WSSD? (what should Sam do)

[Sam Fleisher]

A buddy gave me these this morning and I'd like to do them justice.

Suggestions on some ways to turn them into interesting pieces?

The first three pics are fronts and bottom of the same piece. I'll post the others in the next thread. They all are catalpa.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

Here are the other two pieces, The one with the bark is pretty thin, roughly 14 inches long. Not sure where they were on the tree. They were covered in mud is why they are in the sink.

 

[hockenbery]

Small hollow forms.

A difficult turning is any sort of winged bowl.
wing can be at the rim or under the bowl or anywhere in between.
bowl rim can be cut or natural edge.

Rudy Lopez does a nice demo on these. Search ”Rudy Lopez winged bowl” you will get lots of ideas and A few videos.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

this is sorta a winged bowl isn't it?

 

[hockenbery]

this is sorta a winged bowl isn't it?

Maybe It could be called a winged bowl - But that one is more nearly a NE bowl.

i Was thinking of those where the wing is a Distinct element with the bowl inside, on top of or underneath the wing.

 

[Dean Center]

The project Al is referring to can also be called an 'emerging bowl'.

 

[robo hippy]

First look said they are grown over branches that broke off, and the pictures confirmed it. What you can get out of them depends on how deep the broken off part goes, and/or how much wood is over the end of the broken off branch. If I was going to turn them, I would make the knot the top of the bowl. Shape the outside and then, if you don't go through to rotten wood, turn the inside. No clue as to what the grain will be like.

robo hippy

 

[Sam Fleisher]

Sooo, no go on the post apocalyptic animal head mount???

 

[Sam Fleisher]

Write it down. I was wrong. I run into the guy that gave me these pieces and then we went and looked where they came from and they are walnut. Wish I had a small trailer with a crane because there are several large y-pieces That I wouldn't attempt to pick up plus my chainsaw is no way big enough.

 

[hockenbery]

Wish I had a small trailer with a crane because there are several large y-pieces That I wouldn't attempt to pick up plus my chainsaw is no where near big enough.

this is where being in an AAW chapter comes in handy
all The clubs I have been associated have harvesting gatherings.

Those without saws helped with loading. Everyone learns basic safety, blank selection….
generally A fun productive day and bonus of getting to know club members better.


if the sapwood is fresh its a nice contrast

past its use by date the sapwood is ok

crotch pieces are terrific NE bowls ( this is camphor but you get similar from walnut)

 

[Richard Elliott]

In reference to the walnut crotch pieces, if you can possibly gather the help needed to save them you could be rewarded with quite a number of beautiful pieces. I saved a fairly large crotch several years ago. I had it sliced 5” thick by a neighbor on his boardwalk bandsaw mill with first cut on all three piths. Then roughed two 14” rounds from the two center slabs. Finally with the gracious assistance of a fellow club member got them cored into 5 blanks. These are the two bowls I have finished so far. Notice the feather figure goes all the way through the 5” thickness from just one side of the pith. In my limited experience I’ve only found this much figured wood in walnut crotches in the trunk and lower in the tree. If that were my tree that’s where I would focus my energy. Just my two cents.

Whichever pieces you collect and turn, do share your progress!

 

[Sam Fleisher]

Those definitely have some nice patterns going on.

They're not my trees per se just some pieces the logging company didn't want and pushed off the edge of the field. I don't think they are going anywhere unless an ambitious firewood cutter spots them but there is plenty of easier wood around so should be safe.
Although nothing seems safe anymore. I was out with the dog a little bit ago and noticed that the tree the dam beaver had cut down which I have cut a couple of live edge bowls out of was missing. Seems the persistent beaver have came back, moved it and stripped all the bark off it. So much for having a bark edge.

 

[Bill Boehme]

A buddy gave me these this morning and I'd like to do them justice.

Suggestions on some ways to turn them into interesting pieces?

The first three pics are fronts and bottom of the same piece. I'll post the others in the next thread. They all are catalpa.

It looks like a brisket on the pit to me.

 

[Sam Fleisher]

It looks like a brisket on the pit to me.

Here's the brisket now. The one with my hand in it was to show depth. Hard to see otherwise.

When I started it was really pretty and I had high hopes but by the time I got rid of the faceplate screw holes I had turned the good stuff away to what you see.