Reclaiming some stunning heavily spalted birch burl.
- Thread starter Rick P
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Rick P
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Had a couple of scary moments when instead of snapping cleanly it folded over like a noodle. Bit of rope work and some creative saw work had it down quick. The side tree stump in the fore ground is about 12 inches in diameter. I used it as a platform for cutting the main trunk.
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Rick P
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Rick P
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This is my 4 year old son Gunther, he is 4'3" tall. In this pic he is standing with the first 4 sections of the bigger burl. There is still about 4 feet of burl on the ground and I have not reached it's widest point. These sections are much wider than tall and the last one would easily make a nice coffee table.
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Rick P
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Rick P
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Rick P
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Rick P
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KBs Pensnmore
Member
Very nice haul, I'm sure there are some beautiful pens in there somewhere?????????
Kryn
Kryn
Rick, that is an awsome haul. Did you ever get all your blanks stabilized from this post http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=84266?
With the birch you have from this post http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=82564 you must have the most envied wood stash in Alaska!
Rick P
Member
Derek
A lot of it is cut and stabilized, got some great blanks out of it! I have to be sure I have enough to keep me in blanks for the winter.......
I don't know about the "most envied wood stash in Alaska" but I have a bunch of great wood drying. This one is really special! Spalted stuff can be very soft, this is in great shape.
Best part is there are 2 more trees like this one to come out yet! I'll have to wait till there is snow on the ground so I can use a sled to haul it out but it's waiting for me to cut.
A lot of it is cut and stabilized, got some great blanks out of it! I have to be sure I have enough to keep me in blanks for the winter.......
I don't know about the "most envied wood stash in Alaska" but I have a bunch of great wood drying. This one is really special! Spalted stuff can be very soft, this is in great shape.
Best part is there are 2 more trees like this one to come out yet! I'll have to wait till there is snow on the ground so I can use a sled to haul it out but it's waiting for me to cut.
Rick P
Member
Both his mother and I are over 6 foot tall and I am the runt in my family, he'll be 5 November 2nd.........but yes he is about the size of a average 7 year old. Heck of an outdoorsman and a great help to me hualing out wood, gear, moose meat, etc.
Rick P
Member
robutacion
Member
Is that a "snapped" tree that your wife is under...???
And, I can't see no snare either, but your wife I can see, and she is a nice looking lady, congrats...!:wink:
I always wonder how I would do in those sort of conditions/weather, funny that some of my most memorable dreams as a young boy, were from a place in a forest, a wooden cabin and white all around...!
I hated the cold for most of my life, in fact the hotter the conditions the better I would work and I've experienced 50°C in the desert, many times for weeks on end. Since I retired from paid work and a full time job at 46, my body has been trough a few transformations and all of a certain, I don't do to well in hot weather any more, I started to enjoy the cool evenings and nights, and winters, don't seem to bother me much.
Obviously, I'm not living in the same area as I worked, I'm now in a more moderate area with 4 seasons and temperatures identical to most mediterranian places. Temps vary from 0° to 45°C in extreme situations since I've been here but, the average temps are about 15° to 25°C and that is just nice for me now...!
I still wonder I would do, in such places like yours, tough...!
Cheers
George
Is that a "snapped" tree that your wife is under...???
And, I can't see no snare either, but your wife I can see, and she is a nice looking lady, congrats...!:wink:
I always wonder how I would do in those sort of conditions/weather, funny that some of my most memorable dreams as a young boy, were from a place in a forest, a wooden cabin and white all around...!
I hated the cold for most of my life, in fact the hotter the conditions the better I would work and I've experienced 50°C in the desert, many times for weeks on end. Since I retired from paid work and a full time job at 46, my body has been trough a few transformations and all of a certain, I don't do to well in hot weather any more, I started to enjoy the cool evenings and nights, and winters, don't seem to bother me much.
