Hi Jeb,
Doesn't answer your question, but since wood is plentiful here, I can be
both
lazy and thrifty by staying out of Mother Nature's way in her efforts to
help me.

I often just wait for short logs to split and dry or spalt. Many will
have a single very deep crack straight along the length of a short log
that often can be easily wedged into fairly equal halves. The big crack
seems to have 'used up' the cracking forces and the two splits remain
stable. The two splits can be further rived for spindles (or firewood)
or left intact for cross grain work. After cleaning up the ends by
cutting to size the rough surfaces are easily prepared for holding with
spur
centers or pin or single screw chucks.

For Norfolk Island Pine I remove the limb stubs and bark with a hatchet,
then rough to cylinders. Then slather any 50-50 liquid dish detergent
liberally over the entire roughed blank. The clean blanks dry and remain
stable and are easily stored. Might not work for other timbers or other
turners or in other galaxies, but it works for me.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



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