Early Father's Day.....

[MikeH]

My wife tells me today on the phone that she has an early Father's Day present for me and it didn't cost her anything. I'm thinking what could it be? :eusa_thin So I meet her at Church for choir practice and before practice begins she says follow me.....So I did. We walk out to the car and she opens the trunk. To my dismay I see this:

So.......after I picked my jaw up off the parking lot she told me a friend at work had it laying around and gave it to me. :eusa_clap :eusa_danc :eusa_clap There are quite a few worm/termite holes so I need advice on filling those. I think I might be able to get a few really cool pen blanks from this.

By the way it's maple. :-D

I am open to ideas on what to do with it. :-D

 

[DaveO]

I'm glad you said it was a Maple burl, I would have thought she gave you her spleen :lol: :lol:
I have filled worm holes in pen blanks with both colored epoxy or dyed casting resin, and had good success with both. Cut her open and let's see what you've got :icon_thum

Dave

 

[MikeH]

What's the best (safest) way to cut it open?

 

[DaveO]

Bandsaw, it looks like you have a good flat face. Put it on the table and rip off pieces about a inch thick, then cut those slices into rectangular sections (if you want to make pen blanks) Burl doesn't benefit from cutting any other way than thru and thru, as the grain goes every which way.
Dave

 

[MikeH]

Bandsaw, it looks like you have a good flat face. Put it on the table and rip off pieces about a inch thick, then cut those slices into rectangular sections (if you want to make pen blanks) Burl doesn't benefit from cutting any other way than thru and thru, as the grain goes every which way.
Dave

I cut a small piece off on the bandsaw and it looks pretty work. I cut into the meat of it tomorrow. How exactly did you fill the worm holes? This piece looks fairly wormy. Not that I am complaining. :eusa_danc :eusa_danc

 

[DaveO]

How exactly did you fill the worm holes? This piece looks fairly wormy.

I masked off three faces of the blank, leaving the most holey(sp?) side open and poured he epoxy or resin on top of the blank. I worked it in with a thin stick-o-scrap. You want to get penetration to at leat 2/3 of the blank, as the middle will get drilled out.
Dave

 

[jeff...]

That almost looks like a maple burl. Couple of hints to help you, cut your pen blanks over sized. I was cutting my figured blanks 1" sq. end coat with ancorseal and go easy on the microwave setting for figured wood like 20 ~ 30 sec on high for each blank. I sticked mine with popcycle sticks and kept them tight with wide rubber bands and did 16 or 25 at a time. plan them down to 3/4 sq when dry.

That burl will make some really cool pens - good score dude :icon_thum

 

[thrt15nc]

I'm glad you said it was a Maple burl, I would have thought she gave you her spleen :lol: :lol:

Dave

I'm sorry, but Dave, that's one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time!!!!!! I need to clean my monitor after that.

However, my very first thoughts were along the same line.

Just hilarious!!!

All that aside, nice gift by the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tom

 

[MikeH]

Bandsaw, it looks like you have a good flat face. Put it on the table and rip off pieces about a inch thick, then cut those slices into rectangular sections (if you want to make pen blanks) Burl doesn't benefit from cutting any other way than thru and thru, as the grain goes every which way.
Dave

Dave,
It isn't as flat as the picture makes it look. It is cut at a 135 degree obtuse angle so it may be a little tricky cutting it up, but I will figure out something. It has been sitting in his house for a year so I'm guessing it is pretty dry. I can't wait to cut it open and see what lay inside. I will post pics when I do.

 

[jeff...]

Cutting a burl is like cutting anything else of value, study it and plan your cuts for maxium yield.

 

[cpowell]

Very nice gift. Any way you could convince her you need a few new tools to maximize the use of this beautiful wood? :lol: :lol:

Chuck

 

[nelsone]

Mike, I missed this yesterday. Looks like a great piece of wood. Make sure to leave yourself a blank large enough to try a small bowl too. Can you rig up some type of sled to run it through the BS? I'm looking forward to see what comes out! You should use some for a bottle stopper too!

Have you tried any of that ambrosia yet?

By the way HF has a small drill press for $59.99!

 

[MikeH]

Mike, I missed this yesterday. Looks like a great piece of wood. Make sure to leave yourself a blank large enough to try a small bowl too. Can you rig up some type of sled to run it through the bandsaw? I'm looking forward to see what comes out! You should use some for a bottle stopper too!

Have you tried any of that ambrosia yet?

By the way HF has a small drill press for $59.99!

Hey Ed. I haven't turned anything with the ambrosia yet. I had a suspicion:eusa_thin last night that it wasn't maple when I cut an edge off on the bandsaw. I thought it was too dark to be maple and my suspicion was just confirmed. Our friend had a white oak and red maple burl and he emailed this morning and said the one I got is the white oak. I think I may get the maple one also. :eusa_danc The oak one might just turn into a bowl. He also said he has 2 more (white oak) that are still on the live tree. They are mine if I want them.:eusa_danc :eusa_clap :eusa_danc

Has anyone ever turned an oak pen?

Thanks for the link to the drill press. :icon_thum The only problem I see is that it only has a 2" spindle stroke. I don't think that is enough to drill a pen blank.