Wood on my property

[Mike Cruz]

Well, a few months ago, I got an old delta lathe. Nope, not a turner...yet, but sure I will be soon. I'm taking a class at Woodcraft to get my feet wet with bowl turning. I have a little spindle turning, but think that the bowl bug will hit me once I get started. I still have some rehab to do on the lathe, so it's not up an running yet. Kinda on purpose. I don't want to be tempted to dive in without a little experience under my belt.

One part of the but that has hit me is that I'm looking at all the stuff in my woods (about 9 acres) as possible turning material. While I have everything from locust to cherry to oaks to maple to sassafrass to ash to walnut, some things in particular have popped out immediately. And I wanted to ge your thoughts.

I will have to spread this out into 3 or 4 posts, because I have multiple pics of each piece.

This first set is, well, maybe interesting, maybe not. It is maple, probably soft mape. Most of the maple here is. My sawyer calls it swamp maple. It fell down across a path about 2 years back. I cut the infringing section away. This section is left. Normally, it wouldn't have caught my attention, but with the fungus growing on it, I thought it might have potential... What do you think?

[Mike Cruz]

This next set is of a burl on a maple that is about, I don't know, 16 to 18" across...

[Mike Cruz]

This next one is a burl on another maple, probably about 12 inches across...

[Mike Cruz]

This last one is a burl on my neighbor's property and I'm wondering if it will be worth asking him if I could have it... Much younger tree. This tree would certainly have to be topped and might kill it. But then again, it might just put out some branches and keep on going.

The first burl, BTW, is on a tree that has already started to die.

[Tim Rinehart]

Wow, that's some nice material to draw from. On the 'swamp maple', it will be hard to say without cutting a piece from it and seeing how stable inside is. Most likely will be very spalted, but if too advance, will get soft and 'punky', not fun to work with.

Looks like a great selection of wood to draw from, even if just capturing those that come down on their own.

Can't wait to see what you cut and turn first! Great that you're taking a class, that will help provide a good foundation.

[Rob Cunningham]

Wow, 9 acres of your own private wood supply. What more could you ask for? The burls look interesting but I'm not sure if you can harvest them without causing damage to or killing the tree. As far as the maple, I'd say cut into it and see what condition it in, could be some nice spalting in there.

[Mike Cruz]

So, how would I harvest that downed maple? Cut off a chunk, split it in half and turn it green? Or, cut a chunk, and take it to get dried?

As for the burls, I'd cut them off and take them to get dried. But, even if I could do that on the same day, should I still paint the cut side, or leave the cuts bare?

[David E Keller]

Nice wood gloat. The spalted maple is very appealing to me... I hope it's not too far gone. How you cut it is in part based on what you want to turn. Cutting off a chunk and splitting it in half is good for a couple of bowls. Just make sure you get the pith out of the blanks you turn. Boxes or hollow forms could be turned end grain.

I'd turn all of it green. You can rough it, then set it aside to dry. After drying, you can remount it and turn it back to round. If you don't mind the warp, turn and finish it all at once.

I'd paint everything on the end grain ASAP after cutting unless you are going to turn it right away. I can't think of any reason to have it dried unless you are in a big hurry.

[Tony De Masi]

You've gotten some great advice on how to proceed Mike.

If you need some "help" I don't think I'm too far from you.

Tony

[charlie knighton]

nice stuff, wait on the burls til you have more experiece, get your lathe up and running, practice on the downed tree, see if there is a club around, in october the va woodturning clubs are having a symposium in fisherville, $50 for two days, there will be some hands on stuff, something to think about enjoy :D

[John Hart]

I think you'll find that the softer maples don't last very long on the ground. 2 years is a long time....but in your quest for experience, maybe it'll provide lots of wood for practice?

Then again....maybe I'm full of it!!:eek: Let's cut it open and take a look.

As far a drying goes...I wouldn't recommend taking anything anywhere to get it dried. Drying is generally done after rough turning. Turning green wood is such a pleasure. You don't want to deny yourself that treat.

The burls look great!! Cut 'em off and stare at them for awhile and imagine what they could be....then make it.

You're going to fall in love with your woods Mike.:)

[brian watts]

This next set is of a burl on a maple that is about, I don't know, 16 to 18" across...


would be nice to have that..very nice..

[Richard Madison]

Mike,
Would hate for you to kill a live, healthy tree to get one of those burls, but they are your trees and your call. Meanwhile as suggested, that downed maple may contain some sound and beautifully spalted wood if you can find it. Suggest that you cut 2" thick slices off one end until you reach sound (not punky) wood (if it's there). Then cut turning blanks, cut through the pith, heavily wax the ends, and rough out some bowls (or whatever) asap. Dry the roughouts as desired.

[Randy Gazda]

9 acres of hardwoods, that has to be a super gloat. I suspect the maple is to far gone but you won't know until you get the chainsaw out. I have attached a photo of a spalted maple bowl from a tree that was on the ground about 8 months (oct to may). Depending on how much you start turning/become addicted. LOL. You may want to have someone with a Woodmizer or other bandmill come to your place and mill some trees into lumber. Keep us posted on your progress.

[Mike Cruz]

I've got a mill about 5 minutes from my house, and I have a 20 foot flatbet trailer, soooooo, I have NO issues with getting stuff cut up, or dried for that matter. :)

Ok, so the consensus seems to be to turn wet. Got it! Will do. Consequently, I suppose I will also leave the burls up until I actually decide to use them...one at a time.

