Thread: My first attempt at making scales

beautiful timber
Kind regards Peter

Simon...

I don't know a great deal about woods, but I do know that if it is "green", you could have problems with it while it dries out after it's on a blade. When I have cut pieces of wood for my small projects, I put them in a toaster oven at around 125 degrees for a full day. For thinner stuff, this usually seems to work. If it is going to warp, it usually does it by then.

Most of the wood I use has been stabilized. In fact, I just got back a bunch of dynamite wood from K & G that I had sent to them for stabilization. I will still line most of it because I really like the look of thinner scales.

Maybe the wood guys here on the forum could give some more insight. I'd like to know more about it myself.

You may also want to take a spare piece and flex it to see how easily it breaks at a narrow thickness.

Thanks Bill for the heads-up, the pice of wood there was cut the other day but has been inside in dry storage for years..as far as I know....he cut it on a circular saw which to me had an insanely thick blade as he didnt expect it to work with much sucess.
By green i guess you mean damp? You have more knowledge than I do about these fancy timbers and your method sounds like a really good way of doing the drying out, if thats what the toaster oven is for...(we dont have them as much over here in scotland)...will have soon..when I move to the US...
I dont know really what you mean by stabilization, only what common sense tells me, i think i know what you mean kinda, please excuse my lack of knowledge.
I will definately flex the wood and as it has been lying dry all week, maybe i should exercise caution.

I thank you for the advice Bill, much appreciated, simon

Laburnum is a small European tree which is often used in woodturning. Since it is so small, there is no commercial access to the wood. Chances are your friend, or his friend, cut down the tree himself.

If the wood has been drying for years, chances are it is fine. If it is still wet, laburnum is likely to check or split, so you may have trouble.

The grain is usually straight, and the wood is fairly strong and hard. It is considered fairly dense and heavy, weighing in at around 50lb per cubic foot.

And stabilizing is a process where dry wood is treated with a liquid resin that hardens, essentially making the wood a plastic, almost impervious to water. A worthwhile but expensive process. The major benefit is that softer wood, like spalted woods, can now be cut and used like any regular hardwood. K&G and WSSI are two of the more popular wood stabilizing outfits in N.A\merica.

Best of luck,