Greetings,

I have been exclusively turning green wood, but ran across an
interesting piece of very dry spalted dogwood. Attempts to turn it
have been somewhat less than impressive. The wood is very dry,
somewhat soft, and possibly deteriorated in a few areas. Turning the
OD results in some tearout, but most of this can be sanded away. But
I am attempting to turn a cup with the endgrain at the ends, and
cannot get a smooth cut for hollowing purposes. It sort of lumps the
grain together into dozens of bumpy masses, but doesn't really cut -
at least not like green wood does. Sharpening the tools doesn't
really help.

Any ideas on how to cut this stuff, or is it a lost cause?
Would soaking this blank in soapy water help?


Greg G.

Greg G. said:

I have been exclusively turning green wood, but ran across an
interesting piece of very dry spalted dogwood.

Actually, it's beech, not dogwood - don't know why I said that. :-\


Greg G.

Lots of ways to try, but first, make sure you're cutting bottom up.

If the depth is not too great relative to the diameter, you should be able
to work a bowl gouge or fingernail spindle inside it. To begin the
finishing cuts on the bottom you may find your tool handle far to the right
of centerline at the start. Just follow the curl, moving off the nose to
the wing as you start up the side.

Best tool for this is the right-angle gouge - a ring tool like the Termite.
Worst, but still workable is a scraper. If you're going to scrape the
bottom, clean the sharpening burr from the tool and turn a smooth one with a
burnisher. Start center, nose down, roll into the scrape to get a bit of
shear as you pull the tool outward.

I wouldn't try to soften the wood with anything. Might try to consolidate
it with some shellac or lacquer, CA or one of the commercial products so it
doesn't peck out. Water'd have a tendency to foster tearing.

Greg G. wrote in message
...
Greg G. said:

I have been exclusively turning green wood, but ran across an
interesting piece of very dry spalted dogwood.

Actually, it's beech, not dogwood - don't know why I said that. :-\


Greg G.

Hi Greg,
I've had good luck with shellac, Minwax Wood Hardener and a thin epoxy
product sold for solidifying rotted wood work on homes (can't remember the
name right now. If the wood is really soft go for the Minwax or epoxy,
otherwise the shellac works well.
Tony Manella
ndd1"at"prolog.net (remove "at")
http://home.ptd.net/~ndd1/
Lehigh Valley Woodturners
http://www.lehighvalleywoodturners.com/

Greg G. wrote in message
...

Greetings,

I have been exclusively turning green wood, but ran across an
interesting piece of very dry spalted dogwood. Attempts to turn it
have been somewhat less than impressive. The wood is very dry,
somewhat soft, and possibly deteriorated in a few areas. Turning the
OD results in some tearout, but most of this can be sanded away. But
I am attempting to turn a cup with the endgrain at the ends, and
cannot get a smooth cut for hollowing purposes. It sort of lumps the
grain together into dozens of bumpy masses, but doesn't really cut -
at least not like green wood does. Sharpening the tools doesn't
really help.

Any ideas on how to cut this stuff, or is it a lost cause?
Would soaking this blank in soapy water help?


Greg G.

George said:

snip
Best tool for this is the right-angle gouge - a ring tool like the Termite.
snip
I wouldn't try to soften the wood with anything. Might try to consolidate
it with some shellac or lacquer, CA or one of the commercial products so it
doesn't peck out. Water'd have a tendency to foster tearing.

Thanks, I'll try again. The problem is, this wood doesn't want to cut
and curl, it wants to chip out.

I've looked at the Termite, but wasn't sure it was worth a try.
Also looked at the Sorby Hollowmaster. Is this the same as the Sorby
RS-2000? Is it worth considering?

Peck out - *that's* the phrase I was looking for...


Greg G.

That's a scraper. No worse, no better than any other for punky wood. Kids
bought me the handle and hooker tool a few years back. Still tell people
about the year they got dad a "hundred dollar hooker" for fathers' day.

The Termite is a gouge edge perpendicular to the handle, and cuts end grain
beautifully. About all I use it for, though. Some of the newer hollowing
tools like the Proforme use the same principle, but with a chip limiter.
Might due, haven't tried 'em.

Greg G. wrote in message
...

I've looked at the Termite, but wasn't sure it was worth a try.
Also looked at the Sorby Hollowmaster. Is this the same as the Sorby
RS-2000? Is it worth considering?

Peck out - *that's* the phrase I was looking for...


