With apologies to Leif and his disciples, not to mention all & sundry
agnostics and disbelievers. This should alienate all sides of rcw in one
post, but I won't go quietly into those dark splits and cracks.

I have some NIP logs over two years old with pith left in that have not
cracked, split nor decayed. They are a little dry, but turned as end
grain, they cut nicely and finish well. Anecdotal, of course, and
perhaps works only in S.E. Fla. and only for me, but if you try it, you
_might_ like it. This is what I do with NIP without blushing. I'm not a
chemist, arborist. botanist, dishwasher, nor manicurist, but I do turn
NIP.

I let fresh NIP (and only NIP) logs lie in "sunshine and in shadow" on
the ground for one or two moons. Then I debark, pressure clean and rough
turn, leaving tenons and/or center dimples. Then I slop any brand of
dish detergent liberally over the entire blank. Then I store the blanks
covered and off the ground until I want to turn them in the years to
come.

Adverse comments, questions of senility and implications of stupidity
are expected and welcomed. Meanwhile I'll turn some old, but uncracked
NIP blanks into ? art.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

(Arch) wrote:

I let fresh NIP (and only NIP) logs lie in "sunshine and in shadow" on
the ground for one or two moons.

Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow?

"Arch" wrote in message
...
I have some NIP logs over two years old with pith left in that have not
cracked, split nor decayed. They are a little dry, but turned as end
grain, they cut nicely and finish well. Anecdotal, of course, and
perhaps works only in S.E. Fla. and only for me, but if you try it, you
_might_ like it. This is what I do with NIP without blushing. I'm not a
chemist, arborist. botanist, dishwasher, nor manicurist, but I do turn
NIP.

I let fresh NIP (and only NIP) logs lie in "sunshine and in shadow" on
the ground for one or two moons. Then I debark, pressure clean and rough
turn, leaving tenons and/or center dimples. Then I slop any brand of
dish detergent liberally over the entire blank. Then I store the blanks
covered and off the ground until I want to turn them in the years to
come.

Adverse comments, questions of senility and implications of stupidity
are expected and welcomed. Meanwhile I'll turn some old, but uncracked
NIP blanks into ? art.


Is the bark waterproof? If you have to debark after a couple years, sounds
as if it might be. Birch behaves like that, but with no resin, it goes punk
pretty rapidly.

It would appear from how common long-grain turnings in NIP are, that it's a
pretty forgiving wood on that account. Almost like aspen or elm.

I know the British found it unsuitable for masts and spars, being too
fragile. Since Eastern white pine was prized for the same, it must be
strange indeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norfolk_Island_Pine

I only turned a salad bowl from NIP a week ago. Timber was fresh and
it was turned to display the radial branch piths along the base.
It has split around and through all branch points (those that have
seen NIP turned this was will understand what I mean).

I want to try something that was recommended to me recently: Rough
turn item, place in freezer for 1 week; remove and leave in lower
section of fridge for at least 3 weeks. A local professional turner
claims to have improved his yield from green roughed bowls
significantly and now has about 10 old two door fridges as part of his
equipment.

Regards,
Alan

On Mon, 2 May 2005 10:51:56 -0400, (Arch) wrote:

With apologies to Leif and his disciples, not to mention all & sundry
agnostics and disbelievers. This should alienate all sides of rcw in one
post, but I won't go quietly into those dark splits and cracks.

I have some NIP logs over two years old with pith left in that have not
cracked, split nor decayed. They are a little dry, but turned as end
grain, they cut nicely and finish well. Anecdotal, of course, and
perhaps works only in S.E. Fla. and only for me, but if you try it, you
_might_ like it. This is what I do with NIP without blushing. I'm not a
chemist, arborist. botanist, dishwasher, nor manicurist, but I do turn
NIP.

I let fresh NIP (and only NIP) logs lie in "sunshine and in shadow" on
the ground for one or two moons. Then I debark, pressure clean and rough
turn, leaving tenons and/or center dimples. Then I slop any brand of
dish detergent liberally over the entire blank. Then I store the blanks
covered and off the ground until I want to turn them in the years to
come.

Adverse comments, questions of senility and implications of stupidity
are expected and welcomed. Meanwhile I'll turn some old, but uncracked
NIP blanks into ? art.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

Hi Alan,

Many thanks for your response. I'm not sure where you live and if NIP
is plentiful there. If it is cheap enough to experiment, consider buying
a bottle of LDD before buying freezers. I let it lie for a while to
encourage the green streaking that I like.
After a few weeks the bark is easily stripped. If you, or any one should
try it my way please report happy success .....or dismal failure.
******************************************

Hi LD.

Sad to say, altho the pipes are calling, there are no glens, valleys,
mountain sides or snows in these parts. Not all the leaves are dying,
but the streets here are loud and red with blood.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

Alan, I meant to ask you if some of the splits have closed by now. I
find that NIP is one of the best timbers for self healing.

I sure would like to hear of some other's experience with NIP. I think
it is a special timber for turners. The branches make artists out of
journeymen. End grain turns easily. Preserves well. Translucent when
turned thin, nicely robust when not. Takes any or needs no finish. Comes
in all sizes and is relatively cheap and plentiful here.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

Hi Alan

Alan, just read the subject line's last three words.
Every tree up here gets frozen for a few months at the time, and they
sure will still split like you would not believe.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

Hi Arch

Glad to oblige you Arch, just bring me some of that plentiful NIP next
time you come up to the great white north, I will, and am sure some more
along the way, will be glad to do some experimentation with it.

The only NIP I could get my hands on up here is the one in my sons
mother in laws living room, it hardly makes good blanks for a thin wall
NIP bowl.

OOOOOOOHHHH to keep on dreaming, so many kinds of trees and so little
time left, sheeees I better get back to the shop, sliced a approx. 24" 4
branch Maple crotch up yesterday, took me nearly all day but got some
real nice slabs out of it, and sure don't want to have them split all up

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

Arch wrote:
/snip/
I sure would like to hear of some other's experience with NIP. I think
it is a special timber for turners. The branches make artists out of
journeymen. End grain turns easily. Preserves well. Translucent when
turned thin, nicely robust when not. Takes any or needs no finish. Comes
in all sizes and is relatively cheap and plentiful here.


Turn to Safety, Arch
Fortiter



http://community.webtv.net/almcc/MacsMusings

G'day Leo,

Very good for you as it will save any partner complaining that you
have taken over the freeezer with timber!.
I guess you can return your roughed bowls to the forest for a week
instead of the freezer!

Best regards,
Alan

On Wed, 04 May 2005 11:02:32 -0400, Leo Van Der Loo
wrote:

Hi Alan

Alan, just read the subject line's last three words.
Every tree up here gets frozen for a few months at the time, and they
sure will still split like you would not believe.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

"Alan" wrote in message
...
G'day Leo,

Very good for you as it will save any partner complaining that you
have taken over the freeezer with timber!.
I guess you can return your roughed bowls to the forest for a week
instead of the freezer!


Save your freezer space. As cold air holds less moisture, you're really
just maintaining a high relative humidity. Which is a good thing, but not
necessary in most places until you're down to the FSP of about 30% moisture
by weight. By lowering the temperature, however, there's not much
evaporation possible anyway, so you're not getting there.

Now the frost-free refrigerator design might be helpful in that it exhausts
the moisture given off by the bowl. That's how kilns operate - high RH and
air exchange.