Bullet inclusion???

[Rick P]

My son and I were looking for bears and seeing if the char were running when I spotted a really nice looking spruce burl in a log jam that I could get to due to the low water level in the river. I cut it out and brought it home to turn into a bowl, almost immediately I hit something hard! So far I have cut free 6 bullets and there are at least 2 still in the burl! I marked one thinking I might leave it in the finished bowl.

 

[fiferb]

It could contain lead. I don't think I'd use it with the bullets left in the wood.

 

[Smitty37]

hmmmm

Depends on the finish - many finishes would seal the lead. Aside from that, such a tiny bit of lead isn't likely to cause any world shattering illnesses. My dad who was a house painter mixed his own lead & oil paint for many years and really didn't suffer any harmful effects other than from breathing the dust - and those are related to breathing about any kind of dust.

 

[Rick P]

Because of the bullets this will be staying with me or it'll go in the scrap pile. It would also be a non functional piece. I have set it aside while I decide what to do with it, getting tiered of messing up the edge on what are very expensive tools.....at least to me.

 

[paintspill]

just goes to show you never know what your gonna find. better the lathe then demo-ing a set of planer blades.

 

[underdog]

Unless it's steel jacketed, I don't see what the problem is... Lead can be marked with a thumbnail, and copper is almost as easily turned/cut as wood... If it brought in some grit with it, that's another story...

I've cut plenty of bullets with sawblades, planer and molder knives, and I've never seen them cause any significant damage.

On the other hand I've seen plain old wooden knots break quite a few things though...

 

[KenV]

Nails and screws can cause more damage -- bullets are not an especially big deal -- they cut easily and do not cause tool problems.

They can cause black metal piece migration with abrasives -- keeping the wood clean (compressed air helps). Probably not great to have on the inside of a soup bowl, but with most sealed finishes, not a problem -- and some good conversation.

 

[Lee K]

who in their right mind would shoot a burl

i mean ... what did that burl ever do to them, anyhow .... :biggrin::biggrin:

 

[Rick P]

Underdog and Ken.......Im not that great at sharpening yet and with me hitting everything from a black powder maxi ball to a couple jacketed with god knows what, lots of military bases and gun lovers up this way, that burl was really doing a number on my tools! Nothing as dramatic as hitting a nail, screw, fence wire or rock but enough to be real annoying. I agree though Ken it dose make a interesting conversation piece.

Lee I been to GA.......... you exactly which kind of folks are shooting up a burl! ;>)