Spalted Beech - Help (U guessed it -Newbie Question)

[rechilcot]

My son directed me to a large down tree behind our house. After looking at the leaves, it was determined to be an American Beech tree. With wheel barrow and chainsaw in hand, I cut a few pieces off the main trunk. I cut one of the pieces through the pith and discoved a nice spalted pattern . Now for the newbie question: Do I keep the wood in log form and seal the ends or do I cut out the pith and seal the blanks? Either way, I will be sharing this find with other turners in my area. There is no way I can use all the pieces from a 60+ foot tree. BTW, Since my last post, I have been so consumed by vortex that I realized I am hopelessly hooked.

 

[tdrice]

Do some of each. Leave log sections as long as you can handle and seal the ends. This will allow you to keep the wood longer than almost any other technique. Remember, you can always make small pieces from big pieces. The other way around is a little tougher.

 

[Griesbach]

tdrice has given good advice and while I have little experience with Beech that experience has shown me that it cracks like crazy. Thus I would be sure to seal it as well as possible and keep your rough turned pieces sealed well also. Hopefully some of your fellow area turners will also offer some suggestions. Good luck - the wood is beautiful

 

[Jred]

I've cut Beech blanks and I too have had them crack like crazy. I sealed the ends cut the pith away and cut them from a really nice straight trunk. They checked in about a week or less.

 

[Richard Baker]

Sounds like the answer is to cut one piece from the log, reseal the log end, remove pith from cut piece, seal the ends, rough turn two bowls immediately if not sooner, and seal the outside of the bowls. Am attempting to save an oak log this way. And have a 5" slice cut and both ends sealed with paraffin, hoping for a shallow end grain bowl, but am only cautiously optimistic. Have poked a few holes through the paraffin near the center to provide a litte drying from the center. After about 6 weeks some cracks are working their way toward the good wood at the center at about 14" diameter. Not sure what to do next, if anything. Also have two cut-off chunks, pith removed, ends sealed with paraffin, showing some warping but no obvious cracks so far. Maybe will get lucky.

 

[MichaelMouse]

I've had some experience with beech, and would advise you to use all measures possible to keep it moist until you're turned, including any incantations and black rites to which you may subscribe. It is a thoroughly ill-behaved wood which, though abundant here, is used for little more than firewood or pallets. I think there is more market for bass than beech. You've already experienced one of the reasons - instant spoilage, and may soon experience some of the others, like honeycomb and checking along the medullary rays.

What helps is the spalting, which is rapid and effective in beech, releasing a lot of the tension that might otherwise ruin a turning. It also makes an otherwise bland piece of wood into something you can use as accent in flat work, with sufficient mechanical control, or even in turnings. Get it out of the log and roughed in one day, and be careful how fast you let it down. End coating of the outside of a bowl form or boxing/bagging in a paper controlled humidor would be my choice if you don't have a basement.

Couple of my favorites enclosed.

 

[rechilcot]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have turned a gobblet which had beautiful character, but it cracked everywhere. However, I turned two small bowls and so far no cracks.

 

[Griesbach]

Just wait

 

[dkulze]

The only down side to beautifully spalting beech is the same one you get with spalting oak and birch. The spalt will turn to rot pretty much overnight when the time comes. As much of the wood as you can rough turn and seal up, do it. And make sure the seal up isn't fully air tight (ei. plastic bags, parrafin, etc).

Good luck and have fun. Spalted beech is lovely.

Dietrich

 

[DeanGThomas]

Sunny Beech Question

O experienced ones!

Does heat (friction from tools or sanding) have any effect, major or minor, when working with beech?

I was under the impression that most green woods will turn effectively and dry reasonably if they are turned to some sort of optimal thinness/thickness for a given species. Yes, warpage is certainly going to happen, but if the pith is removed and the piece is turned thin with minimal heat from friction, is it still gonna crack like a lawn in Dallas in July??

 

[Andy Coates]

Beech

Hello there,

I work a lot of English Beech and can't say that I've noticed that it's any more prone to heat damage caused by friction, from tool or cloth, than any other woods. The answer to both problems is, as ever, sharp, sharp tools. The sharper they are, the less resistence there is to the cut, the less friction caused, the less heat produced.

As for abrading spalted Beech...slow and gentle should be your mantra. The spalted areas will sand out like damp sugar leaving hollows in your work.

Beech is prone to bruising, which can be caused by pushing too hard on the bevel, so, again, gentle cuts with a sharp tool.

Very punky (soft spalt) pieces can be rejuvenated by immersion in a detergeant/water mix. 50/50 mix, soak for three days, drain and turn. It cuts like butter. I think Ron Kent was the first to use the technique on spalted N.I. Pine. But I could be wrong!

Happy turning

Andy