Bottlebrush Vase

[bruce119]

Well got hold of some Bottlebrush wood. Take a look at this link for the story.
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?p=1016392#post1016392

I just got the wood yesterday and turned a vase rite away. It turns great still has a lot of water in it so I got a little wet. Has great color now I got to wait for it to dry. I just started turning larger things after my time with Jimmy Clewes. I really like turning vases this is the typical shape I have taken too. It is probably about the 10th one I made. I only started turning things other than pens since my time with Jimmy Clewes a few weeks ago. My camera is on the fritz so these are best I can do.







thanks for looking

 

[Craftdiggity]

Bruce,

That looks great. Did you turn it to final size? If so, what are you doing to avoid checking as it dries?

Chris

 

[bruce119]

Bruce,

That looks great. Did you turn it to final size? If so, what are you doing to avoid checking as it dries?

Chris

Chris
I am not doing nothing in the class I took with Jimmy he turns them wet he says he even prefers the same day it was cut. I think the reason I have not have any problem I turn thin. I only had maybe 3 crack a Little and one crack up pretty bad but it was thick and I left a thick base it was Oak. From what I here Oak is prone to checking. Now it does deform and go a little oval but that to me is OK that is a natural process. My goal is to turn thin less than 1/8" I wet sand wile on the lathe with abernet. Heck it drys in about 2 weeks then I do a final sanding.

Works for me now there was some woods I am learning that don't work so well such as the Florida Cherry Laural. That checked up all over and looks like a droopy mushroom. But heck with a little black epoxy fill the cracks sand it up and you mite have an interesting artistic looking piece.

Thanks for the comments I will keep you informed hoe this piece drys. It looks like it is going to be OK I turn rite around the pith so it is even and should dry fairly straight.

thanks

 

[robutacion]

Hi Bruce,

Yes, you right, the Bottlebrush turns beautifully when green and the colours are just phenomenal BUT, the bloody thing cracks, twists and buckles like a crazy mule, as soon as it start drying...!:frown:
Interestingly, with the old (aged=bigger sizes wood, trunk, branches, etc...!) Bottlebrushes, the movement of its timber as its dries does depend considerably from what part of the tree/shrub/plant it was cut from, the closer you get from the base (butt/root) the worse, even tough the coloration and figure are normally more spectacular, I have found that the thinnest the branches the more stable the wood was while drying.

There are obviously different types of Bottlebrushes, mine was a cross between it and a Banksia, a lot of wood was wasted when I decided to cut pen blanks and other blanks out of the green wood (within a day of being cut/removed from the ground...!), most of those were unusable for their purpose, within a couple of months lucky me that I cast wood in resin, as those end-up being some of my most spectacular results in the resifills so far (all on eBay).

I got a cold chill when I saw the vase and read what was made of and when, I sincerely hope that you get better luck with your Bottlebrush species for doing green projects like that, I honestly do...!
I do also a lot of green turning an no doubt, is a experience on its own right, some timbers allow for successful results, including the pieces that are turned , knowing that the wood will move but not crack, resulting in some interesting shapes, to those that just stay straight(ish) allowing for finishing within a few months.

If you were in Australia ( I don't think this product is available in the US, nor I know a US substitute for it), I would suggest you to get ASAP some Fungishield from Feast Watson and soak that vase on it, a couple of times with a day in between, that is what I do to all my green turnings, regardless of wood type used, that has been my best "friend" for a long time, saving me a lot of pieces from becoming firewood...!:wink:

I would be looking forwards to hear from you, a little further a long the track, in regards to this piece...!

Cheers
George