Wood just too punky.....drop back and punt

[Roger Chandler]

I had intended to make a hollow form and make a pedestal and finial as well. When I got into this piece of black walnut, I was really disappointed. As black walnut is very prone to do, the wood was just too punky and I got so much tear out, even with sharp tools and light cuts, I decided this was not the piece of wood to do my HF/ pedestal and finial.

I did however just take it and make a hollow form since I already had it chucked up........I found cracks, and had to use a good bit of CA glue, and I am not happy with the form, but what I started on the other form kinda dictated the shape somewhat.

This is still wet, with one coat of danish oil, and I am going to a meeting of another turning club this evening, so I wanted to get at least something to show.

This was not worth applying shellac and trying to harden the fibers, and all the time it would have taken me...........I consider this nothing more than practice with my new monster rig.

4-1/2 inches high and 7-1/2 inches across. If I had been able to use this piece of wood for the other form, I would have turned it smaller.

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[David T gray]

soak the area in thin ca glue and let it dry good then turn away should keep it from ripping apart

[Wally Dickerman]

Roger, you didn't ask for a critique so I won't comment on the form. Something that you might try on your next punky wood blank. After roughing the piece out, a 24 hour soak in a solution of 50/50 white glue and water (white glue is nearly all water) Can sometime save a bad blank. I've done this a number of times and while it doesn't always work it usually does. My experience has been when using a blank of figured and spalted wood, usually maple. I don't waste my time on a plain blank. The piece is soaking in glue so usually the smaller cracks just disappear because the wood swells and the crack is glued shut . I let the piece dry for a week or 2 before putting it back on the lathe. It'll warp so allow for that.

I save the glue/water solution in a gallon jug for the next one.

Wally

[Duff Bement]

Enough about the HF, how do you like your new monster hollowing rig?

[John Keeton]

Roger, I guess I am wondering about the walnut being punky - really unusual. Walnut heartwood is very resisitant to rot - was it confined to the sapwood area? That part will go pretty quickly if exposed to weather.

[Dick Wilson]

Roger and everyone, I too have tried to work punky wood into submission. I soaked it in Minwax wood hardener. The problem was it was nigh on to impossible to sand....paper gummed up so fast you couldn't get a good surface without spending tons of time going through many sheets of sandpaper. I tried to soak it in thinned down lacquer. Sanded nicely when dry but didn't stablize it enough and I would pull out chunks even with a scary sharp gouge. I kept bringing in spaulted, punky pieces to show and tells and talk about the problems I was having. My fellow turners kept telling me to quit wasting my time.....life is to short. I finally got the message. If I can poke a thin awl into the punky area it comes off the lathe and is thrown away. Wood is so plentiful, been there done that.

[David E Keller]

Well, if the plan was to practice hollowing, then it's a success as it's clearly hollow. Too bad the wood was not cooperative as it's got nice grain and color. Oh well, another chunk on another day.

[Roger Chandler]

Roger, I guess I am wondering about the walnut being punky - really unusual. Walnut heartwood is very resisitant to rot - was it confined to the sapwood area? That part will go pretty quickly if exposed to weather.

John,

That piece of black walnut was punky through the sapwood and about 3 or 4 growth rings into the heartwood. I have had that particular piece of walnut for over 3 years, sitting in my shop building. It really tore out on the end grain in spite of freshly sharpened gouges, and even sanding up to 1000 grit would not remove the tear out......I started at 80 grit and went through each grit, but could not get the tear out to look decent........it was mostly on end grain.

[Roger Chandler]

Well, if the plan was to practice hollowing, then it's a success as it's clearly hollow. Too bad the wood was not cooperative as it's got nice grain and color. Oh well, another chunk on another day.

David......

I had hoped to post a much different piece, but I am not really upset. I think I might just have to get me a claro walnut blank that has been kiln dried, to make sure the form I want to do does not have this kind of problem..............anytime you use wood that has been cut and stacked outside you are taking a chance on cracking, etc. That blank has been in my shop for about a year and a half, but I have had it for a little over 3 years. I thought it was well dried, and it was..........to the point it was punky.

You are right another day, another hunk of wood. I will find the right one!

[Roger Chandler]

Enough about the HF, how do you like your new monster hollowing rig?

Duff,

This monster rig lived up to all the pre-purchase hype here on SMC! The thing is so well designed and it is so much easier to do the hollowing process, that it is like the difference in having a penny, and a $100 bill.

Actually, it is rare indeed when something exceeds expectations, but this thing is machined so nicely, and is very well designed..........I wish I had known of it and purchased it a year ago.

I hope that explains my enthusiasm about the Monster Articulated system. Randy gave me exceptional customer service, and I would highly recommend his tools!

[Cathy Schaewe]

If I'm not mistaken, it was John Jordan who said something along the lines of "life is too short to turn crappy wood."
Or something like that.
When I find myself trying to save a piece again and again, I just close my eyes, put it in the fire, and forget about it ....

[Baxter Smith]

Glad you got the practice at least and the monster works well!

[Roger Chandler]

If I'm not mistaken, it was John Jordan who said something along the lines of "life is too short to turn crappy wood."
Or something like that.
When I find myself trying to save a piece again and again, I just close my eyes, put it in the fire, and forget about it ....

I admire your ability to make a decision and not second guess yourself, Cathy. I guess that comes from having all those decisions to make on the bench.......a piece of wood is not near as consequential as having someone's future or life in ones hands!

I knew that I could not make a silk purse out of this sows ear of a piece of wood, so I just did the practice with the new rig since I already had it chucked up. Had it not been for that, I would have just called it a day, and tried to find another piece for another day.

[Roger Chandler]

Roger, I guess I am wondering about the walnut being punky - really unusual. Walnut heartwood is very resisitant to rot - was it confined to the sapwood area? That part will go pretty quickly if exposed to weather.

John, this particular tree that I got this blank from has given me fits on several pieces. I know that it came from the middle of a large field and had a lot of wind shake [layer separation] One piece I started back in 2008 ended up quite a bit smaller because chunks of it came out during the turn. It had swirling grain patterns in some of the blank and was pretty, but would chunk out on me. Another 3 or 4 blanks from this tree, I just cut up into pen sized blanks and put them into a box and took them to the turners club for anyone that wanted them for pens.

I did not think about my history with this tree when I started on that form, but probably should have! I guess that you live and learn..........I think I only have one or two log pieces left from that tree [I got most of the tree when it was downed by the storm] so I need to pay attention and probably make fire wood out of the rest of it!