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View Full Version : My afternoon with a nasty ole' chunk of rotten apricot


Gary Chester
03-21-2010, 1:04 AM
I've heard many say "life's too short to turn crappy wood".

Sometimes I agree... sometimes I like a challenge.

I guess I was lookin' for a fight today.

A while back, a friend cut down a dying, rotten Apricot tree that wasn't worth burning and I foolishly grabbed a few pieces. I've been looking at this piece for a month wondering what to do with it.

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I finally decided to put it on the lathe. Well, I figured out that it ain't no high class burl... just a bunch of knots.

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After a bit of jabbing at it with my tools, I realized it, or ME, wouldn't survive any more spinning without a good slathering of superglue. That big crack makes me wonder if I need more body and face protection...

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So now it's sort of round... but I'm still not sure where we're going... maybe the fireplace or the recycle bin???

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With just a bit of imagination... I see a frowning guy with a melted face that just lost a fight in the pic below. Do you see it??? Or am I having some acid flashback from the 60's???

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I also see a bunch of spiders crawling over that chunk of wood... hmmmmmm...

That was my afternoon...

The "spider apricot" was slathered again in superglue and dunked in DNA to be finished another day... wish me luck.
alex carey
03-21-2010, 1:15 AM
nahh im with you on the melting face, unless we are both trippin.
Gary Chester
03-21-2010, 1:29 AM
Oh good... I thought I was freakin' out!!!:rolleyes::rolleyes::D
John Keeton
03-21-2010, 6:40 AM
Gary, that piece has potential, but it sure looks like it could have more voids inside. Hope the CA holds it all together, and that your next encounter is productive!!
Bill Sherman
03-21-2010, 6:57 AM
Looks very interesting......... Full body armour for the next turning.....
Baxter Smith
03-21-2010, 8:59 AM
Sometimes you have to know when to quit.:) But then again, it might come out better than you could have imagined. Good luck with it. Half the fun is in the challenge!
David E Keller
03-21-2010, 9:55 AM
It's surely a pretty piece of wood. I agree that a serious blowout looks like a possibility. I would give some strong consideration to taping the outside of the form while hollowing with duct tape or cling wrap. I'd stop pretty frequently to add glue as well.
Curt Fuller
03-21-2010, 10:07 AM
It's surely a pretty piece of wood. I agree that a serious blowout looks like a possibility. I would give some strong consideration to taping the outside of the form while hollowing with duct tape or cling wrap. I'd stop pretty frequently to add glue as well.

My thoughts exactly. I had a chunk of elm with a big bark inclusion running through it similar to that come apart a while back. I thought I had it saturated with CA. It took out a chunk of 3/4" shelving above my lathe, looked like a bear had bitten it. Then it ricocheted and hit the freezer across the garage and left a big dent in it. Somehow it missed me. It does have some huge potential but, TURN IT VERY SLOWLY!
Justin Stephen
03-21-2010, 10:16 AM
With just a bit of imagination... I see a frowning guy with a melted face that just lost a fight in the pic below. Do you see it??? Or am I having some acid flashback from the 60's???

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Looks like a sad Charlie Brown.

Someone should take a police riot shield and drill a small hole in the front for the tool handle to pass through and market it to woodturners.

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Bernie Weishapl
03-21-2010, 2:33 PM
Great looking piece of wood that has lots of potential. Turn slowly.
Steve Schlumpf
03-21-2010, 3:00 PM
The believe the word 'challenge' is an understatement! As mentioned - take your time and inspect it often!