Mulberry + chainsaws = a nice mess

[Alan Zenreich]

I got to spend quality time in our driveway today playing with chainsaws and wood.

Several months ago we lost several large trees during a storm. The arborist saved some logs from a large mulberry and left it in my driveway. I sealed the ends with clear Anchorseal, and left them out in the weather.

Today we finally got around to cutting them up into manageable pieces. The photo shows the wood (and quart of chain oil for size comparison) just before coating the ends with green Anchorseal.

Thanks to Steve B... he brought his sawbuck and we got all the wood chunked, got rid of the piths. Steve's been wielding a chainsaw since sometime in the last century... this was my first time cutting. He's a good teacher. Some logs will be further sawn on my 14" bandsaw (a 12" resaw capacity is nice)

I picked up two chainsaws from Craigslist in preparation for this... a Stihl MS260 and an 029. I was going to sell the 029, but may keep both... it was nice to simply switch saws when one of the blades needed sharpening.

Those that know me, also know that I acquired and wore a pair of 12 ply kevlar chaps, gloves, and a helmet with mesh screen and hearing protection.

Vroom vroooom vroooooom. Now to clean up the mess of sawdust and shavings.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Wow! Sure is some good looking wood! Looking forward to seeing what you turn out of it!

[Josh Bowman]

Alan, I want to see some of that turned. That grain looks real nice.

[Alan Zenreich]

I'm going to have to experiment with this to try to maximize the features in the wood. Most of the dark color came from the cracks emanating from the pith, so I don't know how deep it goes and don't want to turn it away during hollowing.

So, I might cut a 1.5 to 2.5" slab and soak in Turner's Choice to force the drying... then try my hand at a platter.

It will also be interesting to see if the Turner's Choice has any effect on the normal darkening of the lighter wood as it is exposed to light. It would be very cool if the yellowish wood could be preserved. It looks good when it goes dark, but the current contrast is very nice.

Time will tell

[alex carey]

wow that mulberry looks pretty. nice gloat.

[David E Keller]

Nice looking score there. I like the color of mulberry when it's fresh, but I really like the color after it's been around for a while. I'm looking forward to seeing some finished work from this.

[Michael James]

I can smell the 2stroke and sawdust.... AND pickin up on the testosterone all the way down here in the rio grande valley! yeahhhhhhhhhh baby!:cool:
Nice looking stuff.... looking forward to some turnings!
mj

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats Alan that is some nice looking mulberry.

[Reed Gray]

Alan,
I was looking at the black lines and was wondering if they were caused by cracks. Since you know they are in there, I would guess that you have to be VERY CAREFUL when you turn anything from those pieces. Use a tenon only, no expansion with the chuck, slower speeds, and NEVER stand in the line of fire. Super glue in the cracks can make it a bit more stable, but I wouldn't trust it. After turning the outside, you can wrap the outside in stretch plastic film gently, not too tight.

robo hippy

[Alan Zenreich]

Reed,
Yes, the closer to the cracks, the more pronounced the color.

There is a lot of thin CA allocated for projects using this wood... should be a challenge.

[John Keeton]

Chainsaw massacre!! Great looking stuff, but as noted, it is going to be challenging!

[Baxter Smith]

The cracks and resulting discoloration make it pretty but....you may want to wear that protective gear while turning too! Good luck with it!

[Ken Hill]

I showed my wife your "Mess" picture, she said compared to me you arent even close to being a master mess maker!:D

[Bill Bolen]

Beautiful wood! Can't wait to see what you turn from it. Enjoy it...Bil...

[Rob Mathis]

Very nice looking wood.

[Alan Zenreich]

Ken,

We haven't begun the raking, sweeping and hauling of the sawdust/shavings from our driveway. Then of course, it started to rain, and it will be raining for most of this week. I looked under the tarp that's covering the wood, and most of the Anchorseal hasn't dried yet. The sawdust/shavings are happily soaking up water, getting heavier by the minute!

Baxter,

We always wear powered respirator helmets... and dust collection is running so I'm not too worried about spalting bugs. Fragile wood is the larger concern, and we'll be very careful to avoid launching mulberry.