smelly harvest

[robert baccus]

The hurricane Rita left a lot of trees on the ground here in E.Texas. Before the wind stopped me, my bride and friends were out with chainsaws and trailers salvaging walnut, maple, hackberry, pear, chinaberry ect. Could not possibly turn all this and so stored blocks in my brides waterlily pond and plastic barrels. Pulled 6 pieces out this week and started roughing out and waxing pieces. You think Elm stinks--ha. It was all good wood except one end of a block that surfaced somehow. The color was fine and some enhanced by the long bath. Also a friend with a big bandsaw helped me to shape some urn blanks. Having a nice 14x14 block of camphor--it seemed a waste to make one urn from it so we drew lines and cut a diagonal slice that yielded two urn blanks. Rounded them up on the lathe using a power hand planer and started spinning. Still have a dozen prime urn blanks floating about with frogs on them.

[Eric Gourieux]

At least you're making a good thing out of a terrible event. I've been wanting to store my blanks in water but don't have access to any. I've thought about big barrels. May have to go through with it.

That's a big chunk of camphor.

[Thom Sturgill]

We turned a piece of camphor while at the county fair. The smell filled the entire building, but nobody complained.:)

[robert baccus]

My favorite to turn--keeps bugs and cats out of my shop.