**ENDED**Madrone

[Vern Tator]

Monday evening I got an email about some Madrone on Whidbey Island, so I was on the noon ferry Tuesday. I got 6 rounds 16" long and 16" in diameter. After slabbing with the Stihl and running them throught the 18" resaw, I had 39 peppermill blanks. [attachment=3609] Then I rounded them up and bored them most of the way through with a 13/16 bit. They were now ready to boil in the cut off drum, 8 per load, for a couple of hours. Then I brought them into the shop and coated the ends with "green wood sealer". Now all they have to do is dry. Madrone is a pretty hard wood, and this batch has very little color and even less figure.[attachment=3610] I like it because it takes details well, is easy to bleach, and stains easily to substitute for ebony. Ohhhh, I forgot to mention the I cut a big batch of 1x1x12 pen or finial blanks too. I can get 4 peppermill blanks into a mfrb or quite a few penblanks into a smfrb. I am willing to part with 2 sets of peppermills and maybe a couple of sets of penblanks. Sorry I'm not willing to part with more mill blanks, but when finished they sell really well for me, as they are the quintessential northwest wood.

 

[DKMD]

Looks like a nice stash of madrone, Vern. It's a lovely turning wood both wet and dry. If I didn't already have a few dry madrone blanks that size, I'd be interested.

 

[Vern Tator]

Thanks, Nice to hear that someone knows what a cool wood madrone is. It is my favorite wood to turn. Finally finished the last batch last night.[attachment=3633] They look pretty brown after the hot bath, but that turns away, and you get the original color.[attachment=3634] I couldn't think of any other way to trade Madrone as it moves and cracks to fast if not treated.

 

[DKMD]

I love the stuff, Vern. I've purchased a few madrone burl blanks from Oregon Burls, and he sends them wrapped in multiple layers of plastic wrap(Saran wrap). There's a little mold growing under the plastic on a piece I bought 6 months ago but no cracks.

Although my experience with madrone has been somewhat limited, I love the way it moves and warps when it hasn't been stabilized.

 

[Vern Tator]

I love that too, but it movement does not work in Peppermills. I was given a whole Madrone burl, a stump and roots about 5' across in '06. Turned bowls from it for a couple of years. Thank god for the oneway easy core system. Got lots and lots of bowls from it My wife hates for me to sell any of the bowls I turn green to finish out of madrone. She really like the more organic shapes. Just so people know that the color change is only skin deep, I cleaned up a piece. It is sitting with 2 Madrone Mills.[attachment=3641]