ideas for spalted box elder

[Roger Chandler]

IMGP2590.jpgI helped out a fellow woodturner from our club, who was having bandsaw problems, and did some work to correct the out of adjustment saw this afternoon. While there, I was given 2 pieces of a box elder tree, one of which I know has a good bit of spalting and has a good bit of punky wood also.

This lady has made some exquisite bowl turnings from this tree, and some of her work is in galleries in the area. Some of the blanks had very good red flame figure, and she said almost every piece has some nice figure in the grain itself.

My questions are these: One, should I do a soak in a glue/water solution [or something else] to be able to salvage the spalted piece? And as you can see in the picture, one is a wedge shaped piece with limited possibilities, so if anyone has a good idea of how to utilize these pieces of wood to the best effect, then I am all ears.

IMGP2593.jpgIMGP2594.jpgIMGP2595.jpgIMGP2589.jpg

[James Combs]

Pictures, what pictures. I don't see no stinkin pictures. lol

[Roger Chandler]

Pictures, what pictures. I don't see no stinkin pictures. lol

Yeah JD......I was working on that while you were responding...........I hit the enter button before I uploaded the pics

[Roger Chandler]

These are links to a large bowl from this box elder tree, to give you an idea of what the wood has been like.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_K...0/IMGP3286.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_K...0/IMGP3287.JPG

[Brian McInturff]

Yep, the question we always ask ourselves when we get an odd shaped piece of wood. The wedge could be a tall HF or a few small squatty ones. Candle holders could be a possibility too although not what I would turn with it. I keep a stack of circles in 1" increments so I can tack them onto blanks to get a better visual. I also have a few books like "500 bowls" to try and get inspiration. When those fail I'll look on WOW's archives and see if I see anything also. Wedges can be hard because you know you are going to waste a lot of wood. Once you get past that then it becomes a little easier.

[Roger Chandler]

Any more on this forum have any ideas on this? I was hoping for at least a few responses.......

[Dick Strauss]

Roger,
Try the house key test. If you can plunge the key in more than 1/16" than it probably isn't worth saving unless it is crazy beautiful!

I hate to say this but the non-triangular piece looks like it is done. The rough chainsaw marks are a dead give-away on BE that it is really punky. The spalting doesn't look that nice so I'd have to say throw that one in the burn pile!

If the triangular piece isn't punky, I can see you making two HFs or small boxes out of it (both endgrain style). It looks like it might have some nice curl to it though it might be sawing technique.

Take care,
Dick

[Roger Chandler]

Roger,
Try the house key test. If you can plunge the key in more than 1/16" than it probably isn't worth saving unless it is crazy beautiful!

I hate to say this but the non-triangular piece looks like it is done. The rough chainsaw marks are a dead give-away on BE that it is really punky. The spalting doesn't look that nice so I'd have to say throw that one in the burn pile!

If the triangular piece isn't punky, I can see you making two HFs or small boxes out of it (both endgrain style). It looks like it might have some nice curl to it though it might be sawing technique.

Take care,
Dick

Thanks Dick,

I put the spalted blank on the bandsaw, and you are right it is so punky that it is not salvagable. The other one I cut to basically a rectangle about 3 or so inches thick and reduced the narrow part away. I think I might be able to get a couple of small plates from it, or maybe a shallow box with a lid.

Thanks for your help..........I was just trying to get it in my mind what I might be able to do with the odd shape and punky wood.

[Dick Wilson]

Roger, Like John Jordan says " Life is too short to deal with crappy wood".