Lets see your wood

[Hypnotic Chimera]

Been steadily acquiring a variety of different chunks of wood with the intent to make some little trinket or keepsake boxes.
Desire is to dovetail the joints, and have different species for the ends and sides and something different again for the top.

Here's most of my stash.

Amazique

Tulipwood/poplar

Wenge

American Cherry

Wild Mango

A few pieces of oak flooring board offcuts

Unknown species, circa 10mm thick, reclaimed from a long coffee table (bit of hand sawing practice showing in this piece) underside:

finished topside
Also sitting on a longass length of sapele

And the large intact table top - around 5 ft long

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

A few small sheets of different veneers for box tops

Oak burl, walnut burl, thuya burl, maple, and 2x fir burl

For veneer backing I have a few small sheets of 6mm walnut faced plywood.

Finally also have a block of salted ash in transit that is mainly intended for box tops, but might also become box sides.

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Nice selection

 

[pgrbff]

My son wanted a lift to Milan so I popped into a high end timber dealer whilst I was waiting for him, unfortunately I couldn't resist.
The widest piece is probably Platymiscium Yucatanum or Mexican rosewood, it is what is left after veneer has been cut. About 1/2" thick, 2,5m long.
It's a shame I'm not into making boxes.
I have edited the name as the seller called it granadillo, told me it was from south America.

 

[Morag Jones]

I have been clearing some yew scrub in prep for building works, nothing bigger than 120-150mm dimeter but I have put by the tastiest bits. Can anyone recommend the best way to prep it for future turning please? Even wet it was a delight to play with and clearly worth keeping. There will be stumps too when the digger comes.... TIA

 

[alex robinson]

I have been clearing some yew scrub in prep for building works, nothing bigger than 120-150mm dimeter but I have put by the tastiest bits. Can anyone recommend the best way to prep it for future turning please? Even wet it was a delight to play with and clearly worth keeping. There will be stumps too when the digger comes.... TIA

Usual suggestions about painting the ends to even out the drying process and keeping under cover. Otherwise you could try the twice turning method. I find yew surprisingly good natured for drying though.

 

[Stigmorgan]

As above, seal the ends with whatever you have to hand, paint/pva/wax. Leave them long if you can, I've also seen a few suggestions to store them vertically, with Holly it helps to keep the wood white instead of grey.

 

[HOJ]

A load of redwood T & G boards landed the other day, all ripped out from an insurance flooring job that was done really badly, too good for the wood burner, maybe a few ledged and braced doors are on the list now:

 

[niall Y]

I have been clearing some yew scrub in prep for building works, nothing bigger than 120-150mm dimeter but I have put by the tastiest bits. Can anyone recommend the best way to prep it for future turning please? Even wet it was a delight to play with and clearly worth keeping. There will be stumps too when the digger comes.... TIA

Just coat the ends, as others have said and set it aside to dry.

I am turning some bowls out of Yew at present. I initially turned them whilst wet and set them aside for a year and a bit to dry before putting them back on the lathe. Strangely, I have noticed that the shavings. are coming off incredibly hot. In fact they are really quite uncomfortable when they hit your hand. Not something I've noticed with other woods I have turned in the past.

On the plus side, the grain figuring is amazing, and if I can stabilise some of the small checks and splits with CA glue, I should end up with a few pretty little bowls

 

[Eshmiel]

Been steadily acquiring a variety of different chunks of wood with the intent to make some little trinket or keepsake boxes.
Desire is to dovetail the joints, and have different species for the ends and sides and something different again for the top.

I've got timber envy.

Mixing timber types in one item can be successful .... or not. Sometimes there's too much noisy contrast whilst other times it all seems to blend.

My own wee boxes are more functional than decorative, although I do try to finish them to look at least not-ugly. Of course, sometimes they are. The boxes in the pics all have functions, to hold tea, my wife's teddybear making tools and one for CDs.

Generally I like pretty grain rather than lots of different colours; but not always. As often as not, what makes a box is determined by what was used to make the last one or two pieces of furniture. I generally prefer the single-species-wild-grain to the duo-timber boxes. Sometimes one can do both in one box (e.g. that quarter-sawn oak with black walnut one).

 

[Cabinetman]

Well Eshmiel they certainly are different and you’re not stuck in a groove, nice work though out. Particularly like the second pic Oak and Black Walnut?

I've got timber envy.

Mixing timber types in one item can be successful .... or not. Sometimes there's too much noisy contrast whilst other times it all seems to blend.

My own wee boxes are more functional than decorative, although I do try to finish them to look at least not-ugly. Of course, sometimes they are. The boxes in the pics all have functions, to hold tea, my wife's teddybear making tools and one for CDs.

Generally I like pretty grain rather than lots of different colours; but not always. As often as not, what makes a box is determined by what was used to make the last one or two pieces of furniture. I generally prefer the single-species-wild-grain to the duo-timber boxes. Sometimes one can do both in one box (e.g. that quarter-sawn oak with black walnut one).

 

[Mick p]

I've got timber envy.

