Birch wood - GOAT!

[Randy Gazda]

If you saw my previous post, I scored some birch wood for free. However, this piece was part of the tree (about 16" diameter). I am looking for suggestions as to what to do with it? It has been sitting under my bench and has a few checks on the top. Lots of branches/knots, etc. Firewood? I am open to suggestions, if I like one of the suggestions, I will post the final turning.

Thanks in advance.

[Jim Underwood]

Goat? I thought I saw a pig snout on that chunk of wood. But no goat... ;)

[bob svoboda]

Goat? I thought I saw a pig snout on that chunk of wood. But no goat... ;)
Definitely a porker!:p

[Frank Van Atta]

I'd mount it through the pith and turn it down far enough to see if the multiple branches produce any interesting patterns. Then I'd decide whether to turn it or burn it.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Randy - if it were mine - hollow forms or a couple of large bowls. Frank is right in that you won't know what will work the best until you turn it down a little and see what you have to work with.

Should be lots of curl around each of those branches. Might be able to turn something that would show it off!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Yep a HF or a couple of bowls for sure.

[David E Keller]

I usually don't burn my wood until after I've turned it.:D

I'd chunk it up and give it a go.

[Mike Minto]

nice goat. where's the barbecue?

[Baxter Smith]

Good luck with it! The worst you can do is end up with more mulch!

[Richard Madison]

No goat. It's a gnarffle. Maybe a pith centered hollow form? As David said, turn it first (for the practice) before burning it.

[Jim Underwood]

No goat. It's a gnarffle. Maybe a pith centered hollow form? As David said, turn it first (for the practice) before burning it.

A gnarffle? Never heard of one a those... can you barbeque it?:D

Good luck with this chunk of wood. I'm sure you'll come up with something. It's made you put your thinkin' cap on...

[Jim Rimmer]

Randy, nobody gets any slack around here for a spelling error, especially in the thread title. :D

[Brian Effinger]

Randy, nobody gets any slack around here for a spelling error, especially in the thread title. :D
I'm with Jim - you guys are just brutal. :D :p

[Steve Kubien]

I would cut it down to make at least one large platter and probably a couple of good sized bowls. Everything I make from birch like this (when I can get it), sells quickly.

[Jim Underwood]

I'm with Jim - you guys are just brutal. :D :p


And the heck of it is, even though you can edit mistakes out of your post, you can't edit the title after you post.... You're stuck with it for the life of the thread. :rolleyes: So you may as well play along with the ribbing and joking...:D

Back on topic, I've got a couple of pieces of ornamental Plum that are very similar to this one, and until recently I've not had a big enough lathe to turn them. I may see what kind of hollow form it makes if it doesn't explode first.

[Randy Gazda]

There seems to be some confusion, I figure when you get a load of nice wood for free or close to it, that is a GLOAT. When you get a big load of wood that you don't know what to do with and it takes of valuable shop space that is a GOAT. One way a goat turns into a gloat is when the suggestion is to turn the piece whole and your lathe isn't big enough, thus the need to buy a new and of course bigger lathe, now that would be a gloat. LOL!:)