How to Divide Bradford Pear Stump?

[Bob Loyd]

Now that I have this monstor bradford pear stump in my shop, how do I begin cutting it up. It's the stump crotch of an old bradford pear. It's irregularly shaped but about 30" in diameter by 24" tall.

Thanks for your recommendations.
Stump 2.jpg

[Steve Schlumpf]

Bob - a lot has to do with what it is you want to turn. First thing I noticed was the bark inclusions. Watch out for that as things can come apart while turning! Only other thing is to cut or turn out the pith areas on each piece to reduce the chance of checking.

Good luck with it! Looking forward to seeing what you turn out of it!

[alex carey]

That is a difficult question to answer. There are a million different ways to cut it up, all depending on what you like to turn. If it were me, I would try and get as big of blanks as possible only because getting a big find like this is usually hard. Getting smaller wood is always easier.

Good luck and nice gloat.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Hi Bob
You are only giving a 1 dimensional view, so I'll go by that. (don't know your lathes limit)
The #1 circle would give you some nice figure in that piece, #2 gives you an indication of probably bark inclusion, but hard to tell the extend of it, so I would cut the whole side over the piths and have a look, that way you might be able to go to a larger size like is shown with the #3 circle

Anyway nice score, hope to see a finished piece made out of it, good luck

There are probably other options, but one would have to be able to have an actual look at the piece from all angles :-0

[Travis R. Nelson]

"I" think that you should quickly bag that blank and get it on the next UPS truck headed for Nebraska where, upon arrival, we can "properly dispose" of that dangerous and defective blank...
Seriuosly though, I would split it about an inch off the center line of the crotch, which should give you enough room to rough out a nice piece with the "feather" running vertically through it. Very nice blank....

[Mike Peace]

I second Steve's concern about the bark inclusions. I love Bradford Pear but where you have a crotch, the bark inclusions can go very deep. I think that is one of the reasons they are always losing a big branch in a storm. I would not be optimistic about successfully cutting a platter blank to take advantage of the grain action around the crotch.

[Dean Thomas]

Bob,

Leo's right. It's really hard with only this one angle. If I'm seeing what I'm thinking I'm seeing, it looks like there could be as many as six branches coming out of that one hunk of trunk. Usually, the best figure comes from where two branches split--think "true" crotch and split that true crotch kind of like Travis said, an inch outside of any pith. If you had a simple, two-limbed crotch, you'd thus end up with 3 pieces of wood, all Y-shaped, but with one containing the vast majority of all the pith from main stem and both branches. That middle chunk can provide 2" thick pieces that are also away from the pith, but your turning pieces would be the other two Y-shaped chunks for great feathers.

Now, with the multiple stems coming out, you should have a TON of figure, all you have to do is avoid the pith or get ready to repair a lot of stuff as it cracks. I think this one is going to tax your brain as you try to figure out ways to avoid as much pith as possible and still get great blanks out.

Keep us posted. So to speak.

[Bob Loyd]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I guess the platter idea is not realistic.

In inspecting the trunk, I found 2 nails and one screw (which had to be drilled out). That leaves me wondering what's there that I didn't find.

I guess I'll think about this for a few days before I begin to cutting turning blanks.

Thanks.

Bob

[keith zimmerman]

It is my thought that all of this wood has the probability of having very interesting, if not spectacular grain. Especially, since it is stump wood. There is highly possible that there are all kinds of grain patterns in there. My suggestion that you cut blanks as large as your lathe will handle. I look forward to seeing what comes from this large piece of pear.