How do I do this???

[David Coburn]

A while back I purchased a good sized Norfolk Island turning blank. It was 12" diameter and 7" tall. When I bought it I thought I was being smart and would be able to saw the height in half and end up with a 2" platter blank and a 5" bowl blank. Turns out I did not understand how the branches were co-planer and if I were to saw it in half it would basically ruin the feature that you would buy Norfolk Island Pine for in the first place....

So, with the above information now understood I decided that I wanted to do a kind of cake platter on a stem instead... Not sure if that really describes what I want to do but think of it basically as a 12" diameter disk with a small lip sitting on top of a 4 or 5" tall pedestal with base...

I've been turning a lot of wet wood lately and this blank is absolutely wet, sealed in wax... If I were just going to turn a bowl I think I could manage it by just doing what I've been doing... turning the outside, giving it an alcohol bath, sanding the outside, turning the inside, inner alcohol bath, sanding, apply the finish.... I've been having great luck with this approach. Learned from a fella on this board.... But, this turning will have thick parts, thin parts, a stem, and a footing.. I can't do this like I know how to do a wet bowl.. So, how do I go about this??? I've thought that maybe I turn everything about it extra thick, put it in a bag, let it dry a while, pull it out and finish it off... but I'm not sure..

How do you go about this?

thank you for your help,
david

[Thom Sturgill]

This will be an end-grain turning and is fairly stable. It will throw most of the water and typically NIP is soaked in Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO). The BLO does replace some of the water. Lacquer or WOP can be applied after the BLO dries. Some turners will soak then expose to sun for a while then soak again, some in my club thin the BLO with Mineral spirits and apply with a brush as much as it will soak in, let it set and apply again, then wipe. The MS seems to help the BLO penetrate. I use a mixture of BLO and MS in a 3 gal covered bucket. The BLO gives the clean wood a translucency, but turns any spalting black. The limbs are semi- co-planer, that is the do not lay in a plane but exit at a slight angle, meeting in the pith which tends to be soft. I have a small bowl in front of me that had six branches in two three branch sets about 1 1/2" apart vertically and alternating.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I don't see a problem. You should be able to get a 2" platter and your 5" bowl. Well, maybe a inch and a half platter and a 4 inch bowl. The knots I assume are just 1 row. Put those in the bowl. Make the pedestal from a hard wood. NIP is not that strong. Especially near the center.

You'll get really wet if the NIP is fresh and sealed.

[David Coburn]

Thom,
I'm a little thick so let me say back to you what I think you said to me... I should turn it to a finished piece and then soak it in BLO with Mineral spirits... let it dry then soak it again, then wipe clean... Let the BLO dry and then I can apply WOP. yes?

Kyle,
I realize that the blank is large enough. My point was that since the "limb eyes" are about in the center and they all move downward together the section at the top that I would cut off for the platter would not have any of the figure from the limbs which is what makes it pretty... At least that is what I think is the case...

thank you both for the replies,
david

[Thom Sturgill]

Pretty much. From some work I've seen flooding is probably OK rather than soaking. BLO can be expensive when you are buying by the gallon unless you plan on doing more NIP. Once the BLO dries you can coat with lacquer for sure and I suppose WOP. I only use lacquer.

[John Keeton]

You may want to check out some of Bill Donahue's threads. He has done some really nice work with Norfolk Island Pine. Here are a few -
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?199851-Translucent-Norfolk-Island-Pine

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?178883-Experimenting-With-Norfolk-Island-Pine-1-of-3

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?179796-Experimenting-With-Norfolk-Island-Pine-2-of-3

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?180164-Experimenting-With-Norfolk-Island-Pine-3-of-3

[David Coburn]

Thanks again Thom... I will probably need to flood rather than soak... I'll let you know how it turns out.

Thanks John... I'll give them a good look.

I've learned much from both of you over these past few months... Not only particular questions I actually posted but just doing searches, you both come up a lot with a lot of good information.. so, thanks again.

cya,
david

[Kyle Iwamoto]

The knots are on the same level through the tree. They are like spokes on a bike whel. They move down, but just a little.