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