A couple of elm stair treads...

[Pat Doble]

Ok, they're actually plates now - but were scraps I had left when I redid the stairway to the basement a couple of summers ago (it was before the vortex got me - but even then I just couldn't toss or burn the leftovers). Now I look at the stairs and wish I hadn't used the best figured pieces there....

Let me tell you - kiln dried elm is not very fun to turn. Very hard and really heats up sandpaper with anything but the very lightest touch - even at the lowest speed on my Rikon. Lots of hand sanding on these.

Completed these a couple months ago - finally got the camera pointed in their direction.

Both are 9" diameter - first is finished with Mahoney's Walnut Oil and Beall buffed, second is Antique Oil and Beall. There was a small crack in the first blank - used CA and sawdust to fill it - seems to hide it from some angles.

As always, thanks for looking...

[Kevin Day]

wow i like the second elm plate awesome color

kevin

[Bernie Weishapl]

I like them both. Those are a couple of beauties. One thing you might try when finishing Elm is to sharpen your gouge then take a squirt bottle and lightly spritz the wood to dampen it. Then take your gouge and make a couple of final passes. When I do this it turns out pretty smooth and cuts down on the sanding. There are several things you can do to help but this works for me. If you watch Mike Mahoney's video From The Tree To The Table he uses his walnut oil or mineral oil on the rough patches and then takes a sharp gouge for a couple of final cuts. That works pretty good to. When I make my final passes I use a conventional grind bowl gouge in 1/2" or 3/8" from P & N. Mike uses these for his final passes and again they work well.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Nice looking plates Pat! Like Bernie - I like them both! Nice form on each and I like the color the wood takes with different finishes. Thanks for posting!

[Keith Burns]

Super job on both Pat !! Nice recycling job !!:) :)

[Ernie Nyvall]

Way to go saving the wood Pat. Very nice looking plates.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Pat,

Great job on those plates. When I first started turning I made alot of little dishes and plates from scrap stair treads. There is a high end custom stair shop about a mile down the road from my place. I would pick thru thier burn pile until the city shut that down and then for awhile thru thier dumpster. I cried the day they got a grinder. All thier scrap now is ground into animal bedding.

Frank

[Pat Doble]

Bernie, thanks for the tips. I'll give them a try next time I spin one.