Semi-gloat.

I stumbled across some slippery elm while helping clear a building site
for a Kingdom Hall recently. At first I had NO idea what I had on my
hands. Lots of it was set by the road with a sign that read "free
firewood". But, curious about the color, I hung on to a few larger pieces.

I've got enough to make perhaps 15 bowls and I hope I can find more before
this runs out!

The wood itself is basically a walnut brown but it has
awesome interlocking tan grain that really shows up when turned at shallow
angles (think platter or shallow bowl). It's a very fine herringbone sort
of pattern (think fine lace or partridge breast plumage) that is both
subtle at first glance but very pronounced on closer examination.

I turned it wet and I think you should, too, if you get the chance. It
turned beautifully easy. But wear a raincoat, the sap spins out of here
like crazy!

My moisture meter pegs at 26%. I turned two bowls at near-net dimensions
(about 3/8 sidewalls; 1/2' base) then dried them to 6-10% in the
microwave. It took about 30 minutes of microwave time (spread out over
several hours) to get the wood below 26% moisture content.

When wet, the wood stinks somewhat like the north end of a southbound
horse.

Once dry, it sands nicely.

So far I don't have anything completed yet, but wiping it with a pure
tung oil + turpentine mix popped the grain nicely and gave it a soft
sheen. I haven't yet made up my mind, but that may be all the finish it
gets. It looks good right where it is.

Bill

Bill,
Where is this tree native to? Be great if you could email a picture to me.

TomNie

"W Canaday" wrote in message
news
Semi-gloat.

I stumbled across some slippery elm while helping clear a building site
for a Kingdom Hall recently. At first I had NO idea what I had on my
hands. Lots of it was set by the road with a sign that read "free
firewood". But, curious about the color, I hung on to a few larger pieces.

I've got enough to make perhaps 15 bowls and I hope I can find more before
this runs out!

The wood itself is basically a walnut brown but it has
awesome interlocking tan grain that really shows up when turned at shallow
angles (think platter or shallow bowl). It's a very fine herringbone sort
of pattern (think fine lace or partridge breast plumage) that is both
subtle at first glance but very pronounced on closer examination.

I turned it wet and I think you should, too, if you get the chance. It
turned beautifully easy. But wear a raincoat, the sap spins out of here
like crazy!

My moisture meter pegs at 26%. I turned two bowls at near-net dimensions
(about 3/8 sidewalls; 1/2' base) then dried them to 6-10% in the
microwave. It took about 30 minutes of microwave time (spread out over
several hours) to get the wood below 26% moisture content.

When wet, the wood stinks somewhat like the north end of a southbound
horse.

Once dry, it sands nicely.

So far I don't have anything completed yet, but wiping it with a pure
tung oil + turpentine mix popped the grain nicely and gave it a soft
sheen. I haven't yet made up my mind, but that may be all the finish it
gets. It looks good right where it is.

Bill

"W Canaday" wrote in message
news
Semi-gloat.

I stumbled across some slippery elm while helping clear a building site
for a Kingdom Hall recently.


When wet, the wood stinks somewhat like the north end of a southbound
horse.


Elm - slippery, American, rock and Siberian are all great turning wood.
Near bulletproof drying, as you've discovered, and handsome when burnished
to let the grain reversals shine.

Was cutting some hard maple felled in July yesterday. Had a rich, wine
smell to it as the sap had begun to ferment. Altogether pleasant, as my
visiting daughter noted. She suffered through willow and elm many times,
but used to hang out with me when I was turning cherry.

Bill:

Just learned a new thing here using the microwave. However, discussing
it with my wife, who has more knowledge than me in wood
characteristics, and a laid back approach to things, she asked me the
following question.

"What settings did he use and at what time windows in doing it? The
wood might crack if it is done wrong or explode with the steam in its
inner core.": These were good thoughts, and I had no idea of the
outcome.

