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View Full Version : Played with my Byrd tonight (rated "G" w/pics)



David Eisan
04-20-2006, 10:52 PM
Hello everyone,

I was finishing up the tack in strips for the back of the glass doors on my parent’s kitchen tonight. In order to sneak up on the required thickness for the strips, I started to pull out my drum sander. There was a plastic bag on the top of it I had forgotten about. Inside that bag was a 1.5” cross-section of a white oak tree that my BIL had wanted me to surface one side of for him. Something about wanting to count the growth rings. It had been sectioned (chewed) by a chain saw and was totally irregular on both sides. It was on top of the drum sander because I was going to run it through there.

On the sander I would have to change to 36g and take a number of passes with the cross section secured to a sled as I made one side flat. Then I would have to change to finer grits so he could read the rings.

Hmmm….

I have this new Byrd shear helical cutterhead on my jointer; I wonder if I could do it with that?

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/stump1.jpg

After two passes,

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/stump2.jpg

After four passes,

http://www.federatedtool.com/david/img/stump3.jpg

Holy cow Batman!

Boy those medullary rays sure stand out!

The new cutterhead had no problem with the end grain! I am sure my (a) regular knifed cutterhead would have blown that cross section apart!

Wow! Is all I have to say,

David.

Every neighbourhood has one; in mine I’m him.

P.S. Please excuse the overuse of exclamation marks….

John Miliunas
04-20-2006, 11:52 PM
Oh what??? You expect me to be surprised or what??? :confused: :D (I've got one and did the same thing, albeit, on a not-so-wide piece!) Yup, I'm totally sold on the Byrd, as well! Glad you're enjoying yours, too! :) :cool:

tod evans
04-21-2006, 6:14 AM
way cool david! not something i`d try with a straight knife for sure..02 tod

Art Mulder
04-21-2006, 7:30 AM
So, Dave, how many rings?

I got up to about 28 in the darker coloured central thrid of it. But the next section was lighter and not enough contrast ... and my eyes hurt. But I'd guess 75 rings or more in total.

best,
...art

Bill Eshelman
04-21-2006, 9:51 AM
I counted about 115
I cheated and blew it up in photoshop, but you will tell us how many ....

right???

please, this will keep me up at night.

Nice jointer though.
congrats.

http://www.genesis111.com/rays.jpg