How would you turn this?

Picture #2

Gary in Zirconia,NC

>Some of the logs are like these.

Re: Picture #2

Brad Vietje

>There's a lot of nice spindle pieces in there, Gary... I'd probably opt for small stuff like boxes and ornaments.

Safe Spinning,

Brad Vietje

Thetford, VT

Re: How would you turn this?

John Lucas

>Gary

I saw a piece somewhere that was turned by putting the faceplate on what would be the bottom in your first photo. It had wide open sides. it was pretty cool. I think it was someone in one of the clubs I go to. John

Re: How would you turn this?

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Hey, at least you don't have to fuss with the pith in that load of Sycamore. See a bunch of end-grain work as well as spindle forms. Yopu might be able to get some shallow plates and such, but you need to be using glued-on waste blocks to preserve enough wood to complete those forms.

By the way, looks like some Hackberry underneath those bolts; yes?

Mark

Re: How would you turn this?

Gary in Zirconia,NC

>Thanks John,

That's what I had in mind. Did'nt know if it would hold together. I'll give it a try.

Re: How would you turn this?

Bill Hale, Woodspinner

>Looking at pic 2 some of the wood seems to have heavier walls. I would turn a vessel in the normal position and have two sides open. " a bit of a chalenge "

I would choose a piece with what would be a heavy botton and face plate mount it.

Turn at a lower than usual speed to prevent the centrifical forces from causing the walls to flex.

Good turning and be very very safe.

Bill

Re: How would you turn this?

Gary in Zirconia,NC

>Thanks, the wood underneath is cherry and amberosia maple. The ends are painted with paint. All this and 5 or 6 more pickup loads are from the tropical storms that went through. I have more wood than I know what to do with. It's going to be a busy winter!

Re: Picture #2

Mike Schwing from Md.

>I think I'd burn it. Just kidding! I like platters and I see a whole bunch of them hiding in there, some with really cool figure.

Re: Try a hollow form with open sides.

Al Crandall

>Bore out the hollow form through as small an opening as practical by entering through the natural crack in the log. A plywood ring glued to the "neck" will keep the form from opening up as the walls get thinner, and also provide a surface for a bowl steady to run on.

Re: How would you turn this?

Frank Joseph Mantua NJ

>That is very nice. I will be watching the listings to see what you will do with it.

Re: How would you turn this?

Phil Joines, Krum, Tx

>How about cross cutting into wedges and gluing them like a stave comstruction to make a completly round piece?

Re: Picture #2

adrien

>I've always wondered (but never tried) with I had a hollow log, if it wouldn't make a great lamp base...already hollowed out for the wiring, and not likely to check as it dried.

Re: Picture #2

Wayne Allen - Carson City. Nevada

>Gary -- For the pieces that are only hollow in the center, you can true up the bottom of the log and glue it to a solid piece of complimentary wood which will be used for a base. You can then turn the new base and the log together into most any shape as long as you stay in the confines of the log.

Re: How would you turn this?

Bill Grumbine, Kutztown PA

>Hi Gary

You have lots of possibilities with this one, although I would say that most of them will fall into the art category. American sycamore is a beautiful wood, but it is notoriously unstable. If it were me, I would go for real thin and turned from wet to finish all in one shot. That is for the regular stuff. With something as wildly distorted as this, I think you will be playing with fire to try anything else.

I see some plates in the thinner sections, or some shallow bowls. The parts that are a bit thicker up where it start to curl in on itself might make some nice hollow forms. You have enough of it that it would not hurt to turn some of it into some spindles and let them dry. That is somewhat risky, but if you lose them, they will still burn. I also like Mark's ida of a big natural edged bowl, but you will have to be careful that you do not have big chunks taking leave of the lathe at high speeds.

Good luck with it, and we will all look forward to seeing how you make out.

Bill

Thanks to all for the suggestions

Gary in Zirconia,NC

>It will be a while before I post a picture since I have a lot of wood to turn before I can get to this.