Heres a challenge :)

[woodfarmer]

sorting through my haul of Yew I came across this piece... What would you do with it? or as chj would say, what wood yew do with it?

As you can see there are two crossed limbs growing through the main trunk. Part of me wants to think it will make something interesting, but the other part thinks it will all fly apart.

 

[CHJ]

If you have the facility to handle it 'as is' I'd suggest you have a go at "Cornucopia-esque" piece:-

You should certainly be able to match the 'Character Display'.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Or...lay it on its side (primary trunk grain parallel to chainsaw axis) and take 2 inch slices from top to bottom. That should give you about 3 shallow bowl blanks and some bits for knobs etc

 

[woodfarmer]

If you have the facility to handle it 'as is' I'd suggest you have a go at "Cornucopia-esque" piece:-

You should certainly be able to match the 'Character Display'.

Never thought to spindle turn it complete. That is why it is useful to ask for other peoples ideas. Just measured it roughly in the dark and it is about 37 cm across ( I hesitate to say diameter)
In theory I can turn something 40cm, but I would need to use a long tailstock end to make clearance for the banjo.

Is a sort of rustic Greek urn what you had in mind?

 

[CHJ]

Something between the pure form of the above and Pete's (Bodrighy) more Organic contributions came to vision, the various branches etc. should provide some spectacular figuring.

 

[Grahamshed]

All I know is that if that piece of wood was mine...... I would be here asking the same question you are. But I think I would be looking for ways to use it whole(isn)

 

[finneyb]

Two suggestions:

1. looking at photo 6 - the side to the left becomes the base of a natural edge bowl with holes.

2. keeping the base orientated as above power carve (arbotech) a 'bowl' it will allow you to keep the natural shape of the wood ie not round, and get the biggest bowl out of the piece. I did one in sycamore that was too big for my lathe at that time - about 18in across at the widest part. Yew would look better than sycamore.

Brian

 

[Mar_mite]

I'm new to wood turning, and it's probably been covered already. But how do you treat a log like that? Would you turn it into the rough shape then dry it out? How long? I'm interested because a tree fell down on the corner of my road during the winds, and the council left a load there after they cut it into logs. Looks just like the op's pictures.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

It depends entirely on whether you plan to turn a bowl type form (cross grain using a faceplate) or a spindle type form (between centres with the grain running along the axis of the lathe).

Cutting bowl blanks is generally a bit more tricky because you have to rip cut the log and then cut circles from the resultant slabs. The whole procedure can be done with a chainsaw. The circles would be more like octagons of course.

I'm going to do a project WIP on this before too long as I'm in the middle of converting all my recently wind down'd trunks also (into blanks that is).

With spindle blanks, if its a branch that's the right thickness all you might need is to cut it to length, if its from a thicker trunk then again you need to rip it with a chainsaw (or bandsaw if not too large a diameter). You rip to a thickness that when turned into a cylinder on the lathe would be appropriate for your project. For example I cut some apple yesterday ready for the priest project. It was a gnarly branch, quite thick. I cross cut it with the chainsaw about 2 inches over length then bandsaw'd it to a square (about 3" square). Then crosscut the two ends so they're at 90 deg to the length. Now that's ready to mount between centres, rough to a cylinder and turn the project.

With bowls...I take the ripped slab from the chainsaw, mark the circle on it to maximum diameter (I have multiple sizes of pre-cut hardboard circle templates in half inch ascending diameters). Once marked I cut it out on the bandsaw and then in all cases paint the end grain with an appropriate sealer. (I use slightly diluted pva). When marking the circle I place the template over the most interesting grain detail (burrry bits, crotch etc) in a manner that they will be best shown off in the final bowl.

 

[finneyb]

I'm new to wood turning, and it's probably been covered already. But how do you treat a log like that? Would you turn it into the rough shape then dry it out? How long? I'm interested because a tree fell down on the corner of my road during the winds, and the council left a load there after they cut it into logs. Looks just like the op's pictures.

