Hard Rock Maple

[Gary Max]

Just got this started today and we are headed to a show over the weekend so it will have to wait.
This is a block of Hard Rock Maple I got yesterday---one side has some burl in it.
Here's the easy way to get a 300lb plus blank on the lathe.:smile-big:

 

[rjwolfe3]

Wow that's some piece of wood.

 

[Fred]

Very respectable piece of wood. Hope you can get it rounded and balanced safely. Be sure to pose finished pictures of whatever it turns out ot be.

 

[taandctran]

Wont that log crack on the ends???

 

[Gary Max]

Nope---I turn several of these a year.

 

[keithlong]

Nice chunk of wood there. I hope that you have some very sharp chisiels. It is called hard rock maple for a reason. Several years ago I ran upon a good deal on some hard rock maple that was kiln dried and the man that sold it me had a sawmill and he personally hand picked out each board. I bought 700 board feet of it and it was all clear, no knots or blemishes in it at all. I made small card tables for my neices and nephews with benches to match. They all still have them. That was 20 years ago.

 

[Gary Max]

There's a little trick to this story. It's early spring and this was cut three days ago.
You could wear a rain coat while turning it----wish my face sheild had wiper blades.
To give you some ideal of how nice this is to turn----I am making curls a foot long.