AWGB Woodturning Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Les Symonds on April 15, 2015, 06:41:07 PM
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I was there, today; you know, right place and right time! I was in North Shropshire Sawmills just moments after they'd finished slabbing a huge oak trunk which had burr down an entire side of it. There were 2 fork-lift loads on skids which had just been taking to the air-drying sheds, each load being about 8ft long, 5ft high and 4ft deep, all ripped into slabs and planks. My luck came in the mill, where I was looking for one of the workmen to help me to manhandle some 4" lime. I noticed a big lump of burr which had broken free of the trunk as it was being being trammed through the bandsaw-mill and had gone unnoticed until after they'd cleared up and taken the timber away. Luckily for me, it was easier for them to just name a price and get rid of it, then it was to reset the mill to handle a relatively small piece, so I bought it .....for £20. It's just under 3ft long, 13" wide and 9" thick.
Now here's my problem. It's green; 3 days ago it was still standing. I really don't fancy trying to air dry it over the next few years, so what's the best way to tackle stuff like this? I've turned green-ash to 4 or 5 mm and dried it over a few weeks, and I've rough turned oak and beech oversized and dried it in a box of dry shavings, so I'm fairly familiar with those methods. Does anyone have any useful info on the best way to approach this?
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a238/lessymonds/Oak%20burr/DSCF4108%20Small_zps5a8bq4hf.jpg) (http://s12.photobucket.com/user/lessymonds/media/Oak%20burr/DSCF4108%20Small_zps5a8bq4hf.jpg.html)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a238/lessymonds/Oak%20burr/DSCF4103%20Small_zpstr30lewv.jpg) (http://s12.photobucket.com/user/lessymonds/media/Oak%20burr/DSCF4103%20Small_zpstr30lewv.jpg.html)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a238/lessymonds/Oak%20burr/DSCF4102%20Small_zpster6from.jpg) (http://s12.photobucket.com/user/lessymonds/media/Oak%20burr/DSCF4102%20Small_zpster6from.jpg.html)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a238/lessymonds/Oak%20burr/DSCF4101%20Small_zpsd0suhzkm.jpg) (http://s12.photobucket.com/user/lessymonds/media/Oak%20burr/DSCF4101%20Small_zpsd0suhzkm.jpg.html)
Thanks...Les
p.s. I don't want to rub it in (much) but I also got a wheelbarrow full of offcuts of this burr for £5...some of the offcuts were 4" thick
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Save it for me I will be in Wales in June. :) :) :) :)
Regards George
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Save it for me I will be in Wales in June. :) :) :) :)
Regards George
I'll put it somewhere in the sun, so that it's nice and warm for you. :P
Les
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We will be near Carmarthen so it will be too far to come and scrounge some. :) :) :)
Regards George
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Not to worry George I'll be there in June instead so can happily provide a good home for it ;D
Pete
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Not to worry George I'll be there in June instead so can happily provide a good home for it ;D
Pete
It'll be gone by then....if only somebody tells me how best to work it! ???
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Les, Turn to an even finished form; with a good coating of oil and leave to season.
Any movement in the burl will only add to the form.
Have fun .. ;) ... Dewi
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Les, Turn to an even finished form; with a good coating of oil and leave to season.
Any movement in the burl will only add to the form.
Have fun .. ;) ... Dewi
....thanks Dewi....thought I wasn't going to get a response there, for a minute. I feel like making a thick, chunky, heavy bowl, which might help to slow down the drying, but might also leave some stresses in the wood....fingers crossed.
Les
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Once turned put in a plastic bag and remove and weigh the item each day, if you remember, turn the bag inside out and put the piece back. I have had good success with this method on burrs recently.
john
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Thanks, john....roughly how long do they take to reach equilibrium by this method?......or is that a 'How long is a piece of string' sort of question?
Les
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Thanks, john....roughly how long do they take to reach equilibrium by this method?......or is that a 'How long is a piece of string' sort of question?
Les
It is a bit of that as it varies considerably depending on size, moisture content etc but the ones I have done so far have dried in weeks rather than months.
john
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Les, Turn to an even finished form; with a good coating of oil and leave to season.
Any movement in the burl will only add to the form.
Have fun .. ;) ... Dewi
....thanks Dewi....thought I wasn't going to get a response there, for a minute. I feel like making a thick, chunky, heavy bowl, which might help to slow down the drying, but might also leave some stresses in the wood....fingers crossed.
Les
You've enough here to play with and to go BIG as well as chunky .. a mans' bowl .. ;D ..
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Thanks John & Dewi....it sounds like I'll manage to get it all roughed out before Pete arrives, and as George isn't venturing far north of Carmarthen, it looks like I might egt one or two finished pieces out of it.
Les