**ENDED**Need funky & hard wood blank.

Mike1950

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GOOD- now how do I break it to Kathie that now is the time to rid ourselfs of that tree.:biggrin::fit::fit::fit::fit::lolol:
 

DKMD

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shadetree_1 said:
DKMD said:
That ironwood is beautiful stuff, Joe! I've purchased logs of ironwood in the past, and I had the same issues you've described with cracks… Big blanks are hard to come by.

I'm particularly impressed with the contrasting light and dark bands in the blanks you showed… That striped pattern is my favorite, but I've not been lucky enough to get any larger than pen blanks sized with that pattern.

That color combo comes from the bottom portion of the trunk of the tree, the older and bigger they get, the darker the wood at the bottom of the trunk, I'm cutting one now that is about 5' in dia and it has alot of the bold contrast at the base. I'm down far enough on the base now that the wood is almost black like ebony but i have had no call for the almost black, so it will go in the firewood pile, which is a shame but if you can't sell it, you keep warm with it in the winter.

I'll look for a piece like the one you like and trade you out of something, what have you got? i'm always looking for something different for the store.

Thanks, Joe! I've got a lot of different woods including a bunch of pen blanks which I know you sell a lot. I'd love to trade if i have something you'd be interested in.

Before you start burning that really dark stuff, you ought to try listing it here for sale/trade especially if you have it in larger than pen blank sizes. I'm sure it doesn't command the price of the lighter stuff, but it would be better to sell it than burn it. I've used ironwood for collars and finials on hollowforms with good success, and that's a place where the near black material would be great. I've also used it for splines which might interest some of the box makers here. I'd like to try chasing threads in it at some point as well, but I haven't had a chance yet... Some 2x2 spindle stock in the black stuff might be worth a shot.

I've got an ironwood burl the size of a basketball that I haven't figured out how to use yet. Since I mostly make hollowforms, I've mostly used ironwood as an accent... It's pretty hard and dusty to hollow for the main vessel plus the difficulty in finding pieces large enough to use for hollow forms.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you list. I'd love to see a pictorial post on how you attack an ironwood trunk for making blanks as well... I can't be the only one who'd like to see some photos of the process. For those who've not milled ironwood, it might be surprising for them to see the amount of waste involved as well.
 

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Mike1950 said:
GOOD- now how do I break it to Kathie that now is the time to rid ourselfs of that tree.:biggrin::fit::fit::fit::fit::lolol:

just let her know how bad it is for your health like kevin explained. how very very sick you can get off that tree :irishjig::irishjig::rotflmao3::tree hugger:
how big is the tree? have you taken any limbs off. thats what made us decide to take it down was the pretty purplish colors we found in a small limb
 

Mike1950

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I like to kid but I think she would like to see the tree gone. I had a piece of plum in my woodpile and I cut it up yesterday- Nice stuff. I will test a limb and see what we have -tree is probably a foot in diameter- much larger at the graft-I bet there is some nice figure at graft.
 

brown down

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Mike1950 said:
I like to kid but I think she would like to see the tree gone. I had a piece of plum in my woodpile and I cut it up yesterday- Nice stuff. I will test a limb and see what we have -tree is probably a foot in diameter- much larger at the graft-I bet there is some nice figure at graft.

i will take some shots of some of the wood i got out of that tree and the grain is stunning. those are in my personal stash. wonder what the root ball looks like?

kevin this is what i have left that will maybe fit your criteria. i don't think i will be able to get the 24 in you need long tho.
the short fat one workable would only be around 15 in
the longer log would yield the 24" but don't think its wide enough
these are the last two logs i have to mill!!
i will hack away at them when i get more CLEAR anchor seal
[attachment=6241][attachment=6243][attachment=6243][attachment=6244]

IMG_0420.jpg

IMG_0421.jpg

IMG_0422.jpg

IMG_0423.jpg
 

shadetree_1

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shadetree_1 said:
Vern Tator said:
shadetree_1 said:
DKMD said:
That ironwood is beautiful stuff, Joe! I've purchased logs of ironwood in the past, and I had the same issues you've described with cracks… Big blanks are hard to come by.

I'm particularly impressed with the contrasting light and dark bands in the blanks you showed… That striped pattern is my favorite, but I've not been lucky enough to get any larger than pen blanks sized with that pattern.

