Wow! I count 20!
Wow! I count 20!
Plus bits for more on the right. He's a busy bee!Wow! I count 20!
Lovely stuff. I'm a big sucker for spalted wood. Question: Do you stabilize it with something? Epoxy maybe? CA?The beginnings of a new uke project resawn from a large spalted Silver Maple tree I found cut up and dumped in a ravine along an old farm road not far from my home. I was able to cut and retrieve several nice log segments, which have yielded numerous wood projects, including the large dough bowl shown in the image. There were several even larger pieces of the tree in the ravine, but they were situated in such a way that I felt trying to retrieve more wood could pose a severe risk to my well being, so I left them for nature to take its course.
I do stabilize spalted wood when I'm using it to make a pen. Even then I've had a spalted pen blank blow up on the lathe. I have been debating whether this wood needs extra stiffening. It carved easily without any tear-out when I was making the big dough bowl. It also sands much nicer than any other spalted wood I've worked. I took a thin piece of the wood and applied a couple coats of shellac. The piece seemed to be stiffer when the shellac cured. That's promising, as I almost always use shellac as a base coat for any finish.Lovely stuff. I'm a big sucker for spalted wood. Question: Do you stabilize it with something? Epoxy maybe? CA?
If it were me I would give that Uke a good soaking in thin ÇA. Beautiful wood.I do stabilize spalted wood when I'm using it to make a pen. Even then I've had a spalted pen blank blow up on the lathe. I have been debating whether this wood needs extra stiffening. It carved easily without any tear-out when I was making the big dough bowl. It also sands much nicer than any other spalted wood I've worked. I took a thin piece of the wood and applied a couple coats of shellac. The piece seemed to be stiffer when the shellac cured. That's promising, as I almost always use shellac as a base coat for any finish.
Would that be before bending the sides or after ? Michael.If it were me I would give that Uke a good soaking in thin ÇA. Beautiful wood.
I have been considering applying Z-poxy thinned with acetone once the body is fully built and sanded. That would also help seal the bindings. I don't want to apply anything before the box is closed.If it were me I would give that Uke a good soaking in thin ÇA. Beautiful wood.
You might get the dreaded bad springback which I hate. When it is bad, I re-wet and re-heat in the mold and let it sit there another day or so.. The first side is now securely clamped in my mold for the next 24 hours.
That's a good question Ken. I would do it after if that wood would bend well. I have been unable to bend some spalted wood. Haven't tried CA first but maybe that is the fix.Would that be before bending the sides or after ? Michael.
Looking ok from here ....what thickness are the sides ?Yep, definitely the most difficult to bend wood that I've worked. But side 2 is cooling in the mold and there has been no springback from side 1. Now for the blocks, and I need to make some more reverse kerf linings.
View attachment 155099
About 2.3mm. I know that also made the bending more difficult, but being spalted wood, I wanted to give myself a bit more thickness in the sides,Looking ok from here ....what thickness are the sides ?
Oh! that is a thick for me ... just did a mahogany batch of 4 sets yesterday at 1.58mm with no problems.About 2.3mm. I know that also made the bending more difficult, but being spalted wood, I wanted to give myself a bit more thickness in the sides,