Furthering pondering great thoughts while ensconsed on my white
porcelein god, I wondered about limitations or size. Could you put a
block of wood in there and do it? What size would be the limit? What
about pitch in pines etc?

We use small trees and limbs we collect while prowling the woods for
unique pieces or shapes or for burls. Sometimes we will bring home
pieces with a rough diameter of four inches. After peeling we try to
work with them and some are just to wet. So, the thought of drying
them out this way is appealing.

Any suggestions or comments here would be appreciated by us from you or
anyone else who uses this technique.

Thanks

Maquah

On Sun, 13 Nov 2005 20:37:52 GMT, (Chuck) wrote:

On Sun, 13 Nov 2005 00:35:14 -0500, W Canaday
wrote:

From the subject line, I thought you were going to describe a grammar
school for eels or somesuch.

The wood itself is basically a walnut brown but it has
awesome interlocking tan grain that really shows up when turned at shallow
angles (think platter or shallow bowl). It's a very fine herringbone sort
of pattern (think fine lace or partridge breast plumage) that is both
subtle at first glance but very pronounced on closer examination.

Sounds _very_ much like the characteristics of American elm, with the
exception of the color, which in that species is kind of a pale
yellowish color. It has a beautiful chatoyance with sanded and
finished and is very split-resistant.

ok.. I have to ask... watz chatoyance???


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Sun, 13 Nov 2005 00:35:14 -0500, W Canaday
wrote:

From the subject line, I thought you were going to describe a grammar
school for eels or somesuch.

The wood itself is basically a walnut brown but it has
awesome interlocking tan grain that really shows up when turned at shallow
angles (think platter or shallow bowl). It's a very fine herringbone sort
of pattern (think fine lace or partridge breast plumage) that is both
subtle at first glance but very pronounced on closer examination.

Sounds _very_ much like the characteristics of American elm, with the
exception of the color, which in that species is kind of a pale
yellowish color. It has a beautiful chatoyance with sanded and
finished and is very split-resistant.


--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply.


September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

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"mac davis" wrote in message
...
ok.. I have to ask... watz chatoyance???

Cat's-eye look. Different reflections from different grain.

You've seen the stone?

On Sun, 13 Nov 2005 11:32:24 -0800, mac davis
wrote:



ok.. I have to ask... watz chatoyance???

Irridescence. The same quality that gives figured maple the "figure."
Basically it's just reflection of the light at different angles that
gives it a 3-D look.


--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply.


September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----

I think my wife might have a small problem with my microwaving wood that
"Smells like the North end of a South bound horse) in her microwave.

Barry


"maquah" wrote in message
ups.com...
Bill:

Just learned a new thing here using the microwave. However, discussing
it with my wife, who has more knowledge than me in wood
characteristics, and a laid back approach to things, she asked me the
following question.

"What settings did he use and at what time windows in doing it? The
wood might crack if it is done wrong or explode with the steam in its
inner core.": These were good thoughts, and I had no idea of the
outcome.

Furthering pondering great thoughts while ensconsed on my white
porcelein god, I wondered about limitations or size. Could you put a
block of wood in there and do it? What size would be the limit? What
about pitch in pines etc?

We use small trees and limbs we collect while prowling the woods for
unique pieces or shapes or for burls. Sometimes we will bring home
pieces with a rough diameter of four inches. After peeling we try to
work with them and some are just to wet. So, the thought of drying
them out this way is appealing.

Any suggestions or comments here would be appreciated by us from you or
anyone else who uses this technique.

Thanks

Maquah

On Sun, 13 Nov 2005 16:12:55 -0500, "George" George@least wrote:


"mac davis" wrote in message
.. .
ok.. I have to ask... watz chatoyance???

Cat's-eye look. Different reflections from different grain.

thanks, George...

You've seen the stone?

nope.. is that a turning video I missed? *g*



mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 04:24:39 GMT, (Chuck) wrote:

On Sun, 13 Nov 2005 11:32:24 -0800, mac davis
wrote:



ok.. I have to ask... watz chatoyance???

