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ldimick

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Dec 26, 2004
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Westminster, CA, USA.
I would like to know some information from some of you who gather and cut your own wood.

How do you decide which pieces to cut? Do you have a picture of the outside of a burl? Do you have a tutorial on how to pick and cut one?

I'm not looking to do this professionally but I am curious as to the process that some of you go through. Some of you have found some beautiful wood and I know it is more than just good luck.
 
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Lynn, The neat thing about making pens is that the piece of wood doesn't have to be very big.

If you were making a media cabinet for your den and wanted figured wood for the doors you would need some very large boards with the desired figure in it. A lot of people doing case work cut off the areas around knots and toss them. That is prime pen turning stock.

If you intend to cut a branch off of a tree or the tree it's self you need to look for unusual configurations of the tree. Places where an old limb was broken off and a bump has formed on the trunk. A place where a tree forks. Down near the bottom where the roots join. All these spots can produce some very interesting grain patterns. Just look for a part of a tree or branch that exhibits something unusual and out of the ordinary. Twisted growth or unusual turns or twists, odd growths on the side of the trunk.

A burl will be something that resembles a wart on the side of the tree or limb. Not to be confused with a place that a limb broke off and grew over. Some burls will produce very, very nice pen turning stock. Some will be full of bark, bugs and voids and be useless.

Small trees and even plants can produce some very unusual wood that is overlooked by the normal wood harvest outfit. Like Staghorn Sumac, that produces some very nice grain and color, a big one would be 1 1/2" in diameter or there abouts. Lilac makes for some very unusual color in wood. When in doubt cut it and look.
 

MDWine

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Mar 22, 2005
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Manassas Park, Virginia, USA.
I started collecting logs and branches myself. Not quite sure where to go from there, but I sealed the ends with that waxy stuff from Woodcraft. Some of the drier pieces I have cut into "blank size" (mostly branches). The larger stuff is just sitting around waiting... waiting for a place to be stored or dried, or waiting for me to cut it up some...

There are some opinions that it should be cut into "oversize" blank pieces so that it dries to a "regular" size. Some opinions say to wax it and let it dry for a year or so... I don't have that kind of patience!

One thing I would (will) do is search the site when I am ready to take that step. There are a bunch of threads that will discuss it, and lots of general "web info" too!

If you find the "secret", let us know!
 

alamocdc

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Apr 26, 2005
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San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Lynn, I just find what I can, where I can. Like Mac said, I especially look for areas that might have figure. They collect in a pile in the back for a while until I think they've dried enough to cut again and let dry some more.
 
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Location
Drums, PA, USA.
I'm on the same page with Mac.

When I started turning pens I had boxes of cutoffs from flat work. I would see an interesting figure and toss it into a box with the same type of wood. I started this years before I even started turning.

Then when I started turning bowls, I would use the drop off for boxes. Now the drop off from boxes are turned into bottle stoppers. I have hundreds of pen and bottle stopper blanks waiting for me. (mini gloat)
 

Dario

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Apr 14, 2005
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Austin, TX, USA.
Hi,

I collect wood too...most are already down and just waiting for me to take them so not much decision making what part to take unless there are too much. In which case I take the most figured pieces. It is very easy...all straight parts stay [;)]. Burl, crotch, and quilted parts are always taken...if I don't have enough room,then I come back [}:)]. Happened quite a few times that I haul more than 600# of mesquite in my sedan (no pick-up truck [V]).

If you are collecting burl from a live tree...try to seal the part you cut from to minimize rot as well as pest infestation. Some careless pruning can kill a tree. From what little I've read, you can cut the burl plush to the "normal" bark area of the tree. Just slice straight and seal as mentioned above.

Figured wood can be found on crotch, and trunk base/root area. If you raise your hand like a branch, tiger/quilt is mostly found in the armpit area [;)] or other areas under compressive stress. Trunks can have it too especially if the tree is not "balanced" thus producing the stress.

Good luck!!!
 

Dario

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One more little tidbit...I read from a chainsaw forum that chainsaw bar oil can kill some plants/trees. Apparently, some arborists use "canola" oil for their barchain when trimmimg. I haven't used it on my chainsaw yet but a lot swear by it. It is also being debated if the lack of tackifier will lead to insufficient lubrication which can lead to premature wear. A lot of people who use it syas they didn't notice any diffrence though...and those guys use their chainsaws daily. Just sharing.
 

Dario

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Apr 14, 2005
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Location
Austin, TX, USA.
If you want to learn more about collecting wood, here is a good reference - Turning Green Wood by Michael O'Donnell

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1861080891/qid=1117554997/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/102-3841093-2487333?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Quote from Amazon:
Editorial Reviews

Book Description

“Covers the process of turning fresh lumber straight from the log without previous processing... teach[es] the reader how to work with the wood and make use of its many characteristics and features. It explains how to harvest and store timber, make the best use of grain patterns and provides tips for planning a turning project....Offers step-by-step instructions for six projects.†â€"Woodshop News.
 
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