That is super figure Leo!
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What’s on your lathe?
- Thread starter Rusty Nesmith
- Start date
White limba and walnut. Not sure what it will be yet. Some kind of box with lid.
Wild grain on that one! It looks like the defect is part of a crack system. If it were me, I would the hole with epoxy and sawdust/bark/coffee grounds, and then put a line of pewa along the crack (including one going through the middle of the epoxy repair).
This shallow apple bowl has been kicking around the shed for quite a while. I finally got around to filling the bark inclusion with some epoxy and getting it sanded. Sad to have nicked the rim at some point, but still some interesting stuff going on.
Good idea. Then I won’t have to make it a smaller diameter and that will add interest. Thanks.
Made my first deep hollowing. Started with a very simple shape just to test out my DIY tool and to figure out how to use it (tool is about 4 1/2 ft long with an 8mm carbide cup on the end). The wood is green sycamore, and the final form is about 12" L x 4" W.
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Final sanding of 14” wild cherry bowl.
Michael
Did you get an age with that piece of Swamp Kauri.
I have one piece carbon dated at 12,000yrs waiting to be turned. I guess it can wait a bit longer!
Swamp kauri - Wikipedia
I'm always on the lookout for butternut on my place. I have found a dead one that was too punky to turn but I'm sure there's more on my 5 acres. I found a dead tree that Picture This identified as butternut. Wrong again, Picture This. I cut it down and didn't notice any particular smell. However, it was pretty apparent it was sassafras. The sassafras bark is quite red on the inside. Anyway, to my happy surprise, it had a couple of nice crotches. Here's the first of what should be four sassafras crotch bowls. I still need to finish the bottom. You can see that the first 4-5 outer rings are pretty punky. Beyond that it is pretty solid. The other half of this crotch is deeper so perhaps I won't go live edge on that one.
Hey Neil. I got this blank from Terry Scott. He said he harvested/milled it with Gordon Pembridge around 20-25 years ago from a batch of logs in an acidic swamp. Didn’t give a date, but I’m assuming it’s x-thousands of years old. Has that same dark brown patina. It may be my imagination, but it seems like there is dirt embedded deep into the wood. Tools dull quickly and the fine shavings disintegrate when rubbed. Pretty wild. Here is a pic of them harvesting the log way back when:Michael
Did you get an age with that piece of Swamp Kauri.
I have one piece carbon dated at 12,000yrs waiting to be turned. I guess it can wait a bit longer!
Swamp kauri - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
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Spalted Oak. 9x4. Wet with DO.
Michael
Some of those Kauri were already up to 2,000 yrs old before they were submerged in the swamp and going by the size of that root ball in the photo, that tree was a big one if not also already old when it went down.
So, regardless of how long it was buried, it is a very special piece of wood you have there Michael.
I normally pass on bowl blanks this small, unless it's exceptionally rare, or very uniquely
beautiful.......like this one! When I first saw this 5 1/2" two-tone Bubinga, it was just too hard
to resist!
The chatoyance in the sapwood was something that wasn't apparent, until after it was sanded.
-o-
beautiful.......like this one! When I first saw this 5 1/2" two-tone Bubinga, it was just too hard
to resist!
The chatoyance in the sapwood was something that wasn't apparent, until after it was sanded.
-o-
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That’s amazing, thanks for the info. They’re real giants of the old and new. The growth rings are pretty tight on my bowl, and the root ball is huge. I bet you’re right that it was ancient before it even made it to the swamp. It’s something that is almost unfathomable. Here’s the current state of affairs (as of late last night). Have done a bit of preliminary sanding, but not too much. A fair number of thin cracks, but given how special the wood is, I’m taking the time to reinforce with a bunch of pewa.
Awesome piece. Would have liked to see the original shape and condition of the wood you harvested. Always trying to find what would be best as far as angle of placing in the lathe to get a product like this. Again, great looking product.
I am left wondering what exactly that coloration comes from. I would not guess spalting first off. I have seen this type of pattern in a number of trees, and they are all in the process of dying. The coloration does not follow the growth rings. Maybe it is spalting and dying. Not sure... Anyone know for sure?
robo hippy
I'm inclined to agree with Reed. I don't think it's spalting, but rather something similar to olive Ash. Spalting in Oak almost always occurs in the sapwood, outside-in. If present in the heartwood, the sapwood is usually too far gone. Mike's sapwood is pretty clean, but the heartwood (and the heart/sap border) contains the color.
