Stabilizing birds eye maple

[Steff Pace]

Hi, a quick question-a friend with a lumber yard just gave me some cutoffs of dry birds eye maple I am going to try and make a pen from. He told me the eyes have a tendency to pop off??? Maybe he was pulling my leg, but should I stabilize the eyes in some way? How? Turn a little, CA glue a little then repeat til its at the right size? I was thinking about just making sure the tools were sharp and going at it. I would appreciate any ideas, just got this new Jet mini, turned a nice olive wood pen last nite, my first on this lathe-sweet.

[David Christopher]

Steff, Ive made several things from birdseye and never had a problem ( just normal finishing ) but you need to post pictures or it didnt happen ( olive pen )

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Steff....as previously stated.....sharp tools and go for it. If you feel any vibration ...stop and use a little CA but...I've not had any problem.

[Gary Max]

Steff ---did you still have both your shoes??????????

[Steff Pace]

thanks, I just glued up some blanks of walnut he gave me while waiting for replies-I'll glue up some birds eye tonight, turn them tomorrow and post pics of all. Getting tired now, and I make mistakes when I'm tired, and I only have a little of the birds eye, and promised the guy a pen for the wood. He gave me some cherry- it's pretty plain- and something called marado? Never heard of it- it's pretty, and heavy-very dense and feels oily. Looks like a cross between zebra and cherry. Should make a neat pen, has very pronounced grain. Thanks for your help, tomorrow I go for the gold!

[Steff Pace]

yes I still have both shoes, Gary, but my salt shaker seems to be missing.

[Reed Gray]

Steff,
If you run birds eye through a planer, the eyes tend to pop out if you have the outside of the tree against the blades. Not much of a problem if you are shear cutting though. Just like figured wood. Did see a thing about birds eye in an old Fine Woodworking years ago. True birds eye (different from burl) looks like a percussion cone, as like some one hit the outside of the tree, and there is a dent all the way to the center of the tree. So the grain does a little dip on a board that is facing the outside of the tree, and a little cone if you are cutting on a board that faces the inside of the tree.
robo hippy

[Gary Max]

Steff ---I turn a lot of Birdseye maple pens----I still think he's pullin your leg ---plus anyone who would hide your salt shaker needs to be watched anyway----:)