The wonders in wood...a little long

[Andy London]

Although I have been turning for many moons, I really only got into it a year ago when my thirteen year old son expressed an interest, so we purchased the equipment and went at it so to speak.

Natural disasters are never a good thing however we took advantage of a hurrican that passed through Halifax and left many old growth trees on the ground many covered in burls providing us access to woods we would not generally be able to buy.

There have been a number of backyard type companies sprint up to mill woods that have fallen around the province and I went to an auction at one two weeks ago, I ended up buying a lift of Curly Yellow Birch planks, I was interested as the pieces were 2 1/4 to 2 3/4" thick, 6 to 12" wide and the chap had partically dried the wood in a kiln.

As I loaded the planks three cought my eye as something was going on in the pieces, dark speckles, it was hard to tell as I didn't have a hand plane and the wood was rough cut. Upon making a few trips back to the shop I decided to plane part of a plank and discovered birdseye's in the Birch. After doing a search on the net, I found there are pieces out there but it's quite rare. In the past I've seen birdseye in Cherry, Lacewood and Zembrano but not birch.

I've been meaning to turn a piece but have been desperate busy, yesterday morning prior to my sons tournament I started a lidded container, being in a rush I did everything backwards and am not all that pleased with the results but just had to see what this would look like.....lot's more to come done properly<G>

I was thinking on my way to work this morning, it truly is amazing the natural beauty of wood, I've found some stunning pieces in the past year from the dump, side of the road to my own wood pile that in my flat work I would have never paid any attention to. I've even turned some roots that grab your attention.

Thanks for your time, here is a Curly Birdseye Yellow Birch lidded (bowl) container, the transulant rays in the wood is stunning, if I did not know better I would swear it came from a burl.

Andy

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Andy,

WOW that is a nice looking container. You are correct, if it wasn't for your story, I would swear that wood came from a burl. You have some outstanding timber there, hope you have fun with it!

[Glenn Hodges]

Andy, I agree that is one nice find, but I really like what you did with it.

[Jim Becker]

Andy, I'm truly envious of all the wonderful stuff you've been able to add to your "inventory" over the past year. But I also suspect it's necessary since you have more than one person "turning up a storm", so to speak...

[Andy London]

Andy, I'm truly envious of all the wonderful stuff you've been able to add to your "inventory" over the past year. But I also suspect it's necessary since you have more than one person "turning up a storm", so to speak...

The collecting of wood has become somewhat of an obsession that I am trying to work through I am out of room and have enough to keep "us" going for many years. LOML announced to Seth and I a few weeks back that she wanted to try this turning "stuff" and after a few lessons it's coming along.....You probably find this also in your teaching but kids pick this up soooo much faster than us older folks.

I'll try to remember to take a couple of pictures tonight of a spalted wood that will drop your jaw, it's Hornbeam...what the locals refer to as Ironwood. Generally speaking it isn't used for anything, it's even to hard to cut for firewood so when they are clearing, it is left to rot. A supplier called me the other week to tell me he had milled some and it didn't look like much but I may want to have a look.....I have to educate these guys in the "doesn't look like much" means. The pieces are just amazing.....will turn some soon I hope.

I have found so many spalted logs at these small mills it amazes me. What happens is they leave logs lying around, they start to spalt so the owners don't bother with them. I bought six beech logs (spalts very fast here) last weekend, the guy only wanted $20.00 each.

I have my eye on a log at the moment, it's a highly figured Birdseye....however the owner knows it's worth big bucks and is asking $2,500.....a little out of my price range for now.

[Jim Becker]

Hornbeam is a good tool handle wood...and yes it's hard.

[Steve Inniss]

Andy,
That is a beautiful turning - that wood is a great find. -Steve