A belated Thank You, Baxter!

[Roland Martin]

A great time was had at the New Hampshire Turning Symposium and opportunities to meet some great people. One of the first Creekers I met was Brian Libby, also a member of our local turning club. Brian told me somebody was looking for me and pointed him out in the auditorium, I hadn't reallized Baxter decided to come up, what a pleasant surprise! It was only a one day symposium with a full schedule of demonstrators, so we didn't have much time to shoot the breeze, but Baxter did give me a nice Osage Orange blank, what a treat for a Mainer:). Thank you Baxter!!

Now, almost 3 weeks later, I look this piece over every day, hoping that something comes to mind as what to create with this. Most any other piece of wood I have, I just bandsaw the thing and go at it. This piece, I can't get myself to risk doing something wrong with:eek:, I'm at a standstill:confused:.

I'd appreciate some input as to what to do with this. It's 5"+ x 12" square, the pith is fairly off center. A large bowl, using the whole blank?. A couple of end-grain hollow forms, vessels?. I never reallized it was so scary recieving a gift from a fellow Creeker:eek::D.

Thanks again Baxter and it was great meeting you. And thanks in advance for those of you who have suggestions to share.

[Prashun Patel]

HAHA!
Roland I have a similar gift from Baxter. He dropped it off AT MY HOUSE on his way back. How's that for generosity and service???

I similarly stared at my log for a week+ before getting the courage to cut into it.

I ended up cutting mine into two blanks that I'm turing bowls out of. I'm turing one pith-side up and one pith-side down since there's good depth.

I'm just going to turn them green to completion, bag dry them for 2 weeks, then sand and finish.

My pith was more centered, though... But I still usually opt for a slightly bigger size over perfect centering.

Here's the pith-side up one ready for drying/sanding.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?186884-dyeing-osage-orange&highlight=


Another option for you is to rip the log thru the pith vertex and then cut the big 1/2 into two 5" chunks that can be bowled or HF'd at 2 different orientations.

[Reed Gray]

I have never worried about my bowls having the grain centered. Some times it works, some times not because of already existing cracks, and the fact that trees are seldom round. The Osage is a wonderful wood, and pretty hard. It will do very little warping as it dries. I would make a 3 bowl cored set from it. You could slab it up, cutting it in half thickness wise and make a set of 8 bowls about 2 1/2 by 6 inches. You could make a bunch of boxes, or some hollow forms. The inspiration will come, maybe not for years.

robo hippy

[Roland Martin]

Thanks Prashun, Baxter's one heck of a guy isn't he:). That's a great looking bowl you turned, sorry I missed the original post, been kinda out of the loop for a while.

[Baxter Smith]

.......bandsaw the thing and go at it.......
Sounds like a plan to me Roland!:D
It was great to meet another "Maine" Creeker!;) I think I ended up with only one bowl blank that had anything close to balanced grain. Cracks radiating out from the pith always seemed to run perpendicular to the way you would have hoped. You can see the remains of one of them on the top of your blank.

This is the first Osage I have turned so don't have any real experience with it. From what I have read, and as Reed stated, it is supposed to be pretty stable. That seems to be true for the bowls I have turned thin after more than a month.

I have also roughed out several endgrain hollowforms, cannisters and small boxes. Although hard, no matter the orientation, it seems possible to get an almost silky finish from a sharp gouge or scraper. Decisions decisions!;):)

[Kathy Marshall]

That looks like a nice chunk of OO Roland! I turned a big chip n dip bowl from a piece Scott Hackler sent me and it was very stable. Ditto what Baxter said able the silky finish with sharp tools. I liked turning it and it also makes a pretty pile of yellow curlies!

[Roland Martin]

I have never worried about my bowls having the grain centered. Some times it works, some times not because of already existing cracks, and the fact that trees are seldom round. The Osage is a wonderful wood, and pretty hard. It will do very little warping as it dries. I would make a 3 bowl cored set from it. You could slab it up, cutting it in half thickness wise and make a set of 8 bowls about 2 1/2 by 6 inches. You could make a bunch of boxes, or some hollow forms. The inspiration will come, maybe not for years.

robo hippy

Sadly, I haven't got a coring set-up yet, on the endless list of must-haves:). Thanks for the info on the characteristics of OO, sounds like nice stuff to turn.



Sounds like a plan to me Roland!:D
It was great to meet another "Maine" Creeker!;) I think I ended up with only one bowl blank that had anything close to balanced grain. Cracks radiating out from the pith always seemed to run perpendicular to the way you would have hoped. You can see the remains of one of them on the top of your blank.

This is the first Osage I have turned so don't have any real experience with it. From what I have read, and as Reed stated, it is supposed to be pretty stable. That seems to be true for the bowls I have turned thin after more than a month.

I have also roughed out several endgrain hollowforms, cannisters and small boxes. Although hard, no matter the orientation, it seems possible to get an almost silky finish from a sharp gouge or scraper. Decisions decisions!;):)

LOL, can't argue, that is the simplest plan:D Thanks again, Baxter.

[John Keeton]

Easy choice for me - 4 hollow forms! But, then, I don't do many bowls. If I had a coring system, then that would be the obvious best use.

Congrats on the OO, and on meeting a bunch of creekers.

[Steve Schlumpf]

First thoughts were the same as John... 4 HFs! Looking forward to seeing what you create out of it!!