Obviously, I'm not living in the same area as I worked, I'm now in a more moderate area with 4 seasons and temperatures identical to most mediterranian places. Temps vary from 0° to 45°C in extreme situations since I've been here but, the average temps are about 15° to 25°C and that is just nice for me now...!
I still wonder I would do, in such places like yours, tough...!
Cheers
George
I went through Adelaide a few years ago, and you have nothing to complain about! :tongue:
Old Lar
Member
That is some very nice birch.
It was very neighborly of you to take that terrible rotting tree out for them.
It was very neighborly of you to take that terrible rotting tree out for them.
tjseagrove
Member
I swear I saw a PITH pen in dat der wood....
Let us know when some of that nice stuff is available for delivery.
Tom
Let us know when some of that nice stuff is available for delivery.
Tom
Rick P
Member
Old Lar
That's exactly how all the folks I have gotten wood from see it! Thank goodness he hauled off the nasty old stump. Sure am glad the crazy man wanted that nasty rotten tree, it might have fallen on something and the view is so much better. The guy who I am currently working with has been to my house and seen the turning catalogs, he knows what I charge for my pens...........I have a totally clear conscious.
That's exactly how all the folks I have gotten wood from see it! Thank goodness he hauled off the nasty old stump. Sure am glad the crazy man wanted that nasty rotten tree, it might have fallen on something and the view is so much better. The guy who I am currently working with has been to my house and seen the turning catalogs, he knows what I charge for my pens...........I have a totally clear conscious.
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Rick P
Member
George
Ironic, as a young man I always wondered how I would do in a desert climate. Luck has smiled broadly on me and I got to do a lot of traveling with my wife before we settled here. I got my chance at a desert........it kicked my ass! Like living in a food dehydrator! And we timed our visit for winter!
The only way you will know how the cold will treat you is to come visit, a friend from California is headed up this february to see for herself what -35 is like. Travel is really good for you, our door is open if you ever want to face the challenge of deep cold.........might want to prep a bit. Ask your local butcher if you can sit in the deep freeze. Start with a few minutes then add more time as you get used to it. :wink:
PS your right Tracy is very attractive, even hauling wood or the 10th day of moose camp she gets a bit better looking to me each day.......which is exactly why monolith didn't get more than a look at her face!
Ironic, as a young man I always wondered how I would do in a desert climate. Luck has smiled broadly on me and I got to do a lot of traveling with my wife before we settled here. I got my chance at a desert........it kicked my ass! Like living in a food dehydrator! And we timed our visit for winter!
The only way you will know how the cold will treat you is to come visit, a friend from California is headed up this february to see for herself what -35 is like. Travel is really good for you, our door is open if you ever want to face the challenge of deep cold.........might want to prep a bit. Ask your local butcher if you can sit in the deep freeze. Start with a few minutes then add more time as you get used to it. :wink:
PS your right Tracy is very attractive, even hauling wood or the 10th day of moose camp she gets a bit better looking to me each day.......which is exactly why monolith didn't get more than a look at her face!
Rick P
Member
I swear I saw a PITH pen in dat der wood....
Let us know when some of that nice stuff is available for delivery.
Tom
Tom
My Pith pen was from a black spruce root I got from an old burn about 4 hours drive East by North East of Fairbanks, bit north of Chicken Alaska and spittin distance form the Canadian boarder. It had some really good figuring but totally different material.
I think this is the valley it came out of, Right road anyway. This is definately me and the boy with the actual stump.......customers who are buying my stuff because of the "Alaska factor" Love that I have pics of there tree, the story behind it and a location they can look up on a map!
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Rick P
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ctubbs
Member
Rick, that is some mighty fine timber there. You are one lucky man. Like myself, your child took after his mother.:wink::biggrin: No offense meant.
Charles
Charles
Rick P
Member
Yes I am and he did Charles..........I only hope he takes after her in his behavior as well. I greatly fear he will be just like dear old Dad in that respect.