Anyone Tried Tap Root?

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

randywa

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2008
Messages
893
Location
Republic, Mo.
I turned a piece of pine tap root yesterday. I notice it didn't seem to enjoy the heat from sanding, so I got gentle with it. I finished it with 6 coats of CA and all was good last night. When I went to show it to someone this morning it was bumpy and knobby. Did the humidity from a big storm this morning have something to do with this? I know a tap root absorbs water, but the stump has been out of the ground since 2005. I may have discovered an anti-skid wood. Should I add this stuff to the bonfire?
 

Attachments

  • tap root1.jpg
    tap root1.jpg
    129.2 KB · Views: 133
  • Copy of tap root1.jpg
    Copy of tap root1.jpg
    38 KB · Views: 142
  • tap root2.jpg
    tap root2.jpg
    129.8 KB · Views: 98
  • Copy of tap root2.jpg
    Copy of tap root2.jpg
    65.1 KB · Views: 178
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

bitshird

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2007
Messages
10,236
Location
Adamsville, TN, USA.
That's pretty strange! a nice looking pen other than the lumpy stuff, it doesn't seem as though a large rise in humidity should do that, not after sanding and sealing the exterior with an acrylic coating, one would think if it were going to do it the CA wouldn't have stuck to the root.
 

randywa

Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2008
Messages
893
Location
Republic, Mo.
I got finished making it around noon and played with it the rest of the day and it was still smooth last night I love the crazy grain so I have to try another. All together, I have 20 to 30 feet of this stuff.
 

Drstrangefart

Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
4,258
Location
Woodstock, Ga. U.S.A.
I love how fine the grain is on top of the craziness. Hope it works out and you just had an anomaly there. Beautiful stuff and I was keenly interested in finding out about taproot as well!
 

ctubbs

Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2010
Messages
3,588
Location
Murray, Kentucky
I have never worked pine root, but regular pine is just cram full of pitch. If it is not kiln dried to fix the pitch, it works out for a very long time. It makes tiny little balls on the cut surface of the wood and sticks to everything. The only solvent I know of to cut the stuff is turpentine. That could be the culprit. I would try hearing a piece in an oven, not the one the wife uses, for a week or so at about 125 to 150. Check the drying recommendations to see what the pros do with the stuff. Pine can be real nasty to work with because of the tar.

The timber on the pen is beautiful. Wood like that is worth playing with to make it usable. Your pen is gorgeous.
Charles
 

ghostrider

Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2011
Messages
952
Location
Grand Rapids, Michigan
This has me thinking of my past observation.

As I was sanding some Bolivian Rosewood for a straight razor handle, I noticed that the oils in the wood would make their way to the surface about an hour or so after sanding (at least that's how it appeared). The change in color, as well as the more oily feel gave me this impression.

I'm wondering if it's possible that the CA was applied before this happened with the tap root, and if that would account for it?

Or maybe it wasn't quite dry enough, and the CA sealed in some of the moisture? (Not even sure that makes sense).


I'm still new to all this stuff, so if my conclusions are incorrect let me know.
 

robutacion

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
6,514
Location
Australia - SA Adelaide Hills
Yeah, I think what you've got there is wood that wasn't dry at the time of turning...!

Tap-root or any other wood can keep large %'s of moisture even after been cut for years, the best way to deal with it would be to cut it up into pen blanks and let then settle for a while om a well ventilated place but away from sun/weather.

Spacing the blanks and using "separators" in between layers, is the best way to allow air flow through them.

You can also stabilize the wood, not with the type of stabilization used in very soft woods but the one that preserves the wood, like the Fungishield product we have here in Australia.

The wood is too nice not to take those extra steps, the results will be a lot better, you will see...!:wink:

Good luck.

Cheers
George
 

pinelumber

Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
158
Location
Shelby Twp., Michigan
tap root

I had the same thing happen with loganberry root. Took the pen apart re- sanded it and refinished it now it is OK. Also a similar situation with redwood burl. It is so soft. The annual rings keep popping out. The only way I was able to Fix??? it was to finish it with many coats of schallac.


Dennis
Pine lumber
 

Padre

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2009
Messages
1,841
What if you stabilized it?

I had the same thing happen with loganberry root. Took the pen apart re- sanded it and refinished it now it is OK. Also a similar situation with redwood burl. It is so soft. The annual rings keep popping out. The only way I was able to Fix??? it was to finish it with many coats of schallac.


Dennis
Pine lumber
 
Top Bottom