That color combo comes from the bottom portion of the trunk of the tree, the older and bigger they get, the darker the wood at the bottom of the trunk, I'm cutting one now that is about 5' in dia and it has alot of the bold contrast at the base. I'm down far enough on the base now that the wood is almost black like ebony but i have had no call for the almost black, so it will go in the firewood pile, which is a shame but if you can't sell it, you keep warm with it in the winter.

I'll look for a piece like the one you like and trade you out of something, what have you got? i'm always looking for something different for the store.
:dunno: What the heck, Almost black is beautiful. I'd take a couple of pieces. Got any peppermill sized or wine stopper or pen?

Got some some 4 or 5 pen blanks cut and can cut more and I'll get a couple bottle stoppers cut and see what I can find for peppermill size, the closer to the bottom of the trunk I get the less cracks I get. in the next day or so and let you know when they are ready boss. Got any trading wood? Of course if I have to I can be forced to take cash, but it just doesn't taste as good as wood, to many grubby hands on the cash!

Joe

Vern,

Here are some bottle stopper blanks (2x2x2 1/2) and some pen blanks do they work for you? left three are crosscut (2 sides shown), you said you like dark, well this is dark, let me know if you want them, later on after more people have seen my Desert Ironwood I'll start to sell some of it but right now I have the barter bug, so what have got you want to trade? i'm always on the look out for different or weird or seldom seen woods to put in my Ebay store.
No photo enhancement on these ( I don't know how ) so what you see is the real color, these pictures were taken with the garage door open and natural light.

Joe

100_0260.JPG

100_0262.JPG

100_0263.JPG
 

shadetree_1

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DKMD said:
shadetree_1 said:
DKMD said:
That ironwood is beautiful stuff, Joe! I've purchased logs of ironwood in the past, and I had the same issues you've described with cracks… Big blanks are hard to come by.

I'm particularly impressed with the contrasting light and dark bands in the blanks you showed… That striped pattern is my favorite, but I've not been lucky enough to get any larger than pen blanks sized with that pattern.

That color combo comes from the bottom portion of the trunk of the tree, the older and bigger they get, the darker the wood at the bottom of the trunk, I'm cutting one now that is about 5' in dia and it has alot of the bold contrast at the base. I'm down far enough on the base now that the wood is almost black like ebony but i have had no call for the almost black, so it will go in the firewood pile, which is a shame but if you can't sell it, you keep warm with it in the winter.

I'll look for a piece like the one you like and trade you out of something, what have you got? i'm always looking for something different for the store.

Thanks, Joe! I've got a lot of different woods including a bunch of pen blanks which I know you sell a lot. I'd love to trade if i have something you'd be interested in.

Before you start burning that really dark stuff, you ought to try listing it here for sale/trade especially if you have it in larger than pen blank sizes. I'm sure it doesn't command the price of the lighter stuff, but it would be better to sell it than burn it. I've used ironwood for collars and finials on hollowforms with good success, and that's a place where the near black material would be great. I've also used it for splines which might interest some of the box makers here. I'd like to try chasing threads in it at some point as well, but I haven't had a chance yet... Some 2x2 spindle stock in the black stuff might be worth a shot.

I've got an ironwood burl the size of a basketball that I haven't figured out how to use yet. Since I mostly make hollowforms, I've mostly used ironwood as an accent... It's pretty hard and dusty to hollow for the main vessel plus the difficulty in finding pieces large enough to use for hollow forms.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you list. I'd love to see a pictorial post on how you attack an ironwood trunk for making blanks as well... I can't be the only one who'd like to see some photos of the process. For those who've not milled ironwood, it might be surprising for them to see the amount of waste involved as well.

Hey David,

I have tried a number of times over the past few years to sell the dark Ironwood and finally got tried of paying listing fees because it didn't sell so most has gone up in smoke. PM me with your address and I'll get something headed your way.

Don't look for a pictorial anytime soon my friend, I am old, old fashioned, computer illiterate and a computer dinasour, I had to get my 35 year old son to show me how to resize pictures to put them on here, so you might be asking to much of this old dog! I would really like for folks to know how hard it is to get a piece cut out of Ironwood and show how bad the waste is but I'm not sure I can be the one to do that, but I'll give it a shot.

