# It's a start



## Mark. (Jan 29, 2019)

When I first thought of trying to turn this old crooked peace of fire wood into something nice to place on the mantle & bring a new light to the home that would be warming to the heart. This is a start & has a long way to go before I can call it a heart warmer, till then I will sit back & continue to warm my feet with its brother. Fire wood & fence post is all we ever used this type of wood for. I never thought about doing anything else with it till yesterday. The color got me hooked. If anyone else has turned any bowls with it, I am open to any tips on the drying process. I will be soaking it in Pentrical if my spelling is correct. After that it will go back onto the lathe. I almost forgot, we call this wood Mullberry.

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 2


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## Tony (Jan 29, 2019)

Mulberry is very nice wood to work with, that's about all I can offer. Nice start!


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## Karl_TN (Jan 29, 2019)

Don't be surprised if the yellow color eventually turns to a golden to dark brown. Mulberry is a fruit wood so you're right about being concerned about cracking, but Pentacryl is an expensive solution ($63/gal). 

Below are a few cheaper alternatives to lessen cracking:

Boil the rough turning in water for about 1 hour per inch of thickness, and then let it drain and cool off for another 20 minutes. Cover the end grain with Anchor Seal or paper bag until dry. Note: Skip sealant if you also plan on doing either alternative below.
Put it in a bucket of alcohol (i.e. DNA) for 24 hours. Cover the end grain with Anchor Seal or paper bag until dry.
Put it in a bucket with a solution of 50:50 water and dish washing liquid (avoid soap with blue or green dyes as it might discolor the wood). You'll need something to weigh it down. Leave in solution for at least 2-4 days (3-4 wouldn't hurt). Remove it from the liquid and let it dry thoroughly.

Reactions: Informative 2


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