Greg G.

Greg G. wrote in message . ..
George said:

snip
Best tool for this is the right-angle gouge - a ring tool like the Termite.
snip
I wouldn't try to soften the wood with anything. Might try to consolidate
it with some shellac or lacquer, CA or one of the commercial products so it
doesn't peck out. Water'd have a tendency to foster tearing.

Thanks, I'll try again. The problem is, this wood doesn't want to cut
and curl, it wants to chip out.

I've looked at the Termite, but wasn't sure it was worth a try.

Greg
I have done quite a lot of spalted maple as you can see he
http://www.peterhyde.bravehost.com/
I found that you need a lot of speed once it is round. Best results
came from a sharp skew on the outside and a Termite followed by a
light touch with a scraper on the inside. Sanding it a problem because
the soft areas will sand quicker than the hard and you end up with
some very lumpy out of round turnings. I used lacquer as a finish and
found after many coats I could do some light sanding. I polished with
pumice and rottenstone and then waxed.
Now then I am currently using Liquid Dish soap (Diluted 50%) I leave
the spalted wood in it for a few weeks and found it then turns almost
like fresh wood. Trouble is the LDD soaks right through the blank and
continues to foam as you are cutting. Sanding means using wet and dry
automotive sandpaper but you get a really smooth finish. I only go to
600 grit. The problem is the wood is so full of soap it will not take
a finish. I am using waterbased poly at the moment but it takes weeks
to dry so I am also trying to wash out the soap with water baths and
then allow to dry in a paper bag. I don't think cracking or warping
will be a problem as the wood is already past seasoned and in fact is
rotting. Also make sure which ever method you use you zap the piece
for a few seconds in the microwave to kill any wood borers that might
be lurking.
Hope this helps
Peter hyde

Peter Hyde said:

Greg
I have done quite a lot of spalted maple as you can see he
http://www.peterhyde.bravehost.com/
snip
Hope this helps
Peter hyde

Hi, Peter,
Wow! I just finished this Pencil Cup, turned in spalted beech,
finished it with 3 coats of lacquer, sanded to 600, polished with
automotive polishing compound, and waxed with Johnsons Paste Wax.

Then I read your reply... Great minds think alike, eh? ;-)

Granted, it's nothing special - the lines are crude and I just turned
it on the fly with no plan in mind. But it is only the second thing I
have ever turned, and I think it turned out pretty well.

Two images he

http://www.thevideodoc.com/images/Tu...cil_Cup02s.jpg
http://www.thevideodoc.com/images/Tu...cil_Cup01s.jpg

Thanks for the information!
I'll try to put it to good use in the future.
Also, nice looking pieces on your web site!


Greg G.

peter wrote:
I have done quite a lot of spalted maple as you can see he
http://www.peterhyde.bravehost.com/
I found that you need a lot of speed once it is round.

excellent turning peter. i like turning this stuff too. i agree with the need
for speed here, but with some added steps. i do the outside to shape, then
wrap with flat twine like this stuff:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...=32004&categor
y=1,43456,43391
(watch for line wrap)
when i hollow. this seems to hold things in the same place if it decides to
blow up(or out).


Best results came from a sharp skew on the outside and a Termite followed by a
light touch with a scraper on the inside.

i like and use a spindle gouge on the outside tho i'm sure we probably use the
same "shear cut" to do the work. for hollowing i use a forstner bit to clear a
center hole, and various scrapers to finish cutting. do you think you would
buy the termite for this again? i would love something faster and cleaner to
hollow with.

Sanding it a problem because
the soft areas will sand quicker than the hard and you end up with
some very lumpy out of round turnings.

this is definitely the second biggest problem. the first, imho, is the blank
exploding while you turn. these spalted things rarely have much integrity.


I used lacquer as a finish and
found after many coats I could do some light sanding.

I have tried soaking in a 50/50 solution of white glue/water after rough
hollowing. This worked ok, but the glue tends to block the oil finish I like
to use€¦go figure.


I polished with pumice and rottenstone and then waxed.

Now then I am currently using Liquid Dish soap (Diluted 50%) I leave
the spalted wood in it for a few weeks and found it then turns almost
like fresh wood. Trouble is the LDD soaks right through the blank and
continues to foam as you are cutting. Sanding means using wet and dry
automotive sandpaper but you get a really smooth finish. I only go to
600 grit. The problem is the wood is so full of soap it will not take
a finish. I am using waterbased poly at the moment but it takes weeks
to dry so I am also trying to wash out the soap with water baths and
then allow to dry in a paper bag. I don't think cracking or warping
will be a problem as the wood is already past seasoned and in fact is
rotting.