I've read that the color pattern, at least in olive Ash, comes from a non-harmful bacterial infection. You have a pretty special piece of timber there, Mike. Cool!
You are right Michael, that is staining, not spalting.
I have always thought it would happen with Oak sitting in too wet a condition.
It will not (can not) spalt but will stain in that condition.
I have always thought it would happen with Oak sitting in too wet a condition.
It will not (can not) spalt but will stain in that condition.
I do have a couple pieces of Kauri wood, as I have cousins in Australia and New Zealand that have large dairy farms there.
One of my sisters went for a 3 month holiday and visited both cousins.
The one in New Zealand was pulling old logs out of a swamp on his farm (use for firewood) also has hot springs there, anyway she bought some wood and other pieces, gave the wood to me.
It is a softwood, fine grained, light weight and really a lot like Redwood, not much grain and I would say pretty bland/boring wood, nothing special but for its age.
I have not turned it, as to me it would be just another piece of wood if turned, now it has the stamp on it with the info on the age and carbon dating.
I have both a light and dark piece of it.
I think you’re spot on there. As far as a quality turning wood, uuhhhh probably toward the bottom of the list. This may have even been more painful than Torreya. Maybe. But, the age and history put it toward the top of the “interesting” list. I’ve seen a few examples with interesting figure, but the one I have is pretty bland. Though, the chatoyance will be pretty dramatic and there are a few interesting compression bands. The fine soft grain does make for a sort of static/white noise look when sanded/oiled If that makes sense.
I think you made the right move by not turning those blocks. Pretty cool to have the date stamp there.
I also wonder what's going on as it doesn't look like spalting I've seen but "they" were calling it spalting. The un-colored white wood looks a lot like oak and the owner was calling it oak. Freshly cut large tree that looked like it was healthy.
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Kevin Jesequel
TOTW Team
I think it is a type of spalting, as I’m 99% sure it is cause by a fungus. I’ve seen it in trees that had years of water damage due to large branches breaking off at the trunk, or due to being improperly pruned. I’ve also seen it in trees with termites running up the heartwood from underground. Seri Robinson is demoing this week for one of my clubs. I’ll try to remember to ask about it.
Some info and photos I've found indicates it's likely a form of "codit". https://www.drstump.co.uk/compartmentalisation-of-decay-in-trees/
Kevin Jesequel
TOTW Team
That’s really interesting and explains why I’ve seen it in the trees I’ve described above. I am still curious to find out if fungus plays a role. In my mind, where there is rot, there will be fungal growth.
Is that some lacquer so CA from embedding the pewa won’t stain? Gonna look great.
I couldn't help noticing the bar on that chainsaw that Terry and his mate are using that must be 5ft long... what a doozy... a suitable sized bar for a very big piece of wood!
Ha, right?? The small one in front cracks me up. Looks tiny, yet it’s probably a run of the mill 16/20” bar.
Thanks Alan! It’s shellac, but yep serves that purpose. Keeps the glue from staining. It also helps to map out all of the cracks so I don’t have to search for them as much.
Finishing day yesterday. A little spalted maple bowl and two more sassafras crotch bowls. I'll post better pictures after I've finished the bottoms.
Walnut burl.....
Question for the day: Is it worms.....or is it ants that caused this?????
I'm not sure what to do with it, but open to suggestions.
I can try to fill it with epoxy.
I can turn it away, but that might mean a lot of material removed.
.....or, I can finish the bowl as is, but the activity is pretty intense.....might not be very stable.
What would you do?
-o-
Question for the day: Is it worms.....or is it ants that caused this?????
I'm not sure what to do with it, but open to suggestions.
I can try to fill it with epoxy.
I can turn it away, but that might mean a lot of material removed.
.....or, I can finish the bowl as is, but the activity is pretty intense.....might not be very stable.
What would you do?
-o-
You’ll likely end up with a coaster if you turn it all away. I’d guess worms. Epoxy with coffee grounds to repair it?
Dave Landers
Beta Tester
Based on what I can see in the photo, I'd turn it as-is. Once I got closer to final shape, I'd re-evaluate if epoxy was necessary. But my first reaction is to try to leave it.
That would be worms Odie, and why not leave it like that, maybe fill with contrasting material, and yes it will be stable, same with these I turned.
Sassafras crotch bowl #2. The feathering was very punky. I used shellac to firm it up.
Candy dish and pens for a local college’s admissions office, from part of a log from an old large walnut tree they took down in October for an office addition.