Irridescence. The same quality that gives figured maple the "figure."
Basically it's just reflection of the light at different angles that
gives it a 3-D look.

Ahhh.... just last night, a neighbor was looking at the stuff on the bench and
when she picked up the yellow heart bowl, she said that it looked both
"iridescent" and "reflective"...
(no I didn't give it to her)


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

"mac davis" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 13 Nov 2005 16:12:55 -0500, "George" George@least wrote:


"mac davis" wrote in message
. ..
ok.. I have to ask... watz chatoyance???

Cat's-eye look. Different reflections from different grain.

thanks, George...

You've seen the stone?

nope.. is that a turning video I missed? *g*


Neat stuff. Used to make jewelry with it when I was _much_ younger and into
lapidary. http://www.davesdowntoearthrockshop.com/teye.htm

On Sun, 13 Nov 2005 06:44:41 -0500, Tom Nie wrote:

Bill,
Where is this tree native to? Be great if you could email a picture to me.

TomNie

So far as being 'native' in the botanical sense, I think its range is
primarily the eastern 1/2 of the US, with a predominance in the northern
2/3 of that range. The Native American Indians valued it highly for a tea
made from its bark. I looked this stuff up when trying to identify the
wood but didn't pay too much attention to the range beyond simply
verifying that the tree was growing within its confines.

This particular tree met the saw in Detroit, MI

Bill

On Mon, 14 Nov 2005 06:00:37 -0600, Barry N. Turner wrote:

I think my wife might have a small problem with my microwaving wood that
"Smells like the North end of a South bound horse) in her microwave.

Barry


Aha! Another good argument for a trip to the Borg!

Actually, the aroma is faint -- ya gotta get up close (but this DOES
assist in its identification -- the aroma is distinctive to this wood) and
not noticeable inside the microwave after use.

Bill

On Sun, 13 Nov 2005 11:26:01 -0800, maquah wrote:

Bill:

Just learned a new thing here using the microwave. However, discussing
it with my wife, who has more knowledge than me in wood characteristics,
and a laid back approach to things, she asked me the following question.

"What settings did he use and at what time windows in doing it? The wood
might crack if it is done wrong or explode with the steam in its inner
core.": These were good thoughts, and I had no idea of the outcome.

Furthering pondering great thoughts while ensconsed on my white
porcelein god, I wondered about limitations or size. Could you put a
block of wood in there and do it? What size would be the limit? What
about pitch in pines etc?


A) Cool thing that your wife shares this avocation with you!

B) I set the microwave on high for a period of 1-4 minutes. Basically, I
stop when I can see steam leaving the wood and let it cool down. Normally
I would be drying several at a time so , while one is cooling,the others
get their turns heating. Just make certain (my guesswork) to give the
steam a chance to fully vent before zapping it again. Most woods are
fairly porous, so the cooling time is probably more than needed for the
venting.

C) I have another microwave in the basement specifically for drying wood.
(thank you, Yahoo Freecycle groups!) I have dried blocks as large as 12"
diameter by 5" thick. I give it longer cycle times at about 70% power and
longer rest time. The steam is deeper in a raw blank so, after the first
few cycles, I no longer watch for it but keept setting the microwave to
the same energy levels and time as got me steam previously (obviously this
varies for every chunk of wood ... after a half-dozen or so you'll start
getting a feel for how high and how long).

D) I don't know anything about drying pine. You're on your own there. But
I can tell you that emerald ash borer beetles will catch fire if trapped
inside the wood. DAMHIKT

On Sun, 13 Nov 2005 06:44:41 -0500, Tom Nie wrote:

Bill,
Where is this tree native to? Be great if you could email a picture to me.

TomNie


I've got two bowls about 1/2 way done. When they get done, I'll post
to abpw.

Bill