patch or plug

[Charlie Knighton]

i have received ash vase blank 6 x 6 x 12 only opportunity is that it has pith in blank

my question is to patch like a crack or plug the pith

if i plug it how large a spot to cut out and plug

what materials to use on large patch or what to use for plug

this will be a large learning experience for me without any monetary output so i am looking for some FREE advise

 

[dkulze]

don't patch or plug. Turn it to finish thickness, very even, and consider it a feature.

That or turn the blank on it's side, cut it in half, and make two matching spherical vases with a hole in the side.

It may be just my style but I see all these "defects" as accents and do most of my design around highlighting them.

dietrich

 

[John Nicholas]

Vase Blank

I have taken blanks like this and successfully turned a goblet with the pith off center. With a goblet, that keeps the pith from running down the stem. Makes for some interesting figure patterns.

You might try that approach with a vase. It would not have the diameter of placing the pith in the center. With a vase, you wouldn't be getting quite the benefit of moving the pith out of the stem because you would be removing the center of the vase.

Go for it. Either way.

John

 

[MichaelMouse]

Based on the end checks, it looks like that piece has done most of its curing already. Absent an open radial check, you should be able to turn just fine, though under winter rules, might want to get to it soon. If the pith is corky, be sure to reinforce it as soon as you encounter it in the shape, and repeat as you go deeper. Worst case you keep picking up and splintering either side of the pith where you encounter grain reversals, so don't get too complicated in your form. Smoother the flow the easier it is to get the cuts done.

Problem with boxed hearts is they look best with pith centered, but the sawyer has another agenda in mind when turning the cant.

 

[Paul Engle]

punky spalted stuff

I did a lot of spalted birch this winter full of corky pith and incorporate it into the design. sold some gave some kept some. It adds texture to most surfaces and gives people a look at the ying / yang of the thing, I kinda like it as one birch tree will give you more than one or two variations of color , grain, etc. My latest project for a show in Aug is the variying types and color of spalt, insect holes, rot and color change with in a 4 foot section of a tree over 100 yrs old when it was cut down last Oct. The flickers really had a field day with severial of the larger crotch portions chasing the bugs around , when I brought it into the shop to turn was still frozen and the bugs came out after I had roughed it and it had warmed up while eating dinner, cute little red things caused all this ( fungus ) spalt in the tree.Course bugs no more ..... but it also attracted the birds, which gave the thing a different look ( sorta like auto fire m-16 ) one 10in crotch piece had over 40 holes in the outer bark.I cut it in half and made two winged bowls, tho not for the bowls but for the double feathers from the two limb secitons.one is 1/16 in thick.see the pic

 

[Gretch Flo]

Ambrosia beetle?

Chips -are those black tracks with the holes from an ambrosia beetle?? I have the same type from firewood purchased from north central Michigan. The 8 foot tree tops had been lying on the ground for a couple of years and affected maple, oak (red and white), some hickory. It doesn't have the pretty wisping of fungal pigment as other ambrosia, but has the characteristic 3-4 holes in a row in areas. As thin natural edged bowls were drying, the 1 mm beetles fell out on the paper towels under them!!-up to 10 days later. (they need moisture to live) Gretch

 

[Paul Engle]

Chips -are those black tracks with the holes from an ambrosia beetle?? I have the same type from firewood purchased from north central Michigan. The 8 foot tree tops had been lying on the ground for a couple of years and affected maple, oak (red and white), some hickory. It doesn't have the pretty wisping of fungal pigment as other ambrosia, but has the characteristic 3-4 holes in a row in areas. As thin natural edged bowls were drying, the 1 mm beetles fell out on the paper towels under them!!-up to 10 days later. (they need moisture to live) Gretch

Gretch, these are little red grub like critters,1/32" dia by 1/8" long they work mostly just under the cambrian(sic) layer between the heart wood and the inner bark on the birch, the fungus leaves green and chocolate brown streaking , kind like drizzlling syrup over vanilia ice cream. The flickers really go to town on the trees infected with the grub.As the fungus takes over the tree dies and that sap layer starts punking, depending where the artery was infected the punk jumps all over the place sometime and make it very frustraiting when ya get a neat seciton only to have it fall apart from the rot/punk. I never realized how to find spalt but now just look for the wood pecker marks or the flickers holes. Most logging outfits consider (uncultivated )birch not good for anything and I have a large 600+ acre tract to choose from close by with nearly all of it infected ( 500mbf stumpage)so wont be running outa bugs for a while

 

[Charlie Knighton]

if you have a swivel headstock...

i was making pretty good progress this morning on vase when all of a sudden i got a wobble, reset chuck and tried again, well i was heartsick, my first impression was the piece was too long for my lathe and i had torn up the bearings, took cover off of motor looked around, took off vase ran with just chuck ok then, then i noticed the wholeheadstock was trembling, the ole trip to lowes because i do not have 15/16 socket, not only did i not have 15/16 socket but that size only comes in 1/2 drive so i now have 15/16 socket with 1/2 drive so if any of yall have a swivel headstock start looking around at autions for your size sockets

i also dug out the bowl steady to use on the vase, it helps but probably really need a large spindle steady

making progress but had hoped to finish hollowing today,

the ole learning experience

 

[Paul Engle]

I have a Jet but am intreagued by your hollowing system , how do you like it and what'd it cost ya , where'd you get it. I dont have enough strength to do non captured hollowing.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

hollowing

the hollowing tool is called the elbotool hollowing tool

i bought it at Highland Woodworking 1/800/241/6748 ask for Phil

some of the hollowing systems require 2 1/2" gap between the bed ways or 24" capacity over the bed guess what my delta is an starter lathe and this elbotool just attaches to the tail stock works for me

i first heard of this tool on this forum i believe sometime before xmas, there was a post, it may have been demoed out west????

you can use two hands with this tool

 

[John Nicholas]

Elbow Hollowing Tool

This was in the Vendor Booth at SWAT last October. The tool in made in Tulsa, OK.

www.Elbotool.com

John

 

[Paul Engle]

Thanks for the info, I will be checking it out !!

 

[Charlie Knighton]

learning experience

still learning, at about 7 inches the ash started cracking, i patched about 3 times, started cleaning up lip, opps i really have a crack now, duct tape to glue crack, then will resand

learning experience

after this ash i am ready next week for some virginia maple