leaflets (from tertiary recycleds of course). Come, Now! We gotta

SAVE THE TREES!!​

[even the dead ones]

M

 

[Sean Troy]

I agree with Mark, thats about the stupidest thing I ,ve heard of. Why can't people take more than 50 lbs.? Was a reason given?

 

[Jeff Jilg]

I'll bet if you pulled a 100 pounder out of there no one would stop you. I agree it does sound like a lame policy.

 

[Brian Hahn]

Hey, we're talking California here... Left-coast... etc.. Rationality and logic aren't relevant. At least that's the only way I've been able to make sense of some of the things that they do. It must be the dichotomy: wonderful climate and impending slippage into the ocean. 😱 (Actually, I seem to remember that they are headed up the coast towards Washington state. But either way it's a disaster.)

 

[Mark Mandell]

Sop

Brian,

Your Left-coast comment means you're forgetting you're dealing with a federal agency here.

"There Will Be Uniformity In The Adherance To This Policy Or You Will Earn Your Retirement At The Park Facility On The Northern Tip Of The Base At Thule, Greenland."

If they burn the driftwood there, they'll burn it at Sandy Hook (NJ) and Everglades, and wherever.

M

ps: "In Case There Isn't Presently A Park Facility At The Base In Greenland, We'll Create One Just For You, Bunky. "

 

[Brian Hahn]

Brian,

Your Left-coast comment means you're forgetting you're dealing with a federal agency here.

YIKES!!! You mean it's The Feds? It seems I unjustly maligned the great state of California. 😱

Here I was feeling fairly safe and secure sitting on the other side of the continental divide. But the Feds are everywhere! Maybe I should hide my head in a pile of driftwood until this whole issue burns over! 😉

 

[Mark Mandell]

YIKES!!! Maybe I should hide my head in a pile of driftwood until . .

Uh, uh! You might get burndt! 😀 😀

m

[Actually, I assumed it was Federal.]

 

[S. Clark]

YIKES!!! You mean it's The Feds? It seems I unjustly maligned the great state of California. 😱

Much of our North Bay coastline is within the jurisdiction of the Golden Gate National Marine Sanctuary. California State Parks controls most of the rest with local county parks slipped in at a few locations. This particular beach is in California’s administration. The rules vary depending who’s claiming control of the sands and rocky cliffs you stray across. I live in Sonoma County and frequent Mendocino County beaches too. Mendocino graciously allows you to take 100lbs! 😛 In Sonoma you are not allowed to use any mechanical devices on the beach; i.e. chainsaws. I was told this is due to noise pollution and its’ effect on the local critters. I was also told even a wheel barrow constitutes a mechanical device though. I guess they don’t want any squeaky wheels. 😕 Fires are allowed on the beach so I guess the State Parks Rangers just have really big hot dogs. I guess the smoke doesn’t bother the local critters.

- Scott

 

[S. Clark]

I agree with Mark, thats about the stupidest thing I ,ve heard of. Why can't people take more than 50 lbs.? Was a reason given?

I suspect that they want to prevent any commercialized collection company from attacking the beaches. With comments like I've seen here, that would be sure to happen with designs on striking it rich supplying the need/desire.

- Scott

 

[Mark Mandell]

I suspect that they want to prevent any commercialized collection company from attacking the beaches. With comments like I've seen here, that would be sure to happen with designs on striking it rich supplying the need/desire.

- Scott

Scott,

'Twas all in [good] fun, but I seriously doubt there is a commercial potential or danger of such as the demand could not, realistically, by all that high. If it were, I'd wager there would already be several consessions operating and "private citizens" would be prohibited from taking ANY wood off the beach.

Or am I being too cynical? 😉

M

 

[S. Clark]

Scott,

'Twas all in [good] fun, but I seriously doubt there is a commercial potential or danger of such as the demand could not, realistically, by all that high. If it were, I'd wager there would already be several consessions operating and "private citizens" would be prohibited from taking ANY wood off the beach.

Or am I being too cynical? 😉

M

I have seen driftwood for sale at several trinket shops along the coast (Hwy 1) and I have been offered $ for materials while I'm loading it into my truck. There is a lot of money in California. You'd be surprised what people will spend in on. They by my "Coastal Forms". 😀

- Scott