Wormy Spalted White Birch Trunk

[Steve Schlumpf]

I am in rough-out mode and trying to get my wood stash down before the major cold/snows hit.

This piece is the main trunk section from a standing dead White Birch. The tailstock end of it was cut right at ground level. Most of the tree was rotted beyond use but I have hopes there will be enough solid wood in this piece to be able to turn it. I threw this on the lathe after removing the bark and it was seriously out-a-round! Didn’t matter to the lathe but it sure beat me up while roughing it to a cylinder!

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I am hoping to turn a Southwestern style pot out of this but plan on getting rid of the bulk of the rotten/punky wood first. We’ll have to see how much wood is left, so it is possible I may end up changing the form.

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Lots of bug holes and only found 2 very dizzy worms! Have my fingers crossed that I can get this piece finished as envisioned as I think the worm holes will add a lot of character!

Just wanted to share…

Comments are always welcome!

Thanks for looking,

[Nate Davey]

This is me, green with envy:D. That's going to be the mother of all southwestern pots.

[John Spitters]

Steve
It will turn out just fine. If you look at my last post about the photo set up the first form that you see there was from a piece of very heavily spalted Birch, Actually the same wood as you see in the lathe cabinet I built.
All this wood came from a stack of logs that had been left in the woods for several yrs. and the owner was slowly cutting them up for firewood. When I happened across this pile I asked the owner about it and he said that we could have it all so at the time I turned some of it and the rest was milled into several hundred bf of lumber which I have stacked in the attic of my shop.

John

[Bill Bolen]

Good luck with it Steve. That AB did not look to have broken into a sweat over this stick of wood!!

[John Keeton]

Steve Schlumpf - A.K.A. "The Log Turner"!!! You sure are going to give a bunch of folks lathe envy, Steve!

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Great log, I wish you the best of luck with it. However, I must admit your lathe gets more handsome every time you show it.
faust

[mike ash]

Steve - even though I am certain the pot you about to creat is going to be fantastic.....IT'S DIFFICULT TO SEE PAST THE AMERICAN BEAUTY!!

Mike Ash

[Richard Jones]

Steve,

Curious, what will you do with the pith at the bottom? Leave it? Drill & plug?

Keep us posted.

Thanks.

Rich

[Bernie Weishapl]

Steve looks like a big piece for sure. Can't wait to see the piece finished on that fine looking lathe.

[David DeCristoforo]

Hare to imagine anything making the Beauty look small, but this is getting there! That's a good size chunk. I can't wait to see how it shapes up. I hope you post some more "process" pics...

[Roland Martin]

Looks like a really interesting chunk of birch, it's in good hands. Has anybody ever told you you've got a really great lathe?:D

[Baxter Smith]

Sure looks like it could be a great piece of wood for you Steve. Plenty of worm holes! Cut one almost that size a year ago. I was excited when I saw all the zone lines on the ends. Didn't take long to realize a lot of them were wind and ring shake. Doesn't look like you will have any of those to deal with.

[Josh Bowman]

Can't wait to see the finished product. I bet those large chunks are a lot of work to turn down. Not like the 3 to 6" stuff, you can knock out in an hour. BTW you're really messing up your colored carpet.

[Bob Bergstrom]

That's a lot of shavings just to get it round. It did take a while to notice that there was some wood on the "Beauty". Can't wait to see how things come out.

[Jim Burr]

And your lathe is getting dirty when?....

[Kathy Marshall]

Now that's a big ole chunk of Birch! Progress pics would be cool if you feel like posting some. Look forward to seeing the finished piece.

[Michelle Rich]

I await SS perfection! :-) Birch is tough once it starts to rot. that bark holds in water, like no other, so it rots from inside. (that's why it was used for canoes & drinking vessels!!) I hope it holds for you. I love spalted birch above most, so i await a form of lovely proportions with mother nature's touch.

[Scott Hackler]

I think you may be exceeding the capacity of your Monster Hollower!

[Harvey Ghesser]

Like the others...I'd love to see the finished piece! (the lathe is nice too!)

[Curt Fuller]

It's a good thing you don't live near any of the giant redwood forests. I think the temptation of trying one on "Beauty" would be too much. That's a whopper Steve. You'll be a gray haired old man by the time you get that one hollowed.;)

[charlie knighton]

interesting log, i see you using Jerry's auto tendon, thanks for sharing

[Rich Aldrich]

Thats one heck of a chunk of wood. When you put the wood in DNA, it does pickle the worms. I found a couple in on piece of cherry burl. I picked them out before I bagged the bowls.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Steve Glad to see your starting to get some wood fitting to your Robust ! Looking forward to the finished piece.

[jake Niedling]

Nice lathe and nice piece of wood. Now is that Carpet on the floor? That is the first time I have ever seen that around a lathe!

[David DeCristoforo]

"...is that Carpet on the floor? ..."

There was a long discussion recently about Steve's carpet. It a very sensitive subject. Do not mention it again...

[Steve Schlumpf]

Thank you David... I didn't know how to begin...