Now That's Wet!

[Hilel Salomon]

Here in VA, I've been turning many of the Cherry blanks I cut up in SC last month. So far, I have 14 of them, and I'm guessing that when I cut up the the main trunks and core them, I'll have had at least 150 bowls and platters out of that tree. The grain pattern is spectacular, but..... the wood is so wet that if I interrupt my turning and leave the shavings for even a few hours, the bed rails start to show rust. Also, if I leave a blank on the chuck, within a few hours, it has started to move. It is beautiful wood though, and I've even started to do my first natural edge bowls. When dried and finished, I'll take a few pics and include them.
Now for a groan! John at Woodchuckers in Canada (fabulous dealer) sent me a package on September 5th. It arrived on September 25th!!!!! I'm assuming that the mailman was walking from the point of origin. It's raining, the farmers are happy, my body is aching, but whose complaining.
Regards ALL,
Hilel.

[robert hainstock]

Must have been the swim across the St Lawerance Hilel. Sort of like mail from Calif. to the U.P. By the way, that's quite a score. :)
Bob

[Steve Schlumpf]

Hilel - love turning cherry! Sounds like that must have been one heck of a tree to get 150 blanks out of it! Have fun turning - looking forward to seeing some photos real soon!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Wow sounds like you have enough Cherry to keep you busy for some time to come. Can't wait to see some pic's of completed bowls.

[Richard Madison]

That's going to get really boring and depressing, turning the same old wood day after day after day after --- . It would be best for your mental heath to send some of it out to several of us.

When turning wet wood, especially oak, I like to spray the lathe bed with oil and cover that with plastic. Still need to clean it immediately and thoroughly when finished turning for the day.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Nice haul Hilel, the larger the tree the nicer the color and grain most times :D
I hope you have the blanks sealed well, as it will be a while before you have worked them all :eek: :)

[Hilel Salomon]

Hi Folks,

Leo, the tree was very tall and fairly thick. It had one diseased part and it looked very much as if it were going to fall on my neighbor's manicured yard so.... down it came. I still haven't gotten to the 4 foot plus trunk and will get to it when the weather cools down. Cutting it down and into pieces during the 95-100 degree weather was not pleasant. I split about 75% of them, and kept the others in small log form, then sealed all the exposed parts.
Richard, Thanks for the tip. I'll do that from now on... and I offered some of them free to anyone who wanted to drive here to pick them up, but no takers. Even the small pieces are awfully heavy and wouldn't warrant shipping off, but in any case, now that I see how beautiful they are I am developing a proprietary sense about them. I have alternated roughing out about three of them and then working on spalted maple, sycamore or walnut or finishing some of my earlier roughed out blanks for a change of pace.
When I come back, I'll take the ones which were DNA'd and nuke them dry and finish them. In the meantime, I'll take some of the natural edged ones to Columbia, take photos and post them. As usual, my mediocrity as a turner is evident on these, but I kind of like the fact that I can finish them and let them warp away.
Hope all of you are getting a pleasant Fall.
Regards, Hilel.

[Richard Madison]

Hilel,
Wish I lived closer to you. Most of my wood comes from generous and thoughtful friends. Looking forward to seeing what you make of your tree.