As for the maple that has been "down" for two years... I suppose it may not be evident from the pic, but while it is "down" it isn't on the ground. Actually, it is still alive! there are new branches that have sprouted all over the trunk, right by the cut end. I thought that would have been more clear by the pic, so I didn't mention it, but I guess not. That is why I was wondering what ya'll thought would be going on in there...a cut end with fungus/mushrooms yet still alive. I guess cutting it just before turning is my best bet. At worst, there will be no "activity" re: spalting, and I can let the piece "sit" then.

Oh, and I suppose I didn't say it, but, uh, yeah... I won't be "starting" with any of these pieces... I'll go the route of starting with wood that I won't care if I ruin them, then, once I get comfortable, I'll dig into these guys.

Thanks for all the advice, guys!

And, Tony, funny how close Front Royal seems, huh? Hey, you are welcome to come by anytime. Just let me know when...

[John Hart]

Mike...you're making me think (which is fairly dangerous for me) that yeah...that fallen maple just may have lots of cool figure to it with all those limbs growing out of it. Each limb will represent some interesting figure...but also a cracking point. But regardless....perhaps once you turn past the sapwood, away from the limbs and toward the heartwood, there could be some cool figure due to the limbs themselves.

You got me all excited. get out there with your chainsaw. :)

[Donny Lawson]

Those are some nice burls you have but like others have said work with the downed tree first that way you can get some experience on turning.The downed maple will yeild some great bowls if it isn't too punky on the inside.Slab off a nice piece and post a picture after you cut it in half.We would be interested in what it looks like inside.
Donny

[Mike Cruz]

Ok, I was going to do the research online, and ask the guy at Woodcraft that is teaching the turning class, but since you are pushing me cutting it up, you've got my curiousity going and I'll just ask...

What is the best method for sectioning the wood? Do I first cut a chunk, about the same length as the diameter of the log? Or in this case, maybe a little longer to accomodate for the cracks in the end of the wood? Then split it down the middle with a wedge (scoring the middle, so I can try to get as straight a split as possible)? Does that split line (the middle/pithy area) now become my mounting surface? Or do I have to flatten the other side (bark side with sapwood) for mounting? I assume I take this "half a log" and have to rough cut a circle (for a bowl) on the bandsaw.

Am I getting this right? This isn't from research, but from what I gather I should do... I also seem to remember a thread that someone posted not too long ago that showed pics of the process. But not ever doing it, I had to guess at some of the steps.

[Nathan Hawkes]

So, regarding cutting it up, I don't know if you're familiar with end grain sealer. Even though a log has been down a while, if you cut the end off, new cracks will appear on the freshly cut surface--you'll want to seal this with a wax emulsion based product--Anchorseal is the most common brand name, but several places sell it. I get it by the 5 gal. bucket from UC coatings. Here's a .pdf that might be helpful regarding bowl blank orientation. I don't know who to give the credit to; it's been posted on various online forums and in so many different places over the last few years that I've been turning.


PHOOEY! The file is a bit too large to upload. If you send me a private message with your email, I'll send it to you.

[Barry Elder]

+1! on the Anchorseal 5 gal. container! Be prepared before you start cutting.

[John Hart]

Here's a picture of how I would do it.
153509

I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I would basically radially cut the log length a little shorter than the diameter...then take a look at what's inside. Then cut axially twice to eliminate the pith. Depending on what it looks like, I might just seal it at that point or do further cuts if I see something specific that I like.

The two outer vertical cuts are what I would do if I was going to turn it right away...just to give me a mounting flat for my faceplate. (unless I thought it would make a good Natural Edge Bowl...in which case, I'd mount my faceplate to the bark)

Then again...if the figure induced by the dangly things was enticing enough, I might want to incorporate it into a vase or something as an endgrain turning....leaving the figure to grace the outside of the piece.

There are too many possibilities. But yes...something to seal it right away is important. Anchorseal is the goodest...although some folks have had good success with latex paint.

[Bert Solis]

Mike:
I am going to take the "high" road here, not that I did not notice the wood on the property. Old Delta you say.
I have an " old Rockwell Delta (46-450) tha I just got and it is a joy compared to the other lathe that I was using, no need to mention what it was it served me well for a long time. If you need some help setting the "old" Delta up I woud be glad to help, mainly with pictures and the type of things added to the lathe to make it work like the modern ones.
First of all it has what I think is a "Reeves" Drive and also has a Variable speed dial box that also has reverse . it is great and solid see the lathe on one of my albums, and I will post more pictures and close ups so you can set up yours.
Now about the wood, ah never mind you got enough responses and DROOLS from other nice Creekers.
Good luck with bowl turning.
Bert Solis

[Mike Cruz]

Thanks, Bert. I could probably use all the help I can get. The lathe looks to be in pretty decent shape, but I did have to upgrade the motor to 1 hp. Also, I'm replacing the two wooden beds (upper and lower) that hold the cast iron base together. They came with 2x pine and I am replacing it with oak. I've already made the pieces and purchased new bolts. I've marked out all the holes, including the one for the belt to go from the lower wood bed up to the headstock. I'll be making a storage/drawers unit to fit between the two wood slabs.

In my original thread about this lathe, it shows some pics of the lathe when I got it. The storage/drawers unit that it cam with was very crude, probably made by the junior high schoolers that used it. It is a model 1460 and I found out it was made in 1947. Here is a link to the thread... http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=138424

[Bernie Weishapl]

Wow talk about wood supply.

[Mike Cruz]

Wow, thanks for all the advice and tips! This is on my mind constantly, now. Too bad I won't be getting to it for a little while (class, working on shop, some other projects that will take priorty...). Maybe I'll be able to get working on some and have them ready for the holidays. I don't know the total time frame from turning wet wood to finish, but I hope that will work...