Making Black Cherry scales for my 16

TheWambo

TheWambo

Joined
Apr 21, 2012
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1,138
I found some downed black cherry while bumming around in the woods today and I decided to snag a slab with my axe and see what I can do with it. When I got I back I decided to try to make some scales with it; one small problem...the only tools I have with me at college are my knives a small camp saw and sandpaper. regardless I say I'm doing fairly well so far

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(battoned that sucker to size with the 16!)

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(sanded flush by hand *tooting my own horn*)

So I still need to finish sanding it, stabilize it, and shape them but that's for another day

ps. feel free to throw in any tips or tricks you guys don't mind sharing. Thanks
 
I like collecting material for projects while out in the woods. I look for a dead limb on the tree so the stabilazation process has already started. I would varnish or oil that nice piece of wood so that it dries slowly to reduce cracking.
 
high desert said:
I like collecting material for projects while out in the woods. I look for a dead limb on the tree so the stabilazation process has already started. I would varnish or oil that nice piece of wood so that it dries slowly to reduce cracking.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, I'm assuming linseed oil would work alright?
 
pick up a can of Johnson's paste wax.
melt it over your choice of heat source. (beware, the fumes are flammable -- so only do this with good ventilation)
dunk the scales in the molten wax and let them soak it in for about 30 seconds
take them out, if they soak up all the wax, repeat.
If not, when they cool down a bit, buff them with a scrap of cloth.

I did a variation of this on a cherry box 14 years ago and no cracks yet.
could not dunk the box, so I heated it with a hair dryer until the wax stopped soaking in - then buffed it with an old sock.
 
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