And if that Ironwood burl is too much for you, send it this way, I assure you I will make good use of it!!!
 

Kevin

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Jeff I don't *have* to have 24" length was just wanting some to burn because the blank you send was cracked on one end. Not terribly and I kept it or esle it would've been too short for a handle. Yes those look fantastic - let me know what I need to come up with for you as I would love to get some more plum as much as my greedy hands can get. I just love that stuff. Turns great, is gorgeous, and hard as a rock. I just don't see it cracking like Vern has experienced but I have no experience other than this one blank.


Joe, yes if you can get that contrasting wood I'll take some in *any* size. larger the better but I'll take whatever you have. I'll send you my best FBE in return if you like it. I would also like to try the all-black stuff because if you cannot sell it I bet it is woefully under-appreciated.

Mike you are lucky man to have a plum tree in your yard and a pretty wife who wants it down. Just goes to show that even a dog can get a warm piece of the sidewalk sometimes.


:rotflmao3:
 

Mike1950

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Kevin keeps digging that hole doesn't he.:sarcastic::sarcastic::sarcastic: I will make sure to post pic's of my best plum just so I can hear the drool dripping on his Keyboard...................:teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh:
 

Kevin

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Mike1950 said:
Kevin keeps digging that hole doesn't he.:sarcastic::sarcastic::sarcastic: I will make sure to post pic's of my best plum just so I can hear the drool dripping on his Keyboard...................:teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh::teethlaugh:

I already gave up on getting any from you so I am gonna have my fun. :irishjig:


Oh by the way Mike you got any good looking Wal-nut?


:morning2:


:walnut1950:
 

Mike1950

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"Oh by the way Mike you got any good looking Wal-nut" Are we serious now or? When I cut my tree down I will keep you in mind- and I just may know where there is More............................:treehugger::treehugger:
 

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Mike1950 said:
"Oh by the way Mike you got any good looking Wal-nut" Are we serious now or? When I cut my tree down I will keep you in mind- and I just may know where there is More............................:treehugger::treehugger:

Yes I'm still on my handle kick. But I have some pretty decent walnut myself, so I am looking for that REALLY special piece. I'm making handles for everything from my lathe tools of course to my barbecue grill tools. I'm OCD with stuff like this once I start hard to stop. :wacko1:
 

Mike1950

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Solid Flame 2" thick or really dark, red and dark or curly- Pictures?. Just went through my 2" pile today. Black and white persimmon, another flame or?? Probably nothing you would like. :blush:
 

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Just anything that really jumps out and grabs your eye. What do you have that's "red and dark"?
 

Vern Tator

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shadetree_1 said:
shadetree_1 said:
Vern Tator said:
shadetree_1 said:
DKMD said:
That ironwood is beautiful stuff, Joe! I've purchased logs of ironwood in the past, and I had the same issues you've described with cracks… Big blanks are hard to come by.

I'm particularly impressed with the contrasting light and dark bands in the blanks you showed… That striped pattern is my favorite, but I've not been lucky enough to get any larger than pen blanks sized with that pattern.

That color combo comes from the bottom portion of the trunk of the tree, the older and bigger they get, the darker the wood at the bottom of the trunk, I'm cutting one now that is about 5' in dia and it has alot of the bold contrast at the base. I'm down far enough on the base now that the wood is almost black like ebony but i have had no call for the almost black, so it will go in the firewood pile, which is a shame but if you can't sell it, you keep warm with it in the winter.

I'll look for a piece like the one you like and trade you out of something, what have you got? i'm always looking for something different for the store.
:dunno: What the heck, Almost black is beautiful. I'd take a couple of pieces. Got any peppermill sized or wine stopper or pen?

Got some some 4 or 5 pen blanks cut and can cut more and I'll get a couple bottle stoppers cut and see what I can find for peppermill size, the closer to the bottom of the trunk I get the less cracks I get. in the next day or so and let you know when they are ready boss. Got any trading wood? Of course if I have to I can be forced to take cash, but it just doesn't taste as good as wood, to many grubby hands on the cash!

