Timber playing "cameleon" with me...!

[robutacion]

Hi everyone,

This is one of those times where, every time I go to do something with this timber, it changed from the time before. I mean changing, in relation to timber colouration, and texture, not counting the softness...! I'm referring to the Bottle Brush "large" timber pieces that I collected from my neighbors yard. It was been reported/posted since it was cut, with portions being also cut and processed as pen blanks since the beginning, with interesting changes in behavior (mind on is own!) and appearance. This is the third time I'm working with pieces from those 2 trees, this time the timber is a lot dryer changing most of its cell structure, and start looking very much like some of the Swiss cheeses!
In fact, it start looking like a "burl"(ish) type timber!
The reds are brighter and the blue(ish)/green(ish) "stain" that wasn't there when I cut it, are getting also darker and more predominant through out! These type natural stain has been demonstrated on my previous post about this timber, where I asked what was it? something that looked very much like snake skin but, it was indeed one of the first pen blanks cut from this timber, after some twisting, drying and staining (age/time!).
Today when I decide to prepare some more pen blanks out of the blocks of this Bottle Brush timber, I also decide to cut them oversize (1" square x 5.5" long) counting on the twist and curling, so that later on (when totally dry) I have enough have "meat" to square them again, if needed.
I will continue tomorrow, and hopefully I end-up with a reasonable "bundle" of blanks (couple of hundred, or so...!) all rapped around with blue rapping tape and some timber spacers in between to help with the drying process. There are lots of half size blanks that I will process the same way for sierras (similar one piece pens) and/or 2 halves, on longer one shorter to complete a 2 part pen. I have also notice this time (different cutting process), that most of the off-cuts or very short pieces are absolutely perfect for making the worthless wood blanks, or should I say, bits of timber casted in coloured resins...!, that many other and now myself are getting involved with, or at the very least, having a go at it...!, but this is another story that I will tell very soon, in the casting section of this forum!

The purpose of this post, is fundamentally to share my findings and surprises with you all, within this "strange" but stunning timber of mine, you be your own judge please...!

Because we can advertise our products here, thanks to our forum sponsors and administration, there is no doubt that these blanks are available and for sale, as is, if you want, or the "snake like blanks" I shown a few weeks back, those are twisted(ish) by perfectly workable into any kind of pen, and they are dry, while these last ones, aren't too bad but will need a little more of "resting":wink: Remember this lot has been cut at 1" square x 5.5" long, so if they move, still have plenty of wood to work with. I also believe that some of these blanks, mainly those cut in cross cut, will probably need some hardening, I wouldn't be surprise that this lot of today will need that sort of stabilization regardless how they were cut. My suspicion can be a little premature at this time, with the hardening need but, my gut feeling is telling me, yes they are beautiful but fragile...!:frown: nothing major tough!

Let me know what you think.

Cheers
George

 

[leehljp]

George,

That story of color changes reminds me of Holly, most of which is beautiful white or off white. If cut in the spring or summer, the sap will "mildew" of sorts and cause the wood to turn gray in spots and sections. Generally, for the want of all white blanks, this is not good, but in the case of burls - can be a big plus.

Kiln drying usually prevents the graying; so does cutting in the late fall or winter. Not all wood species are subject to this. Air drying enhances the graying, greening etc.

As to changing colors, I have a hutch that I made for LOML from pine. The doors are rail and stile. The rails and stiles were cut from the same boards but the fact that the rail and stiles are perpendicular to each other cause the light to be reflected differently. As a result, the rails look like they were lightly stained while the the stiles look like they were double stained.


That sure is some great colored nice wood that you have there!

 

[robutacion]

Hi everyone,

The process of slicing and dicing these 2 Bottle brushes, is far from over, well they were big to start with and second, I'm working on low gear, with a lot ot stoppages for "refueling"...!
I'm "attacking", as I can, the large blocks I have cut from the largest part of the trees trunks (base), cutting them into oversize pen blanks (1" square x 5.5" long) counting for all the timber movement as it dries!
This process involve the quick rapping of the cut blanks into bunches that will allow the blue plastic packing strap to be use securely. This is important, so that the blanks don't get to twisted and/or buckled in the mean time, so I try to cut only what I can rap in the same day. This wood is soft and amazingly light after dry, I've already notice a great difference the weight of the blanks, as I'm cutting them in the bandsaw (timber already drying since was cut a few months ago), with the individual weigh of one blank of about 80gr (1"squarex5.5" long), coming out of the bandsaw and the weight of 50gr only a few days later, I will expect the weight to drop considerably more until is totally dry!
I'm also starting to cut a log that is not part of the trunk but a medium size branch (9") into pen blanks, also bigger than normal, trying to make similar blanks as those very first ones that I cut the day after the trees come down. They have a different grain pattern (being from the branch) same of the blank used on the "what is it?" thread of mine. The staining process is indeed very advanced on both lots of wood, with the greens being the most prevalent colour, and in this case, it seems to enhance the timber grain formation.
I have also to try to have this wood Bottle Brush) all processed before the hot summer days hit us, otherwise is going to be a nightmare...!

Some bunches down, a few more to go...!:biggrin:

Cheers
George