Just a thought (from a beginner) relating to need for bigger band saw:
Use a belt or disk sander or angle grinder with a 24 or 36 grit wheel.
I often use a hatchet to trim the edges. Needs to be sharp. More
spectacular when others are watching, but, no surprise, a lot more work.

Pete Stanaitis
--------------------

John wrote:
In message , Joe
writes


Cut and sticker as fast as possible.
Remove discolored pieces to separate area ASAP, fungal transfer like
spalting.
Use citric acid - lemon juice to bleach.
Holly is extremely sensitive to iron stain, avoid iron and steel contact.
Wash hands before handling, pay attention when working the wood to avoid
hand residue transfer.

I felled a 20ft high, 16in diameter tree affecting a neighbors fence last
year and got a reasonable yield. None of it was as white as I can
purchase but I use thin pieces for accents and with lemon bleaching it is
usable.


Be careful with the citric acid. It can bleach other woods and can
"bleed" into other woods when doing marquetry. Dry the bleached piece
thoroughly before glue-up next to contrasting (dark) porous woods.

For tool stain transfer issues I use mineral oil on metal tool surfaces.
This reduces/prevents rust and is easy to notice when it contacts your
hands vs. iron transfer which just makes your hands look dirty. When/if
your hands get oily, it reminds you to wash them before handling the
workpiece.


Hi Joe, thanks for the reply

What a lot of useful information. Which has posed some more food for
thought. I had already picked up on Holly taking iron stain from the
hands, but that begged the question as to mount it which you have
adequately anticipated.

Its interesting you use citric acid for bleaching the wood, I remember I
used to use it for cleaning up old low value copper/bronze coins. But
once I left them in a little too long and it ate through the coins. So
would be interested in any recommended concentrations. Should it be
brushed, wiped with a cloth, dipped, or misted using a plant sprayer.

Would applying citric acid mitigate later contamination?

With the risks of contamination is it advisable to completely seal the
blank, and if so what with. I tend to use paraffin wax for sealing end
grain of most blanks as it appears reasonably inert ( I have a large
quantity left from the days I used to make candles), but what about the
liquid based sealers, or even emulsion paint, or diluted PVA.

As to cutting I am sort of limited at present as my bandsaws will only
cut just over 4 inches. I really need to get that bigger saw So they
have been left in half rounds. Is leaving the bark on going to be an
issue? How you handle the contamination risk from the blade as I can't
see oiling it to be a good idea? Would it be a case of applying citric
acid after cutting.

What about storage of blanks, are there other species they should be
kept away from any other species?

I will probably have to look into some open plastic racking, as I can
see a potential issue with the wire racking.