Joe

Vern,

Here are some bottle stopper blanks (2x2x2 1/2) and some pen blanks do they work for you? left three are crosscut (2 sides shown), you said you like dark, well this is dark, let me know if you want them, later on after more people have seen my Desert Ironwood I'll start to sell some of it but right now I have the barter bug, so what have got you want to trade? i'm always on the look out for different or weird or seldom seen woods to put in my Ebay store.
No photo enhancement on these ( I don't know how ) so what you see is the real color, these pictures were taken with the garage door open and natural light.

Joe
Wow, That wood looks like the picture was taken with the garage door closed and the lights out. :lolol: Perfect!!! Now to find some wood that I can part with. I found some chunks, wasn't sure what they were, so I put them on the lathe and rounded them up. Now I have some rounded bottle stopper blanks of figured birch. Then I found a small box with a pen blank marked Birch Burl, and it pretty much matches the dozen oversized bottle stopper blanks that were with it. I also have some spalted quilted bigleaf maple, some spalted bigleaf maple burl, some madrone pen blanks and bottle stopper blanks. I have quite a bit of Pacific Yew, could be cut into bottle stopper blanks or pen blanks. Oh yes, I have lots of 8/4 Iroko shorts, many pieces 12x12 and I have some 4/4 Ipe. Mostly I have lots of what I think of as boring wood, that is why I hang out on this site, that and all of the characters. I mixed and poured 8 sacks of concrete this morning for a project for herself, the 65 year old with the ego of a 32 year old is not going to take his well earned nap. Ooops almost forgot. What are those 2 pretty pieces that are sharing the picture with the DIW?
 

Mike1950

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walnut- I have some that is pink also but more like the piece you just sold jimmy. Credenza drawerfronts- red and dark. Those are natural- no stain......
 

shadetree_1

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Vern Tator said:
shadetree_1 said:
shadetree_1 said:
Vern Tator said:
shadetree_1 said:
That color combo comes from the bottom portion of the trunk of the tree, the older and bigger they get, the darker the wood at the bottom of the trunk, I'm cutting one now that is about 5' in dia and it has alot of the bold contrast at the base. I'm down far enough on the base now that the wood is almost black like ebony but i have had no call for the almost black, so it will go in the firewood pile, which is a shame but if you can't sell it, you keep warm with it in the winter.

I'll look for a piece like the one you like and trade you out of something, what have you got? i'm always looking for something different for the store.
:dunno: What the heck, Almost black is beautiful. I'd take a couple of pieces. Got any peppermill sized or wine stopper or pen?

Got some some 4 or 5 pen blanks cut and can cut more and I'll get a couple bottle stoppers cut and see what I can find for peppermill size, the closer to the bottom of the trunk I get the less cracks I get. in the next day or so and let you know when they are ready boss. Got any trading wood? Of course if I have to I can be forced to take cash, but it just doesn't taste as good as wood, to many grubby hands on the cash!

Joe

Vern,

Here are some bottle stopper blanks (2x2x2 1/2) and some pen blanks do they work for you? left three are crosscut (2 sides shown), you said you like dark, well this is dark, let me know if you want them, later on after more people have seen my Desert Ironwood I'll start to sell some of it but right now I have the barter bug, so what have got you want to trade? i'm always on the look out for different or weird or seldom seen woods to put in my Ebay store.
No photo enhancement on these ( I don't know how ) so what you see is the real color, these pictures were taken with the garage door open and natural light.

Joe
Wow, That wood looks like the picture was taken with the garage door closed and the lights out. :lolol: Perfect!!! Now to find some wood that I can part with. I found some chunks, wasn't sure what they were, so I put them on the lathe and rounded them up. Now I have some rounded bottle stopper blanks of figured birch. Then I found a small box with a pen blank marked Birch Burl, and it pretty much matches the dozen oversized bottle stopper blanks that were with it. I also have some spalted quilted bigleaf maple, some spalted bigleaf maple burl, some madrone pen blanks and bottle stopper blanks. I have quite a bit of Pacific Yew, could be cut into bottle stopper blanks or pen blanks. Oh yes, I have lots of 8/4 Iroko shorts, many pieces 12x12 and I have some 4/4 Ipe. Mostly I have lots of what I think of as boring wood, that is why I hang out on this site, that and all of the characters. I mixed and poured 8 sacks of concrete this morning for a project for herself, the 65 year old with the ego of a 32 year old is not going to take his well earned nap. Ooops almost forgot. What are those 2 pretty pieces that are sharing the picture with the DIW?

