Large green chunk of Gum...!

[robutacion]

Hi peoples,

Last Thursday (2-6-11) at my auto-mechanic property, once again we done a little more of tree work maintenance, and removing some trees the thin the place up a bit.

One of the trees that had to come down, as an old "Stringy-bark Gum" well known for their pockets of liquid red/sticky and messy sap/resin, looking like thick blood. This sap/resin crystallizes with time and is quite nice when it does but, a nasty thing for chainsaws and any other cutting tools, when in liquid form...!

The mechanic normally keeps all the wood for firewood, I only take home burls and/or anything else I may want for my turnings, something a little different here and there...! This time I decide to keep the last 3' of the trees trunk/butt, and cut it up in half logs to mark/cut some large bowl blanks out of them.

Not that I needed them but, I just felt like doing some serious green wood rough turning, and give a run on some of my "magnum" gouges...!:biggrin:
Got the 4 discs cut yesterday, all with the chainsaw and my faithful "steel harms helper" which is my invention...!:wink:

Got this one half log that was deep but had an form/shape that would require a out of normal bowl shape so, I decided, that one would be my first of the group...!

Quite heavy but I got it mounted in the lathe this evening and while there, I decided to give it a spin and get some shavings flying, more for balancing than anything else but, after a little while I started to work on the shape to address the indentation the log had, on one side more districting than on the other towards the bowls' mouth...!

Was time for dinner so I left, for a later run, or tomorrow...!:wink:
Just before I was finishing for the evening, I decided to give it one more pass on the outside and all of a certain, was red sticky sap/resin coming out 100 miles an hour so, by the time I switched the lathe off, my glasses, face, ceiling, walls and anything in the spinning pass, got sprinkled with this sticky stuff.

I couldn't be fast enough to fill the sap pocket with sawdust and CA + accelerator, shoved in there quick smart. Cleaned the place up a bit and then took the pics, I should have taken them, after I stopped the lathe but, I was more interested in stop that sap stuff to get everywhere than anything else. I'm not sure how big/deep this resin/sap pocket is, that I will find out when I start to hollow the inside, even tough as a green rough turned piece, I will leave about 1" thickness all over, and then soak it with the wood stabilizer "Fungishield", 2 coats of it and let it dry for a few months...!

I keep doing this every so often so, I have a considerable number of rough turned blanks waiting to be finished, some as old as 5 years...!:biggrin:

One day, one day...!

The good thing about this is that, when I need to have one finished as a present/gift or even sale, I will get it finished in no time (couple of hours max.):biggrin:

So here it is...!

Cheers
George

 

[Drstrangefart]

That's gonna make some impressive bowls. I gotta start hanging out with your mechanic....

 

[rizaydog]

Me too. Looks good.

 

[robutacion]

Are you guys sure...???

Have you forgotten the "nasty's" out there...???

Has not been a single time that we went to this place to work on his trees that, we have not been bitten or affect with some nasty stuff that we can't work out what it is...!

Killer ants, snakes, spiders, bees, wasps, and many other creatures that I don't even know what to call them, I have certainly had my fair share of scars from this place and my poor wife, she gets an allergy that makes her sick for days and that require lots of medication to clear. (pics attached)

I get some of that but not as bad as her, in fact, we thought that was some sort of bite so this time she was wearing a one piece heavy duty disposal overalls and to protect her face, he had a proper mosquito net that is used all the time up in the NT, due to sand-flies and biting mosquitoes. This is a very tight net that has a shape of a sac, goes over your head and drops down to the chest, using a tying cord to keep it close to the body...!

Within the first hour of being handling some of the Gums (Eucalyptus) species he got there, she came to me, screaming that her neck was on fire...!
We carry strong Antihistamine tablets and some white vinegar with us, every time we go bush, as those are the 2 most helpful things you can have with you, unless what bites you is something that, will kill you withing 30 minutes or less, unless you can have some life saving assistance in that time...!

