# found wood



## ltkrause (May 23, 2013)

I was driving down the road the other day and saw a big pile of brush with a log on it's side so I HAD to stop and investigate! Turns out it was a bunch of cut logs of spalted maple. I grabbed a couple of the logs and thew them in the back of the Explorer. 

Should I cut them on edge (horizontal if it was still standing) into thin slices or vertically along the grain? I plan on turning them into pen blanks.






Thanks!
Loren


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## keithkarl2007 (May 23, 2013)

With spalted woods, cutting vertically can reduce the amount of spalt that may be in each blank depending on how spalted the wood actually is. Crosscutting them horizontally or diagonally would give better results but again it depends on how spalted it is. I once turned a pen from spalted beech and when finished there was one black spalt line running down the side of the pen.
I'd be inclined to use it for items a little bigger, maybe bottle stoppers, bowls or something that would show the spalt more.


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## keithkarl2007 (May 23, 2013)

Or how about something like this, http://www.turningblanks.net/images/store_version1/Customer_Gallery/paul_zerjay-spalted_maple02.jpg


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## ltkrause (May 23, 2013)

That's neat!  I wish I had the skills to pull something like that off (one day!!)!  I'll probably cut some of it into larger blanks for some small bowls.


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## jfoh (May 23, 2013)

I wold not cut that wood up yet. If you work at it you should be able to increase the amount of spalt.  Your other option is to try green turning a few bowls and letting them dry but I see some cracking has already started. Still free wood is great to experiment with and all you loose is time. Wrap it up, keep it moist in a cool dry place and  let it rot a little more. Spalt is rot when you get right down to it. Check it every few weeks and keep it slightly wet. The fungus should grow, other types may also develop and both a general spalting back ground color and more black line spalting should occur. 

As t what direction to cut I would try for more of a cross cut direction. Many times the spalt does not go all the way across the wood. Mostly on the outside. So you might get only a few intense blanks from the ends instead of lots of blanks spalted on one end and plain on the other. And as we learn you cut for one great blank not five so-so blanks.


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## robutacion (May 23, 2013)

Well, I would suggest you leave the full log alone for now, put it somewhere for later.

I would concentrate on the half log you've got, it will produce a "few" pen blanks for now giving you time to think/consider what to do with the full log, just leave it as is...!

As for how and where to cut that half log, sure cross cutting can produce the most effects (spalting pattern) but in some woods in becomes super fragile to work with and blowouts are common.  Diagonal cutting is also a good option as it is the simple straight cut, I see no reason why you wouldn't try all these 3 cuts and see what looks better as you still have the full log to be worked on and that, would be done with the cut style you like the most after the test trials...!

To achieve that, I would suggest you follow the info on the pic attached...!

Good luck and let us see the results, please...!

Cheers
George


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## stonepecker (May 24, 2013)

I would go back and get some more wood..........LOL

Have fun.


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## ltkrause (May 24, 2013)

I went ahead and cut them up yesterday. All I have that will cut something this big is a chain saw. Not exactly the cleanest cut, but I got them down small enough to get them through the bandsaw. These might make a few blanks 



Yesterday was supposed to be trash day, but the logs were still there this morning. Gonna have to get the trailer and stock up this weekend! Wife is gonna get me one of these days for filling up the garage with wood :biggrin:.


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## hard hat (May 24, 2013)

cross cut the blanks, and some at a diagonal. try and  get the highest quality blanks, not the highest quantity, take a little time and lay it out before cutting. spalted maple can be very stunning when turned and finished


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## hard hat (May 24, 2013)

here are a few things from spalted maple. I'm excited to see what you make!


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## ltkrause (May 25, 2013)

Got it all cut into blanks and turned my first pen with it!  Some of the blanks are better than I imagined they would be.  I'll definitely need to stabilize it.  It's really soft.



Loren


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## robutacion (May 26, 2013)

Hi Loren...!

Well, there is always more than one way to skin a cat and I'm sorry if my suggestions were a little confusing to you however, the most important details that I was trying you to avoid doing, is to make the big masked to take a round log to the bandsaw to cut slices out, without a proper jig, that my friend, you have 99% probabilities to mangle the bandsaw blade beyond salvageable, will bend or break something in the bandsaw and if you're lucky, you get a good smack in your hands/arms without cutting anything off...!

By cutting the log through its centre (longways) on the bandsaw, if enough clearence ("not" dangerous that way) you get 2 flat surfaces that, reduces the clearance you need on the bandsaw by half and then you can work all your slices from there, with a flat surface always on the bandsaw table.

I don't know how much experience you have on the bandsaw and my suggestions are based on my experience, looking for safety the best way possible as bandsaws can be quite dangerous...!

Unfortunately, the vast majority of heavily spalted woods are very soft, there is their advanced stage of decomposition/rot that encourages the growth of the fungi that develops the spalting as its known so, stabilising becomes crucial for its workability however, with the Cactus Juice system so readily available in our days from our friend Curtis, you should have much trouble in setting yourself for stabilising the beautiful wood you got there...!  Maybe an extra expense but, for the price of the wood, it all works out OK...!

Good luck,
Cheers
George


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## fernhills (May 26, 2013)

Hi, nice haul.  Dyeing spalted maple gives you some out standing blanks as well.  Carl


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## ltkrause (May 27, 2013)

I have some cactus juice that I'm going to use and I do plan on dying some as soon as I get the dye in.  I ended up cutting the logs with a chainsaw and then making the blanks on my table saw.  I can't seem to cut a strait line at all on the bandsaw, so I only use it now for quick cuts.  I've made around 100 or so blanks out of 1/2 of the available wood!


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## keithkarl2007 (May 27, 2013)

ltkrause said:


> I have some cactus juice that I'm going to use and I do plan on dying some as soon as I get the dye in.  I ended up cutting the logs with a chainsaw and then making the blanks on my table saw.  I can't seem to cut a strait line at all on the bandsaw, so I only use it now for quick cuts.  I've made around 100 or so blanks out of 1/2 of the available wood!



You may need to adjust your fence for blade drift. If you take a piece of plywood or mdf and draw a line parallel to one edge, cut free-hand on the bandsaw  along this line . Stop half way through the cut, switch off the bandsaw and don't move the piece of mdf/ply. If you bring your fence up to the panel it will show how far out it is. The fence can then be adjusted and brought up parallel to the edge of the panel. This will correct it for that particular blade but may need to be done again for a different blade.


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