# Drunken Birch



## Graybeard (Jul 11, 2015)

Turning a crotch piece of European birch for a wall hanging. This is what I got.





The wood was really wet, look how it dried with all that crazy grain.





Going on the wall anyway.

Graybeard

Reactions: Like 4 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 6


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## pinky (Jul 11, 2015)

Throw it and see if it comes back.

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Nature Man (Jul 11, 2015)

The shape now looks like a chair bottom. Chuck


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## Schroedc (Jul 11, 2015)

Looks like a record left in the sun. Way cool!


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## Kevin (Jul 11, 2015)

Looks like a UFO. Those aliens that crashed in Roswell were rumored to have been sipping some moonshine they got from abducting a hillbilly in the Ozarks.


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## justallan (Jul 11, 2015)

OOPS! I notice NOW that it actually says birch.
Nice chunk of wood David. I'm thinking you need a handle on it and tell all the little crumb-snatchers that come over that it's a paddle.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## MikeMD (Jul 11, 2015)

R's and T's are quite close on a keyboard, aren't they, Allan?

Beautiful wood, David. Now, was this the very middle of the crotch (pith in), or was it just to one side?

Also, I'm guessing that there isn't much of a 'base' to the bottom, so it is more like a Pringle potato chip...is that right?

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Graybeard (Jul 11, 2015)

Thank you everyone. Allan, you made me go back and be sure I wrote it right.

It was cut right down the middle cutting the pith out. I wasn't able to get any bigger piece on my lathe since it only has a 16 inch swing. This piece is about 15 1/2 inches in diameter.

I have the other half and am considering a natural edge bowl like George did in his thread on his walnut barn door thread. The trouble I have with bowls and crotch wood is I end up turning away some really nice figure. I may just do another wall hanging. Make an interesting clock too.

Graybeard

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Graybeard (Jul 12, 2015)

Just an update. I ripped the other half into two pieces, sealed with anchor seal and put them with shavings into a burlap coffee bean bag to dry a bit before turning.

Assuming it dries a problem I see is if it gets too dry it will be really hard to turn with all that grain going crazy. As it was the one above was hard enough with my gouge bouncing all over. I sharpened like crazy and still it was rough going.

Any advice?

Graybeard


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## barry richardson (Jul 12, 2015)

I like it David!


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## MikeMD (Jul 12, 2015)

Advice? Yeah... turn it green! Ain't no more fun way to turn. Then dry it.


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## DKMD (Jul 12, 2015)

The only suggestions I have are to turn it in small sections from rim to center. Also, try shear scraping or shear cutting each section before moving on to the next.

I wonder if some of your bouncing was due to wood movement while you were turning? Sometimes figured wet stuff will start to warp pretty quickly when I've got it on the lathe.


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## Graybeard (Jul 13, 2015)

David, I think you hit the nail on the head. It warped as I turned it.

I'm going to let it sit a bit in the bag and see if it dries some, then turn it. We've got a houseful of grandchildren this week so I really have no other choice. Between chasing them and their dog I'm lucky to have gotten it sealed and bagged.

Graybeard


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