A Little Bit of a Gloat

[StephenM]

My brother-in-law got back from Ireland and besides the usual black bog oak brought me back a piece of spalted bog oak. The farmer found it in the peat amongst the regular stuff and hadn't seen it before so dried it out between papers and weights so it wouldn't curl.

It's really light but very solid. After I cut it into blanks, I'll stabilize it and see how it turns out.

 

[Tim'sTurnings]

That should make some interesting pens. Nice looking spalting in that piece. I'm just a little surprised that he could bring in some wood from another country.
Good luck, Tim.

 

[Woodchipper]

Nice grain and colors. I'm with Tim, how did he get it through Ireland and US customs?

 

[StephenM]

I don't think he has to declare it. It's not a food, animal or soil product. I would imagine it's a normal thing for him bringing stuff back and forth to study anyways.

 

[mmayo]

I wanted to bring back guanacaste wood from Costa Rica. I found the wood and asked the vendor how I could get it home, he told me to say MESA when asked about the wood. He planed it and applied a thin coat of shellac. I said MESA (table in Spanish) at the airport. Two boards, 2" thick, 40+" long and 28" wide got on the plane. See the box I use as my avatar, it worked!

Your mileage may vary.