So, and as much as we prepared ourselves for another possible, tree work from hell, I got some localized bites from things that I didn't see nor I'm that keen in seeing but the wife Merissa, she show an allergy to something that lives in those trees/soil or something.

The pic shown are from her main affected area after she complained about it, could not possibly be any sort of bite but a simple allergy. Vinegar did help considerably to relive the heat and itchiness of the areas and 2 Phenargan tablets that she took immediately as an "attack dose"...!

I took samples of the soil and some branches from each of the trees we were working with and kept them in clean bags requesting some Lab test when she would see the doctor on the following Monday (last). It will take a while before we know any results and the bill that will run into many hundreds but, we hope that they find what is causing the problem, at least, for her sake as we have a lot of work in there still, as we only can do a little at the time...!

You may ask, why are you keep going there, right...??? I may never give you an answer that will satisfy you or that would make much sense but, we get these sort of problems pretty much everywhere we go around here, if not there, it will happen elsewhere, maybe not as extreme, we may never know but, one thing we know is that, the wood species and treasures we have managed so far to get out of there, have been priceless...!

Once someone told me, "If you want the catch a fish, you have to get your feet wet...!"

While I take as much care as I possible can to save the wife and I of unnecessary pain and suffering, we both know that, there is a price to pay for what we do and while we can keep ourselves alive, we are doing just fine...!:wink:

Nevertheless, I welcome anyone that wants to meet my auto-mechanic and get some wood out of his property, or any other place we go around here...!:wink::biggrin:

So, are you still that keen...???

Oh...! I have I told you about another new species to us that we got from there last Friday, just before we finished for awhile. I got them all cut and 2 samples finished, in fact, I just went downstairs running after I saw a little bit of sunshine after 2 days of rain and dark sky's, as I wanted to take pics of those samples in the sun light but, by the time I grabbed the 2 samples and got the camera ready, the rainbow was gone and the rain was back...!

I decide to take the pics under cover, anyway so that I can show these blanks to my IAP friends. The wood is from an old f...................!!!! to be continued in a new thread, soon...!:biggrin: sorry...!

PS: The last 2 pics are from the red resin/sap that I mention on my opening post. It does look like blood on colours but has a thicker consistency than blood, similar to AE 30 oil...! what you see is after I got covered with from head to toe as I was right in its pass, what you see is when I moved left to turn the switch off...!

Cheers
George

 

[markgum]

WOW to many "nasty's" could deter me. However, the wood looks amazing and I would be out there collecting. Hope your wife recover's and becareful out there.

 

[robutacion]

Hi everyone,

Just an update on the bowl #1, he is now done (rough turned, only) and soaked with a couple of coats of the wood stabilizer, Fungishield.

Is staying in the lathe overnight as I wasn't going to do any more for today so, tomorrow I get it out and put in in one of my drying racks for a few months (3 to 6), I will them re-mount it and give it the final shape and thickness that will be 1/3 of what is now at 1" approx.

The pocket of liquid red resin, can be seen on the inside of the bowl and fortunately for me, when it started trowing the resin around/about, the hand full of sawdust and the bottle of think CA, poured into the hole in a very "generous" quantity followed by a few squirts of accelerator, seem to have clogged the hole and made everything inside solid/hard so today, while hollowing, the stuff was solid, no liquid flying around...!:biggrin:

Oh well, 1 down, 3 more to go...! slowly, off-course...!:wink:

PS: The first pic is from my normal "coring" using an extended partition gouge to save me some time...! (sometimes those little center pieces are used).

Cheers
George

 

[bitshird]

George, you have made my day, Finally I se a shop that resembles mine, I still maintain that a clean shop is one that isn't used enough, The bowl is pretty nice and I do hope your wife get's over that nasty stuff. Sometimes I wonder if God intended for humans to live on the Australian Continent, or if it was more like his personal experiment lab. It's hard to imagine all of the deadly things down under, but I'd still like to see it, I might be weird enough to fit right in!!

