No piece of wood is irretrievable

[Graigmerched]

Thought you might like to see what you can get from a piece of old silver birch root.
Pics show the root before I started turning and then the end result.

 

[cambournepete]

=D> =D> =D>

 

[henton49er]

Wow!! Delightful.

I don't think I would have the skill or the confidence to even attempt such a piece.

Mike

 

[MattF]

That's very nice

 

[steadyeddie]

Paul Daniels eat your heart out !! Good looking piece. Keep the pictures coming.

Dave

 

[AndyT]

I like that a lot, especially as most people would have just burnt it! You must have good control of your tools to do the cuts that are mostly air.

 

[Steve Blackdog]

Steve

I hope you stick around on the forum, you have some very interesting 'out the box' ideas. I approve!!!


Steve

 

[boysie39]

If I were good enough to make a piece like that ,I would be very happy .
I would also name it , The Swallow . excellent .

 

[gregmcateer]

Bloody hell!!
That is brilliant - Well done, that man.
Greg

 

[Alli]

Unbelievable =D> =D> , Did you visualize the design of the piece before you start, or does it develop as you start turning?

 

[Graigmerched]

In reply to Alli,

A bit of bothe really. I had an idea of what I wanted to do with the root and it developed as it went along.

Regards

Steve

 

[12345Peter]

In reply to Alli,

A bit of bothe really. I had an idea of what I wanted to do with the root and it developed as it went along.

It is a lovely creation and I am so interested as I have a spalted silver birch root ball as well as alder and a few other root balls that I don't know what they are. I daren't even put one on my present lathe as the minimum speed is 750 and it doesn't like a really unbalanced lump. I am saving them for my next lathe which hopefully will have a lower min speed.

Am I right to think that being spalted, it was fairly well dried out.

Regards

 

[Graigmerched]

In reply to 12345Peter,

The root was absolutely soaking when I turned it. So much so, that the wet spray marks are still evident on the woodturning club wall which is where I started turning it. I finished at home. I tend to turn most of my my natural edge work while still wet. That way you get warping as well as cracking which can give pieces a unique look. It was turned at about 750 revs by the way but the starting speed was a lot lower. Turning a root with knobs on at high speed to start with would be too scary even for daft me. Safety must be the prime consideration when turning anything.

Regards

Steve

 

[inaspin]

This is stunning as well as inspirational, i have had a simular root hanging around for years and have never even thought of putting it on to see what i can make of it. You are truly gifted.

Reards

Berns

 

[12345Peter]

In reply to 12345Peter,

The root was absolutely soaking when I turned it. So much so, that the wet spray marks are still evident on the woodturning club wall which is where I started turning it. I finished at home. I tend to turn most of my my natural edge work while still wet. That way you get warping as well as cracking which can give pieces a unique look. It was turned at about 750 revs by the way but the starting speed was a lot lower. Turning a root with knobs on at high speed to start with would be too scary even for daft me. Safety must be the prime consideration when turning anything.
Regards
Steve

Do you turn it thick and let it dry out a bit or do you turn it thin?

I agree about turning somethings with bits sticking out at high speed, very scary. I turned a winged box at 3000 revs and that scared the life out of me, it was like an airplane prop with the noise and wind.

Regards

 

[Graigmerched]

In reply to Peter,

Once I start turning a wet piece of wood I carry on and finish it. I suppose I'm a bit unconventional as I don't really care if it cracks or splits because they can be laced or enhanced with pyrography. In that sense I suppose it's a bit suck it and see. I don't see the point of turning it thick, letting it dry and then finishing it. You might as well just buy a dry blank of you want a conventional bowl. The whole point of wet/green turning, in my point of view is that you get a unique end product. I'm sure there will be some who disagree but if we all agreed on everything it would be a very boring world.

This could be a discussion topic in its own right.

Best Regards

Steve

 

[Neil Farrer]

Spectacular!

 

[12345Peter]

In reply to Peter,
Once I start turning a wet piece of wood I carry on and finish it. I suppose I'm a bit unconventional as I don't really care if it cracks or splits because they can be laced or enhanced with pyrography. In that sense I suppose it's a bit suck it and see. I don't see the point of turning it thick, letting it dry and then finishing it. You might as well just buy a dry blank of you want a conventional bowl. The whole point of wet/green turning, in my point of view is that you get a unique end product. I'm sure there will be some who disagree but if we all agreed on everything it would be a very boring world.

This could be a discussion topic in its own right.
Best Regards
Steve

I am surprised that the stand part didn't warp and lean over like the few I have turned green

I am learning and love to hear about and try different techniques especially if it results in quirky/character pieces.

Regards

 

[Graigmerched]

In reply to Peter,
Once I start turning a wet piece of wood I carry on and finish it. I suppose I'm a bit unconventional as I don't really care if it cracks or splits because they can be laced or enhanced with pyrography. In that sense I suppose it's a bit suck it and see. I don't see the point of turning it thick, letting it dry and then finishing it. You might as well just buy a dry blank of you want a conventional bowl. The whole point of wet/green turning, in my point of view is that you get a unique end product. I'm sure there will be some who disagree but if we all agreed on everything it would be a very boring world.

This could be a discussion topic in its own right.
Best Regards
Steve

I am surprised that the stand part didn't warp and lean over like the few I have turned green

I am learning and love to hear about and try different techniques especially if it results in quirky/character pieces.

Regards

I was surprised as well. That's the beauty of turning wet. You can never predict the outcome.

Best Regards

Steve

 

[tomthumbtom8]

just out of interest what was your first turning speed ?? not that I'm going to start turning pieces like that??

Tom