Try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0t2iZrjuw8
Taking a bowl from a log

HTH

Brian

 

[woodfarmer]

I think it will fit between centres, All 27 kilos of it. So when I have complete the WIP's I have I will give it a go, it may need a bit of chainsaw surgery to get it to spin without fouling the bed..

God only Knows what I will do with this one illustrated here. When I started 2+ months ago I had this idea it would be cool to turn out monster impressive bowls. Truth is after 12-14 inches they start getting less useful or at least used less often. Last week I did my first ever spindle turned object. The good thing is the 1628 with the extension bed is very versatile so is still in there fulfilling everything I ask of it.

I am going to need a bigger chuck

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

That's a beauty Woody. If that were me I'd slab it longitudinally into 3" thickness planks with the chainsaw. I'd probably bowl blank most of those but keep one in the straight and slice it into say 3 spindle blanks for candlesticks or other stuff (fish priests

 

[woodfarmer]

That's a beauty Woody. If that were me I'd slab it longitudinally into 3" thickness planks with the chainsaw. I'd probably bowl blank most of those but keep one in the straight and slice it into say 3 spindle blanks for candlesticks or other stuff (fish priests

In fact it was the smallest round the guy had, there is another 7-9 meters from below it probably a meter in diameter. but just too heavy for us both to get any others into the trailer. Even better most were cut at about the same length as diameter. But I had no idea how big it was.

 

[woodturnerEric]

something like this,they hold together mostly,you just have to listen to it,when it starts making alot of noise,stop turning it,as its getting to the point of no return,



hope this worked,cheers,

Eric.

 

[woodturnerEric]

nope sorry didn`t work

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

That's a beauty Woody. If that were me I'd slab it longitudinally into 3" thickness planks with the chainsaw. I'd probably bowl blank most of those but keep one in the straight and slice it into say 3 spindle blanks for candlesticks or other stuff (fish priests

In fact it was the smallest round the guy had, there is another 7-9 meters from below it probably a meter in diameter. but just too heavy for us both to get any others into the trailer. Even better most were cut at about the same length as diameter. But I had no idea how big it was.

What a shame Woody! Could you not have ripped them with a chainsaw before loading into your trailer? I recall you saying they were 200miles away?? If so I guess you cant easily go back?

 

[Bodrighy]

U would be inclined to rough it into a round and then turn into the grain as opposed the end of it. If you go slowly and take care you can get some spectacular graining where the limbs meet, especially in yew with the heart and sap wood coming in from different directions. My own way is to do that then see what I have got before deciding what it is eventually going to be.

Pete

 

[woodfarmer]

That's a beauty Woody. If that were me I'd slab it longitudinally into 3" thickness planks with the chainsaw. I'd probably bowl blank most of those but keep one in the straight and slice it into say 3 spindle blanks for candlesticks or other stuff (fish priests

In fact it was the smallest round the guy had, there is another 7-9 meters from below it probably a meter in diameter. but just too heavy for us both to get any others into the trailer. Even better most were cut at about the same length as diameter. But I had no idea how big it was.

What a shame Woody! Could you not have ripped them with a chainsaw before loading into your trailer? I recall you saying they were 200miles away?? If so I guess you cant easily go back?

The guy had cut it into rounds, but when he did this it was lying on the ground and probably weighs well over a ton. He couldn't cut all the way through except for the top piece I had which fortunately was sticking up enough for him to saw all the way through. He has been trying with ropes and pulleys to roll the log over so he can separate the rounds.but it is 7 metres or so long by a metre thick at the bottom. He just wants rid of it as it is in the way in his garden. If my tractor was road legal I would seriously think of going back ( 100 miles each way) It would be quite possible to turn metre round yew table tops from it.

 

[woodfarmer]

U would be inclined to rough it into a round and then turn into the grain as opposed the end of it. If you go slowly and take care you can get some spectacular graining where the limbs meet, especially in yew with the heart and sap wood coming in from different directions. My own way is to do that then see what I have got before deciding what it is eventually going to be.

Pete

That first piece in the original post I intend to try that. Think if I put a thin plank on the bed, rest the log on it and push the centres into the ends, remove the plank and see if I can spin it. May need to J J J J jiggle it a bit with wedges.