 

[David Keller]

Neat looking roughout, George! Glad to see you're logging a little lathe time.

 

[robutacion]

Thanks guys, the wife is much better now, until the next time...!

That lathe room gets a work out, for sure. Is always something on it, big or small, and the floor gets pretty "thick" with shavings all the time.

Not so bad in our days but, once upon-a-time, not that far back, I was going through of 1 tone of logs (at least) every week...! It was just madness, not only green wood but dry also, I would literally bury myself in shavings...!:biggrin:

The funny thing was that, I would get so focused on the turning the wood I had on the lathe that I would forget that I was slowly getting higher and higher, until I would hit my head on the roof...! No, no, no, my nose is not getting longer, nor I'm pulling anyone's leg, the roof of that little shed is about 7" or 8" above my head, (yes, is very low), in winter doesn't bother me but in summer, I can't do any work there until late afternoon...! (some pics show how low it is...!)

I still have dozens and dozens of rough turned bowls that never got finished, some as old as 5 years so, if anything else, they should be pretty dry, huh...???:biggrin:

Most of these rough turned bowls, treated the way I do, and put to dry in a dark and well ventilated place, get ready to finish under 6 months, some within 3 months of being rough turned. This beats the waiting for the log to dry (about 5 years, at least) or the half log (about 3 years, or so...!).:wink:

For those that like to create "strange looking pieces" nothing beats the turning green (as green and wet as possible), particularly certain woods, turn it very thin and finish the wood surface right then, take it out of the lathe and put it away for awhile. You want believe what you will find, some time later...!:wink::biggrin:

So what, some of the best known pieces of "ART" were done this way...!:biggrin:

Lets get shaving, folks...!:wink:

Cheers
George

 

[robutacion]

Yeah David, I was missing the "big" stuff...!:biggrin:

Today I've decided to use a couple of slabs that I cut off from the logs I've been working on, the tree was not round and some of the half logs were too deep so I cut a slice out. One slice is too thin but the other 2 which I was going to make firewood with, all of a certain started to look at me as if they wanted to become something else so, I got them round, made a platter out of one and a medium shallow(ish) bowl out of the other, both treated with the wood stabilizer and ready for the drying rack...!

I got left 3 blanks the same diameter as the first one but not as deep, about 5" or so, they will be next...!:wink:

I'm certainly taking the cobwebs out of my magnum gouges, they are getting a workout, no doubt...! I'm not touching any of the carbide tipped stuff, the wood is just to easy to turn with non-tipped tools...!:wink::biggrin:

Cheers
George

 

[robutacion]

The last of the logs...!

Well, I've got them all done (6) pieces...!:wink:

Another coat of stabilizer on the last 3 I've made today and, they all can be put away for a few months to dry...!

That's it for now of big, green turnings and magnum gouges, I got my FIX of it so, I can next think of other stuff...!:wink:

I have also remembered that I, (my wife) have taken some pics of some of the work we were doing last at my mechanics property so, I' showing you a pic (not a close shot unfortunately) of this tree, just before I started dismantling it. I edited it to mark the area of the trunk that we got home and made these bowls/pieces from...!

Well, one job done, another 999 to go...!:frown:

Cheers
George

 

[Rick_G]

George you picked up some great looking wood there. Going to make some nice looking bowls when you get time to finish them. I guess that's the trade off you get some really nice wood but nature makes you pay dearly for every piece. I know if I got a reaction like your wife did every time I went there I think I would just stay home. Hope she's better.

 

[robutacion]

George you picked up some great looking wood there. Going to make some nice looking bowls when you get time to finish them. I guess that's the trade off you get some really nice wood but nature makes you pay dearly for every piece. I know if I got a reaction like your wife did every time I went there I think I would just stay home. Hope she's better.

Thanks Rick,

Yes, there is a price to pay for everything we do in life, at least with the woods, we can always make good use of them...!:wink:

I have absolutely no idea what or where these recent bowls will endup, when I get to finish them (maybe a long, long time from now...!), the most probable place will be to the house, as the wife have eye-balled a couple of these already and with the large collection of bowls and all wood turned things she has every where in the house.

