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I cut this burl years ago and it has been sitting in my back yard.
I told my wife I was spalting it.......:D
Any ideas? Do you think it is salvageable?
I split it in half by hand. It is oak and some is rotten but yet some is hard.
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Make her a lamp out of a piece of it.
I reckon the only way to find out is to get it to someone with the smarts and the saws to get the most out of it? Harrywally comes to mind?
Spalting it! :rofl2:
Start chipping off the rotten part and work with what is left.
She is into downsizing and getting rid of her stuff AND mine!
Should I cut it into 6 inch square cubes and keep the good ones?
I need to be able to hide it in the top of the garage if nothing else.....:rofl2:
Good idea!Quote:
Originally Posted by RezDog
Shipping costs?????;)Quote:
Originally Posted by sharptonn
At what point can you stabilize "rotten"?Quote:
Originally Posted by RezDog
I don't know so that is why I am asking!
Good hand-axe or machete, go at it chipping outward towards the rotten part.
You should see what you have pretty fast?
As you climb down, the good stuff should be apparent..
IF it's there! :D
How high off the ground were those or is that a root-ball?
Betcha' there is some sweet wood in there!
Take the gas saw to it! ;)
The base was 1 foot or so off the ground. In the pictures the bottom was how it was oriented in the woods.Quote:
Originally Posted by sharptonn
The hatchet and chain saw are good ideas but I am past that point tonight.:w
Do you think that 6 inch chunks are a reasonable size? :shrug:
Uh, YEAH! :D
Better make them 8. Just to be safe!
Yer just going to have to break out the old McCullough to see!
Bet there's some good stuff in there yet. I'd make it meow through the band saw real quick and see what's inside. No point wasting time with dry rot.
I would use the chain saw if that is an option. It can have a bit of salt to it and still be solid enough to work with. I have not really done much in the way of stabilizing. I have seen stabilized spalted wood in shops and most of it seemed like the spalt was fairly thorough. None of it seemed to go to the point of rot though. Spalt is the very first stage of rot. You will have to analyze your pieces as you cut them up. I am a collector of stuff and my wife is a minimalist, so I know your pain. It is all worthless junk until you need it, and around here the store are limited and there is no rental shops.
Stabilizing in cactus juice and the like under vacuum will harden up most punky stuff, but it doesn't fill voids very well in my experience.
You need a thicker epoxy type set up to close the holes, and then it takes on a hard plasticky feel to the finished product..
Chainsaw, or bandsaw into largest pieces you can manage until you chase all the soft stuff out will yield you the most options from the burls. Could end up with some 6, 8, and longer lengths of some nice stock there.
Good luck..
I have some really nasty old willow trunk pieces, ummm spalting, in the back yard still I might clean off and try to save pieces of..
:tu
The only reliably starting saw I have around here at the moment is my sons.
It is duller than heck and cuts to the left. I made it that way.....
I was going to return it as is to pay him back. :rofl2: But I may have to see if I have another chain or sharpen the one that is on it.
Man! Those Stihl files do a great job. I wear chains down to the nubs.
I think that I found a chain that is sharp....
I wrap a tab of electrical tape around the sharp ones so even if they are old looking I don't get them mixed up with the ones that need sharpening.
She wants you to clean them up , probably because she does not like the way they look.
so turn them into something she can relate to & that ain't brushes.
Turn them into organic planters with nice flowers growing out of them.
Dress them up with a chainsaw then put plants in them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hirlau
My chainsaw skill are lacking but I am trying.........
[/QUOTE]Attachment 266101
That is an interesting looking piece of wood! Good luck cutting it down and finding somthing useful:)
Attachment 266101[/QUOTE]Quote:
Originally Posted by 32t
Well,,, after seeing that photo, better just stack them up and have a hot dog & marshmallow roast this weekend. :shrug:
Just got home 12.5 hour day at work. Don't feel like cutting it up tonight. I think it can wait another day....:D
Well,,, after seeing that photo, better just stack them up and have a hot dog & marshmallow roast this weekend. :shrug:[/QUOTE]Quote:
Originally Posted by Hirlau
The hot dogs and marshmallows are for 2 weekends from now.
The first boys only camping weekend with my grandson!
Ending up at least 90% junk.
At least I got practice at making the chain saw sharp.Attachment 266251
That sounds to me like I better get the cherry in my yard cut up befor it is 90% junk too. At least you got some and hopefully the pieces are big enough for some projects. I do not need any practice sharpening a chainsaw though. I would like to rock the snot out of my sons chain saw and them just put it in his shed and not say anything though. One of those get back type things, not that I am bitter or hold a grudge or anything like that.
:rofl2:,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Quote:
Originally Posted by RezDog
Wow! Bankers hours. Wish i only worked that little. Ha. Sorry. 14 to 16 a day for me. But i just sit on my butt most of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by 32t
About half the day was a sewer backup. Siting on a bucket and running a snake in the middle of a puddle of what comes out of butts.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gasman
I hope you fellas don't mind if I get your opinion on some "spalting" wood. There is a "free firewood" posting for an oak that was "...cut down by the electric company 2 years ago." It's only a few minutes from my house.
Do you guys think there is good potential for some burl/interesting wood grain in this bunch? ...I am less than a novice at this sort of thing :shrug:.
Attachment 267106
I'm thinking that the big junk just left of center might be a good choice. Ironically, I only have my Pontiac G6 for which to transport anything with :rofl2:, and nothing larger than a "sawzall" & 16" machete with saw teeth on the spine to cut these into more manageable sizes with :roflmao.
that piece might have potential! I suppose the tools you have will work if your only looking to make brush handle or scales:) Maybe it would even be worth renting a chainsaw.
Good point about renting a saw: it reminded me that one of the cheapest equipment rental place in town is practically right across the street from this firewood listing lol.
That chunk you mention looks the most promising from the picture. That or a crotch that I see a few of. The straight pieces are the boring ones as a general rule. Although with Oak you can get some interesting quarter sawn patterns.
Is the couple of minutes driving or walking? Do you have access to a 2 wheel dolly? Do you have a friend with a truck? That big one would be heavy to lift into a truck.
Just thinking out loud.
Oak is tricky because there are so many variations. However the piece you indicated might have some crazy grain patterns. Splitting it with some steel wedges and a sledge might be another option if you do not know how to use a chainsaw. Safety first. Proper footwear and at least chaps is pretty important. There are reasons why the pros always use them.
Don't forget the safety glasses! (I know a kid who lost the sight in an eye from a piece of wedge shrapnel )Quote:
Originally Posted by RezDog
Thanks for the responses!
It's a few minutes driving distance, probably about 3 miles. My wife's "besty" lives a block from us, and has a Ford Flex & an abundance of free time. They might have a dolly, as well. Her husband doesn't have much better wood splitting options than myself, though lol. I could always get "creative" with some ratcheting tiedown straps, to improve my mechanical advantage, since I would be the only one physically capable.
I grew up in the country. Though I have minimal experience using a chainsaw, I have been around them enough to know safe operation practices. This, thankfully, would be a simple dissection, with no fall hazards, and only minor risk to the extremities (barring Operator error :gth...). Gloves, boots (maybe even my steel-toe work boots), and safety goggles were a given.