Thanks for this. I had thought of trying ldd, as I like it for green turning.
I guess I'll pass tho. I sometimes soak in a clear oil until the piece is
full and allow to dry, and do this until the oil completely fills the grain.
Allow to dry and you'll find the oil will consolidate the spalted grain and
allow light turning and sanding. The keys here are "completely fill" and
"allow to dry. This does change the color, as any oil finish will, and might
not be acceptable on light woods, like aspen. I've never used any water based
finishes so don't know if they would work the same.

Also make sure which ever method you use you zap the piece
for a few seconds in the microwave to kill any wood borers that might
be lurking. Hope this helps
Peter hyde

oh come now peter, I prefer mine raw, with a little cocktail sauce. Nothing
beats a big juicy wood borer flying out and hitting my face shield. Yum!!

I turn pens with some very drp spalted maple. I have stableized some
with 'Pentacryl' which you can get from Woodcraft. Others, I begin
turning, and stop periodically and coat the piece with CA glue. Works
pretty good too.

On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 03:26:57 -0400, Greg G. wrote:


Greetings,

I have been exclusively turning green wood, but ran across an
interesting piece of very dry spalted dogwood. Attempts to turn it
have been somewhat less than impressive. The wood is very dry,
somewhat soft, and possibly deteriorated in a few areas. Turning the
OD results in some tearout, but most of this can be sanded away. But
I am attempting to turn a cup with the endgrain at the ends, and
cannot get a smooth cut for hollowing purposes. It sort of lumps the
grain together into dozens of bumpy masses, but doesn't really cut -
at least not like green wood does. Sharpening the tools doesn't
really help.

Any ideas on how to cut this stuff, or is it a lost cause?
Would soaking this blank in soapy water help?


Greg G.

Greg G. wrote in message . ..
Peter Hyde said:

Greg
I have done quite a lot of spalted maple as you can see he
http://www.peterhyde.bravehost.com/
snip
Hope this helps
Peter hyde

Hi, Peter,
Wow! I just finished this Pencil Cup, turned in spalted beech,
finished it with 3 coats of lacquer, sanded to 600, polished with
automotive polishing compound, and waxed with Johnsons Paste Wax.

Then I read your reply... Great minds think alike, eh? ;-)

Granted, it's nothing special - the lines are crude and I just turned
it on the fly with no plan in mind. But it is only the second thing I
have ever turned, and I think it turned out pretty well.

Two images he

http://www.thevideodoc.com/images/Tu...cil_Cup02s.jpg
http://www.thevideodoc.com/images/Tu...cil_Cup01s.jpg

Thanks for the information!
I'll try to put it to good use in the future.
Also, nice looking pieces on your web site!


Looks pretty good to me Greg, keep up the good work. Spalted wood is
probably one of the most difficult to turn depending on how soft it
is. I got a lot of practice turning styrofoam at work and that is how
I learned the light touch on a skew chisel.

Peter Hyde said:

Greg G. wrote in message . ..

Thanks for the information!
I'll try to put it to good use in the future.
Also, nice looking pieces on your web site!


Looks pretty good to me Greg, keep up the good work. Spalted wood is
probably one of the most difficult to turn depending on how soft it
is. I got a lot of practice turning styrofoam at work and that is how
I learned the light touch on a skew chisel.

Thanks, the turning went OK, but I should have worked on the shape a
little more. And it was quite difficult to cut, sand, and finish.
The blank was almost weightless - I didn't think it would stay
together on the lathe, but it did.

But I have to ask, however. Why are you turning styrofoam??


Greg G.

"Tony Manella" ndd1 at prolog.net said:

Hi Greg,
I've had good luck with shellac, Minwax Wood Hardener and a thin epoxy
product sold for solidifying rotted wood work on homes (can't remember the
name right now. If the wood is really soft go for the Minwax or epoxy,
otherwise the shellac works well.

Thanks for the info, Tony.


Greg G.

Edward said:

I turn pens with some very drp spalted maple. I have stableized some
with 'Pentacryl' which you can get from Woodcraft. Others, I begin
turning, and stop periodically and coat the piece with CA glue. Works
pretty good too.

Thanks for the info, Edward.


Greg G.