Cutting Wood

[GregMuller]

I was given two discs of wood from a black oak that is over 600 years old. I could only get the two disca. One is roughly 3-4 inches thick and approx 30 inches accross. Looks like a big platter. The other is about the same width but only 1-2 inches thick. I would like some advice on how to cut them for pen blanks. I have a band saw 6" capiticty. Also I have been told I can not use the center of the wood. Can any one tell me why?

Edit 09/09/2006
After speaking with mayor I get to keep the thicker of the two slabs. I have included photo of slabs.
Redfish,
Thank you for the visual I think that is the way I will cut it.
Eagle,
Apparently your voodoo[}] is not as strong as you might hope.
I will be cutting today!!!

 

[leatherjunkie]

myself, i would cut it right down the center.
then setup your bandsaw with the fence set to 1 1/16" away fro the blade. then just start cutting out the blanks.
since all you have is a bandsaw try to find someone that would be willing to do the inital cut on the wood for you.
the woodcraft store here in oregon has cut some wood for me.

you also might want to make your first cut on the edge about 3" into the wood. this way you can still get a blank out of the edge and a straight edge to keep cutting your blanks.

 

[GregMuller]

If I do it that way i wind up with cross grain blanks. I was thinking of cutting down the middle and then taking 4-5 inch think lenghts and then cutting with the grain. Does this sound right.

 

[Dario]

Greg,

Depends on what you want the blanks to come out to...also depends on how the wood looks like.

If you want cross cut then what you described will work. Just cut slabs that are 5" to 5.5" wide making that the length of the cross-cut blanks.

If you want blanks along the grain you will have short (3"-4") blanks which depending on the grain may be matched easily or not.

Another option is cut them into 1" strip and then cut those in bias/angle. You will have some waste at the ends but not too much.

 

[vick]

Greg,
Not exactly what you asked but my advice for these large boards is not to cut them as pen blanks. They are valuable for making large platters or serving trays and if that was not something you are interested in you could trade it to another turner for cash or pen blank stock.

It would work best if you have someone locally since shipping will be killer for these. If you are interested in some kind of trade through mail let me know I would be tickled to get some large stock.

 

[GregMuller]

Vick,
Sorry to say that I will be making pens out of this wood. The tree that this wood came from is a big deal were I work. It was a landmark in our town and dates back to 1660. Will be making comm. pens for Mayor and local village officials.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Originally posted by GregMuller
<br />If I do it that way i wind up with cross grain blanks. I was thinking of cutting down the middle and then taking 4-5 inch think lenghts and then cutting with the grain. Does this sound right.

I think that is what he was describing. Cut across the diameter. The very center might not be suitable. But you have the wood, look at it, if it's hard, it's turnable.

 

[Dario]

The center called pith...is where cracks usually begin. You can use it but it may crack...the bigger the wood section, the bigger the chances it will crack. If it is in penblank size, you will have better chance of it not cracking/checking.

 

[ctEaglesc]

You are kidding about cuttting up a 30" piece of virgin growth wood for pen blanks, Right?
Save it for a more "Suitable" project and make pen blanks from the scrap

 

[GregMuller]

Eagle,
I am not kidding. It a piece that is 30" across but only 3-4" thick. What do you suggest? I will post pictures tomorrow.

 

[DocStram]

Man, I hate the thought of you cutting those slabs up into pen blanks.

OK, here's an evil thought .... get yourself some other pieces of oak ... cut those up into blanks .. use the 600 year old oak slabs for platters. Who's gonna know? Cough, cough. Everybody in IAP and your conscience.

 

[ctEaglesc]

I hereby put a pen blank curse on that wood
Any pen blanks you make from it other than from scrap will blow out.

 

[Russb]

My first thought too was these blanks should be made into platters or shallow bowls, anything but pen blanks. Then I began thinking these would be endgrain platters or bowls. I'm not too sure how much strength they would have cut the way they were.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Originally posted by Russb
<br />My first thought too was these blanks should be made into platters or shallow bowls, anything but pen blanks. Then I began thinking these would be endgrain platters or bowls. I'm not too sure how much strength they would have cut the way they were.

Precisley. Answer is none. Pen blanks is a good use. Look at it this way. One platter. Or scores of commemorative pens.

 

[GregMuller]

Well it is all a moot point now. Mayor has decided that all the wood officialy belongs to the village and the trustees will decided what to do with all the wood harvested so back to the village the big platters go.

 

[ctEaglesc]

Don't mess with the "Curse of the Eagle"

 

[Blind_Squirrel]

Okay, for clairification, IAP stands for Internation Association of <b>Penturners</b> <u>not</u> International Association of Platter turners. []

 

[redfishsc]

Hey, even a blind squirrel can find a nut every now and then! Right on!


Those would wind up, as mentioned, being endgrain platters/bowls. I personally would not want to try and make a bowl out of endgrain oak unless I really had to. I tried it once on live oak. It went into the firewood pile (and I don't even have a fireplace!).


Anyhow, as far as cutting the wood, IF you can get them back and they haven't split to pieces from the endgrain drying out, you probably would want to try quartersawing the wood. Quartersawn wood is much more dimensionally stable than plain-sliced wood. Your pen blank length will be at the mercy of how thick your slabs are, however. Perhaps a good number of Sierras are in order?

Here is a pic of how it's done.