Those 2 little pieces are Tiger Eye gemstone, I have named my crosscut Ironwood Tiger Eye from the stone as you can see in the picture below, PM me your address so I can get this wood out to you and send what you want to send in exchange, If I can't use it to sell in my Ebay store then I will put it in the box that I give to my grandsons shop class, they will make good use of it, the baseball team Arizona Diamondsbacks just gave his shop class a new lathe to turn bats on and they don't have any little wood just big chunks of ash for bats so I give them all the little stuff they can turn. My boy (Linda and I have raised him, ) is 14 and I've had him on a lathe since he was 8 so the shop teacher uses him for his helper.

I don't care what you send, how about some of the Madrone?

100_0264.JPG
 

Mike1950

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Well I already gave in -went out and cut the remaining piece of plum. The feather is still wet-not by meter-just by look when I cut it-the rest of cut appears dry.

[attachment=6265]

[attachment=6266]

[attachment=6267]

Now I do not turn But I think there are cool handles here.

Plum 006s.jpg

Plum 005s.jpg

Plum 004s.jpg
 

Vern Tator

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shadetree_1 said:
Vern Tator said:
shadetree_1 said:
shadetree_1 said:
Vern Tator said:
:dunno: What the heck, Almost black is beautiful. I'd take a couple of pieces. Got any peppermill sized or wine stopper or pen?

Got some some 4 or 5 pen blanks cut and can cut more and I'll get a couple bottle stoppers cut and see what I can find for peppermill size, the closer to the bottom of the trunk I get the less cracks I get. in the next day or so and let you know when they are ready boss. Got any trading wood? Of course if I have to I can be forced to take cash, but it just doesn't taste as good as wood, to many grubby hands on the cash!

Joe

Vern,

Here are some bottle stopper blanks (2x2x2 1/2) and some pen blanks do they work for you? left three are crosscut (2 sides shown), you said you like dark, well this is dark, let me know if you want them, later on after more people have seen my Desert Ironwood I'll start to sell some of it but right now I have the barter bug, so what have got you want to trade? i'm always on the look out for different or weird or seldom seen woods to put in my Ebay store.
No photo enhancement on these ( I don't know how ) so what you see is the real color, these pictures were taken with the garage door open and natural light.

Joe
Wow, That wood looks like the picture was taken with the garage door closed and the lights out. :lolol: Perfect!!! Now to find some wood that I can part with. I found some chunks, wasn't sure what they were, so I put them on the lathe and rounded them up. Now I have some rounded bottle stopper blanks of figured birch. Then I found a small box with a pen blank marked Birch Burl, and it pretty much matches the dozen oversized bottle stopper blanks that were with it. I also have some spalted quilted bigleaf maple, some spalted bigleaf maple burl, some madrone pen blanks and bottle stopper blanks. I have quite a bit of Pacific Yew, could be cut into bottle stopper blanks or pen blanks. Oh yes, I have lots of 8/4 Iroko shorts, many pieces 12x12 and I have some 4/4 Ipe. Mostly I have lots of what I think of as boring wood, that is why I hang out on this site, that and all of the characters. I mixed and poured 8 sacks of concrete this morning for a project for herself, the 65 year old with the ego of a 32 year old is not going to take his well earned nap. Ooops almost forgot. What are those 2 pretty pieces that are sharing the picture with the DIW?

Those 2 little pieces are Tiger Eye gemstone, I have named my crosscut Ironwood Tiger Eye from the stone as you can see in the picture below, PM me your address so I can get this wood out to you and send what you want to send in exchange, If I can't use it to sell in my Ebay store then I will put it in the box that I give to my grandsons shop class, they will make good use of it, the baseball team Arizona Diamondsbacks just gave his shop class a new lathe to turn bats on and they don't have any little wood just big chunks of ash for bats so I give them all the little stuff they can turn. My boy (Linda and I have raised him, ) is 14 and I've had him on a lathe since he was 8 so the shop teacher uses him for his helper.

I don't care what you send, how about some of the Madrone?
Madrone it is. Tiger eyes are pretty cool, but I was talking about the Long pen blanks or what ever they are.
Am sending my address in PM.
 

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i have to run up to woodcraft this weekend so i will pick up a gal of anchor seal. i should be able to mill those up sun or mon.
 
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