Doug Herzberg
04-22-2012, 9:53 PM
I recall Michelle Rich had a post titled "gosh darn dagnabbit." When something like this happens to her, it's a real tragedy. In my case, it's just a couple practice bowls.
I was landscaping a rental house this week and came across some firewood I cut a few years ago, including a large branch from a silver maple and a beetle killed Ponderosa. Since it hadn't been used, I brought it home. We're having guests for dinner tomorrow, so I thought a day in the shop would get me out of helping with the housework and preparations. I guess I deserve all of this.
I got to thinking the maple might have spalted in the firewood pile. It was badly checked, but the center of each log was pretty solid. It turned really nicely, polished up smooth as glass and had a nice glow, even without any finish. I was just about done hollowing when it went out of round and then it blew apart. It was very dry, so it must have had a lot of internal stresses.
I finished the pine bowl - my first try at an ogee in awhile - except for turning off the tenon, and had a couple coats of shellac on it. Mrs. Herzberg thought the many worm holes should be filled with turquoise. I don't have any of that and wasn't about to use that much on a piece of firewood even if I did. I did have some colored sand, which I mixed with CA glue. I don't have any carbide tools and the bowl scraper wasn't cutting it (haha), so I made my own out of an old saw blade. Worked great right up until the catch. I had it pretty thin at the rim - about 3/32, but I can see now I may need to invest in some calipers.
230349230348230350230351
At least I got a little practice time in.
I was landscaping a rental house this week and came across some firewood I cut a few years ago, including a large branch from a silver maple and a beetle killed Ponderosa. Since it hadn't been used, I brought it home. We're having guests for dinner tomorrow, so I thought a day in the shop would get me out of helping with the housework and preparations. I guess I deserve all of this.
I got to thinking the maple might have spalted in the firewood pile. It was badly checked, but the center of each log was pretty solid. It turned really nicely, polished up smooth as glass and had a nice glow, even without any finish. I was just about done hollowing when it went out of round and then it blew apart. It was very dry, so it must have had a lot of internal stresses.
I finished the pine bowl - my first try at an ogee in awhile - except for turning off the tenon, and had a couple coats of shellac on it. Mrs. Herzberg thought the many worm holes should be filled with turquoise. I don't have any of that and wasn't about to use that much on a piece of firewood even if I did. I did have some colored sand, which I mixed with CA glue. I don't have any carbide tools and the bowl scraper wasn't cutting it (haha), so I made my own out of an old saw blade. Worked great right up until the catch. I had it pretty thin at the rim - about 3/32, but I can see now I may need to invest in some calipers.
230349230348230350230351
At least I got a little practice time in.