I'm not wasting my time anymore, putting some of these turned items in stores or similar for sale, is just not worth it so, when someone visits and see something they like, (and if they ask...!) they can have it for a little cash or in many situations, completely free of charge, (gift type thing...!:wink Oh..., I do a lot of "these"...!:biggrin:

The wife, she just got off the antibiotics today so, she has it all almost gone for now...! but we have to go back soon again as we have still plenty to do and we have until August to get all the branches (rubbish) burnt, withing the burning season we have once a year, permits are required...!

We started nearly 2 years ago, and we are 2/3 done (approx.), doing 1 or 2 days every few months, is all we can do for him, only when gets about this time of the year we try to do a few extra days to get the most we can done and get burnt, instead of staying in a pile for months and months...!

The amount of problems we both have had since we started cleaning the place up, make us certainly hope that, this is all done soon. However, we have been discovering the "treasures" as we go and that is something that we don't want to end...!:frown: obviously..., huh...???:wink:

It comes downs to that old saying I keep referring to..., "you won't catch a fish, unless you get your feet wet...!:biggrin:

So, and while all the "tragedies" happen, you all can just seat there, sound and safe and we will bring the goodies "treasures" to you, risk free. How's that for a deal...!:wink:

PS: Attached is a pic of the whole 6 pieces just before I put them away to dry...!

Cheers
George

 

[David Keller]

Nice looking rough outs, George, but it's those shelves behind the turnings that got my mouth watering... Looks like a treasure chest for turners!

 

[robutacion]

Nice looking rough outs, George, but it's those shelves behind the turnings that got my mouth watering... Looks like a treasure chest for turners!

Yes indeed David, that has been called "George's Lolly Shop", something that those visiting me get their eyes out of their sockets, and the drooling...! just amazing...!:biggrin:

That little shed is full to the ceiling, all around, some of my best treasures are in it. This one is the No. 1 ready to go blanks of all kinds, then is shed No.2 with hundreds of round blanks drying, some have been there for 5 years, I forgot what I've got there, seriously...!:redface:

Then, we have shed No.3 where most of the 10.000 pen blanks are stored in trays of 200 per tray. Well, I have now 50 timber species, all are cut in straight cut, 80% of then are also cut in diagonal and cross so, that makes nearly triple of the 50 species that have to be organized in separated trays, all have to be accessible at any time so, it takes some space, huh...???

I have wood in the lathe shed, in the main tools shed, under the house, in the back yard under some plastic cover, in the house (not in the bedroom, tough...!) and in the open paddock that has been mowed and cleaned recently waiting for a 30 tone truck and trailer loaded with big Casuarinas, Red Gum, and some other stuff we cut on a farm nearby...!

My wood turning uses a bit, not as much as before, all blanks sales takes another portion and my firewood burner, eats about 4 cubic meters of it every year so, I need to be ahead for various reasons, one that will compromise my ability to gather woods, in the first place...!:frown:

So, if by now I haven't made you drool, you just need to see it yourself and my house/sheds will welcome you and anyone that wants to visit...!:biggrin:

On the other hand, you can just seat there, not leaving your comfort zone nor getting bitten up the a$$, and I will get whatever you want, to you, not a bad deal, huh...??? if wasn't for the damn shipping costs, huh...???

Would you like a 3D view of that lolly-shop...???:wink::biggrin:

Cheers
George

 

[David Keller]

Would you like a 3D view of that lolly-shop...

Yes, please!

 

[Rick_G]

Would you like a 3D view of that lolly-shop...???:wink::biggrin:

Cheers
George

I'm not sure I might drown in my own drool. :biggrin: Oh go ahead I'll take the chance.

 

[markgum]

Beautiful looking work. When I get rich; I'll have to make a visit and pick up some wood.