Strike two!

[Roger Chandler]

I tried another piece of the Stonewall Jackson Prayer tree for the gavel I was asked to make for the Town of Grottoes, Virginia........this one also cracked, :eek::( but I have glue in the head. I went ahead and finished this one, as I will use it as a proto-type.......now if I can only find a piece that will stay intact! I still have to turn a strike plate for the gavel as well.

Comments welcome.....what do you think of the form? Around the collar where the handle goes in, the glue is not quite dry yet in the pics......I used Titebond 2 for the glue. Finish is two coats of antique oil.

237693237694237695

[Harry Robinette]

Roger
You might try riving the blank for the head. Split the piece out instead of cutting with your saw. I was told to do this when I made some mallets a while back and I didn't loose any to cracks.
Just what helped me hope it helps you.

[Reed Gray]

Are they splitting after or as you turn them? If it is after, I would rough turn them, then soak it, as in totally immersed in a thinned down danish type oil for a few days, making sure to round over the edges, then let that set up and cure, then return.

robo hippy

[Russell Eaton]

Roger have you thought about getting the piece stabilized? Not sure what else you could do.

[Steve Vaughan]

I'm thinking that there's some hairline cracks going on anyway. I like Reed's suggestion. That just might be the ticket. Another thought, rough turn it leaving quite a bit of 'meat', then split it across the grain into two smaller pieces and maybe let these tow pieces stabilize a bit...or soak them in DNA, then re-glue to match up the grain and re-turn.

[Pat Scott]

As far as the form, maybe remove the two inner beads and leave just the two outer ones? The head looks "busy" with all the beads and burned lines. I think the inner beads are lost being right next to the burned lines (which I do like). Or what if you made two beads next to each other on the outside and left the inner part of the head just the burned lines?

[Roger Chandler]

I have done more work on this.......the crack is now filled solid after a few applications of glue.........I think it would be okay for use or display.........many of the turners who have used this SJPT wood have had to deal with filling cracks and a lot of those bowls and other items have sold in the galleries they were placed in.......

Maybe I am making too much of the issue seeing this is part of the nature of this tree...:confused: ....I am one who likes no flaws, etc in my wood.........not always possible!

[Joe Bradshaw]

Roger, weigh your blank and put in your freezer for a couple of weeks. Then re-weigh it and put it in the fridge. Weigh weekly and when it stops losing weigh, it is dry and should not crack.

[Roger Chandler]

I guess I should say so everyone seeing this understands.........this wood has been cut and drying for 15 months........not that it lacks any moisture at all, but not green by any stretch of the imagination.......I think because this blank came from a huge limb, that it likely has some stress cracks in it that are not visible due to the fact that for over three centuries that tree withstood every wind storm, blizzard, lighting strike and whatever else mother nature threw at it until it finally toppled in May of 2010.

Likely there is some stress cracks due to windshake..........

[Reed Gray]

Another thought, if you get a clean cut on the end grain, any liquid should high light any checking, kind of like how some check for sanding scratches by wiping on mineral spirits. It might show scratches that can't be seen with sunlight and prescription glasses.

robo hippy

[Rick Markham]

I like Harry's idea! Try Riving a blank from the log! That just might be the ticket to helping prevent cracks. Those guys back in history were no dummies, everything had a reason (and the concept of "easy" was rarely at the top of the list)

I'm still in the camp that these cracks aren't due to normal checking, That tree had some serious internal stresses (who wouldn't after 300+ years.) I say let the wood have it's say in the blank, it might cooperate more with you. (It's worth a try) :D


As for your prototype gavel, I really like it. I'd be tempted to roll the face of the gavel into the first bead, and then move the second bead slightly forward (to your taste.) I really like it, it's a very traditional looking gavel, and I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of it's rap. :D