A Call For Wood!

I can do that! And, since the larger pieces are apt to show up on made-over villagers, is there anything you'd particularly like to work with? Something new? Tried and true? I was looking for a matching set with matching handles, but it doesn't matter to me much what the handles are.

BTW- anyone ever use PEG? (polyethylene glycol, I believe.) As I understand it, it's a little safer to use, not as hard as the phenolics, and is 'food grade'. (I guess if you want to carve your Christmas turkey with your Khuk.) I'm thinking of ordering some to try out.
 
do a search in the shoptalk forum for PEG. it's been discussed there.


for me - the higher the contrast the better. ;)
 
Wow, Pen - you just gave me a neuralgic hiccup, and I remembered that I spalted a chunk of zebra wood some years ago and have never cut into it. Not big, maybe 4 X 6 X 8. I'll slice it let you all know what it looks like. Could be nice, could be not.... If it's worth it, I'll consider sending it to Machete for stabilization experimentation...
 
Brian in Chi said:
I remembered that I spalted a chunk of zebra wood some years ago and have never cut into it.
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Brian, how do you spalt wood? I'm pretty sure that wood spalts naturally but didn't know that it could be done artificially.:eek: :cool:
 
you can do anything, Yvsa....come on....


:eek: :D :p
 
Yvsa -

The relative who lives up by Mohawk spalted his turning wood with much the same concoction, but when it was mixed, he dig a hole outside his shop. put half a 5-gallon bucket in the hole, then the wood, and topped off the mess with the rest of the bucket. It isn't exact. He varied the mix according to the wood, time of year (moisture, humidity, etc) and varied the time between checks. Takes a lot of putzing around, but he had some 40 years experience.
 
Since Brian In Chi broached the topic, I'd like to know what method he used, and how it turned out. :)
 
I sealed the end-grain with a couple of coats of varnish, then left it under the bushes in the front yard for a couple of years. I'll cut into it and let you know if it worked... :confused:
 
Went down to the shop and (amazingly :eek: ) found the 2 pieces - 1 zebra-wood, 1 walnut. Sliced into them and the results are here. Not what I had hopped for... :grumpy: :grumpy:
Nothing much seems to have happened to the zebra, the walnut turned an almost lemon yellow.They didn't crack or check after all that ordeal. Perhaps because the end grain was sealed somewhat. I'm no wood expert.
 
That walnut almost looks like osage orange by the color. What fungal media were you using? (i.e.- what's your slime recipe?)

The two or three articles I've read about doing it stress that it will work best at the end grain, so having yours somewhat sealed may have impeded the process.

Are you gonna try again? :)
 
Dagnabit! The landlord sent some guys around over the weekend to cut up the remaining large chunks of last year's toppled hickory tree. We had burned most of the smaller stuff already. These guys had a splitter, no glasses, and were holding the chunks with their hands as the pieces were chewed off. Anyway, I guess the deal with the landlord was that they could take whatever they split, because they loaded it up and took it. Problem is, they also took my locust, buckeye and cherry cuttings! :mad: I had them sitting on pallets behind a shed that was next to the fallen lumber, so I guess they might have thought they were supposed to take it. I just wish the landlord had let us know these guys were coming, and I would have moved my stuff. :grumpy: Now, the sap is up, so I can't cut anymore until this winter. :rolleyes: Annoying bit of a set-back. Oh, well- I may just try some "home spalting" with some of the remaining hickory. (If my pyromaniacal brothers don't burn it first.) :p
 
MH,

Will try to get my contribution to your project on the way by this weekend. Been cleaning out the barn lately and hadn't had time to package it up.
 
No rush, HD- I'm still missing some key components for my new set-up. And, what's worse, I'm missing the funds to obtain them! :eek: :D :p
 
MacHete said:
Now, the sap is up, so I can't cut anymore until this winter. :rolleyes:
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Mac, according to the Bowyers Bible bow wood can be cut anytime of the year and successfully seasoned. Might do to get the first two copies even if they don't come cheap.
It would be handy to know since you might be in an area with an access to an unusual wood sometime when the sap is up and you would be able to harvest it without fear of it splitting.
 
I was thinking about doing it anyway, in spite of the sap. The wood can be wet if I'm going to try to spalt it. I'm wondering if a 'wet harvest' is only OK for bow making? I've never done it, but doesn't a bowyer season bow wood in shape? Either way, I guess the stuff won't take that much longer to season if I cut it now. I have the landlord's permission to cut wood, and there's about two or three acres of woods in back. A really good mix of sizes and species, too. :)
 
If your'e still looking for pieces to try, have Bocote, East Indian Rosewood(not a really red piece, but one of those more brown/red/almost blue cuts), and some Tulipwood. The bocote and rosewood don't reallly need stabilization, but might be interesting to see what happens with these denser/oilier woods. Plus you can Check out grain contrast on bocote yourself(I love it myself). THe other two can benefit from stabilization though, especially the tulipwood, as it tends to be rather soft for knife handles. Only thing is they tend to be rather small for khuk handles, unless you do a stacked handle, as thickest pieces I have are the rosewood, which I think is maybe an inch thick. But if you'd like some of these, let me know. Can cut off a hunk of each and get them in the mail
 
Thanks, etp777. :) I'll welcome pretty much anything. I just don't want stuff that you might use yourself. I doubt the bocote or rosewood would 'take' much, but if you've got some scraps, I'd enjoy tinkering with them. I would love to try some tulipwood. Email or PM me for my address. :cool:
 
Mac, just wanted to let you know that the apple and ironwood are on their way. Sorry for being a week late shipping it, but some idiot (who shall remain nameless) left your address at work last week, so it couldn't go out last Saturday.

Good luck with it, and please post your results. Sounds like an interesting project.

Joe
 
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