Mixing timber types in one item can be successful .... or not. Sometimes there's too much noisy contrast whilst other times it all seems to blend.

My own wee boxes are more functional than decorative, although I do try to finish them to look at least not-ugly. Of course, sometimes they are. The boxes in the pics all have functions, to hold tea, my wife's teddybear making tools and one for CDs.

Generally I like pretty grain rather than lots of different colours; but not always. As often as not, what makes a box is determined by what was used to make the last one or two pieces of furniture. I generally prefer the single-species-wild-grain to the duo-timber boxes. Sometimes one can do both in one box (e.g. that quarter-sawn oak with black walnut one).

Beautiful workmanship thanks for showing them

 

[Morag Jones]

Just coat the ends, as others have said and set it aside to dry.

I am turning some bowls out of Yew at present. I initially turned them whilst wet and set them aside for a year and a bit to dry before putting them back on the lathe. Strangely, I have noticed that the shavings. are coming off incredibly hot. In fact they are really quite uncomfortable when they hit your hand. Not something I've noticed with other woods I have turned in the past.

On the plus side, the grain figuring is amazing, and if I can stabilise some of the small checks and splits with CA glue, I should end up with a few pretty little bowls

Done a few little mushrooms and yes gorgeous figuring. The wonky 2 have different centres. They are an absolute delight to turn with sharp tools!

Just coated in PVA whilst they dry out, but might leave in a bucket if shavings to slow it down.

 

[Hypnotic Chimera]

I've got timber envy.

Mixing timber types in one item can be successful .... or not. Sometimes there's too much noisy contrast whilst other times it all seems to blend.

My own wee boxes are more functional than decorative, although I do try to finish them to look at least not-ugly. Of course, sometimes they are. The boxes in the pics all have functions, to hold tea, my wife's teddybear making tools and one for CDs.

Generally I like pretty grain rather than lots of different colours; but not always. As often as not, what makes a box is determined by what was used to make the last one or two pieces of furniture. I generally prefer the single-species-wild-grain to the duo-timber boxes. Sometimes one can do both in one box (e.g. that quarter-sawn oak with black walnut one).

Agreed that combinations of wood types in one small piece doesn't always work - it does need a sympathetic matching.

Loving your workmanship and especially love that spalted wood you've used - finished nicely too.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Done a few little mushrooms and yes gorgeous figuring. The wonky 2 have different centres. They are an absolute delight to turn with sharp tools!View attachment 197495
Just coated in PVA whilst they dry out, but might leave in a bucket if shavings to slow it down.

Very nice, I find saturating in a drying oil like Danish can help reduce cracks and movement.

 

[chatometry]

My son wanted a lift to Milan so I popped into a high end timber dealer whilst I was waiting for him, unfortunately I couldn't resist.
The widest piece is probably Platymiscium Yucatanum or Mexican rosewood, it is what is left after veneer has been cut. About 1/2" thick, 2,5m long.
It's a shame I'm not into making boxes.
I have edited the name as the seller called it granadillo, told me it was from south America.

The place is Seralvo, isn't it?
I live nearby and I used loads of his Granadillo - hard, heavy, strong and nicely scented!

 

[graham88]

Bit of a result today. Neighbour is doing some renovations to their house and I looked out the window to see this solid mahogany mantle being subjected to a saw, I ran so fast I think I have whiplash. A quick chat later and he was more than happy for me to take it on for free! Approx 7 foot long, 10 inches wide and 2 inches thick.

Now that I've secured this monster any suggestions on removing the construction adhesive complete with left over brick?

 

[Eshmiel]

Good rescue!

I've had a few with similar clags on them. I always started the removal with an old firmer chisel with a long blade, chipping away with the back always flat to the wood. It blunts the chisel but it only needs resharpening to Jacob standard to be good enough once more for chipping orf the clags.

Some of them come off easily and whole. Others are reet sticky buggers then its chip-chip-chip. As far as possible, align the removing chisel with the grain. Wood pulls off with the clag more easily if you go across the grain.

If it's a nasty clag, you may still find the clag pulling bits out of the wood. At that juncture, I use a belt sander with a 60 grit belt on it to sand the clags down. Again, if the clag is hard stuff the sanding belt will soon degrade. And the platten will get hot.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Bit of a result today. Neighbour is doing some renovations to their house and I looked out the window to see this solid mahogany mantle being subjected to a saw, I ran so fast I think I have whiplash. A quick chat later and he was more than happy for me to take it on for free! Approx 7 foot long, 10 inches wide and 2 inches thick.

Now that I've secured this monster any suggestions on removing the construction adhesive complete with left over brick?

Flap disc on an angle grinder?

 

[graham88]

I did initially think of a chisel, but like you say the edge was gone in no time at all so was somewhat reluctant to carry on, unfortuately I don't think going along the grain would be possible due to having no choice but to attack from the sides.

I'd be worried about the flap disc eating into the wood too much. Thanks for the suggestions all the same, looks like there's no short answer but putting in the time and effort, at least it should be worth it, think I'll start with abrasives and ses how it fares.