Woodworkers, I'd like some advice

[Bryophyte]

I've got a cap from off of a burl that was on a stump of an old cedar (I think it was cedar) that had been cut as old-growth, probably many many decades ago. I pulled it off and it is still in very good shape, and it would make a cool art type bowl. What tactics would you recommend for removing the bits of decaying wood that are hanging on in the middle (dremmel?), and what method should I use to sand/polish it (considering the intricate shapes)?

Here are some pics:

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Bryophyte/burl1.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Bryophyte/burl2.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Bryophyte/burl3.jpg

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

A dremmel sounds like a good plan on removing the decaying material. As far as sanding and polishing, I'd suggest by hand with some sandpaper. Start with some 60, then go over it again with 40, then again with 20 if you can find it. Would normal wood polish not work because you might be eating from it? I'm not sure on that, but I'm sure there's got to be some sort of sealer/polish out there that you can use that will allow you to wash it, isn't there?

 

[mryellow2]

Burn it out imo! Of course I have no idea if that'll really work or not.

 

[PawNtheSandman]

Use the dremel and hand sand.

If you want a gloss finish, go to Home Depot or Lowes and get the 2 part epoxy bar top epoxy. 1 coat of this is = to 60 coats of polyurathane. If you see those tree ring clocks, that is the same finish. It is around $16 for a pint.

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: mryellow2
Burn it out imo! Of course I have no idea if that'll really work or not.

It's already hollowed out, just needs cleaning up. I would think that removing the charred wood would be harder than removing the small areas of soft wood.
-------
I won't be eating from it, Nik. It'll just be decorative.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Bryophyte
I won't be eating from it, Nik. It'll just be decorative.

What good is a decorative bowl?

I guess I don't have enough sh|t to have to put it all in a bowl to show off

*runs and hides*

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: Nik

Originally posted by: Bryophyte
I won't be eating from it, Nik. It'll just be decorative.

What good is a decorative bowl?

I guess I don't have enough sh|t to have to put it all in a bowl to show off

*runs and hides*

:|

 

[Howard]

Smoke a bowl

 

[43st]

Doesn't look usable for much of anything, but the pictures dont' really describe it well.

I'd mount it on a flat piece of wood (to secure it) and use a chisel to hollow it out slowly. After you get the basic shade sand the hell out of it.

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: Thera
Doesn't look usable for much of anything, but the pictures dont' really describe it well.

I'd mount it on a flat piece of wood (to secure it) and use a chisel to hollow it out slowly. After you get the basic shade sand the hell out of it.

It IS hollow. Just needs cleaning up and sanding. Is there anything better than ordinary sandpaper for getting into the grooves and crevices? I don't want to end up with a completely flat surface, it's got nice texture.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

One of the reasons you use sandpaper by hand is that you can fold the sandpaper, roll it up, do whatever to it so you can sand all the surfaces without having to figure out how to jam an oversized dremmel bit into a smaller or odd-shaped hole, or having to keep switching bits constantly to get all the odd little spaces. It's much easier to feel the natural shape of the wood with just sandpaper and your hand than it is through the handle of the dremmel. Plus you save electricity and can boast that you made it "by hand"

 

[43st]

Originally posted by: Bryophyte

Originally posted by: Thera
Doesn't look usable for much of anything, but the pictures dont' really describe it well.

I'd mount it on a flat piece of wood (to secure it) and use a chisel to hollow it out slowly. After you get the basic shade sand the hell out of it.

It IS hollow. Just needs cleaning up and sanding. Is there anything better than ordinary sandpaper for getting into the grooves and crevices? I don't want to end up with a completely flat surface, it's got nice texture.

I'd use a bench sander for the exterior. Sometimes a belt sander in a vise works just fine. I'd use a lathe for the interor, just be sure you secure it to a temporary piece of wood first. If you don't have a lathe you can rig a variable speed drill motor with a shaft and pillow block. You'll need sharp blades though and those can be pricey, sharpen them often.

Some towns actually have do-it-yourself shops that you can pay by the hour to use some bench tools. That may've gone out of fashion when the lawsuit became popular though.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Nik
One of the reasons you use sandpaper by hand is that you can fold the sandpaper, roll it up, do whatever to it so you can sand all the surfaces without having to figure out how to jam an oversized dremmel bit into a smaller or odd-shaped hole, or having to keep switching bits constantly to get all the odd little spaces.

While your latter point is valid, the former one it insane....my dremels are never oversized, but I am not an Ompaa Lompaa so maybe that's the difference.

 

[ktehmok]

That's a nice chunk of wood, I can't really tell if it's cedar or not. I'm not that experienced, one whiff of the shaving's should tell you though.

I've made a lot of gun grips & that looks like a piece of wood with a lot of potential. Too bad my hands can't take the strain of hand carving anymore.

 

[biostud]

I would polish the wood.

 

[ktehmok]

Originally posted by: biostud
I would polish the wood.

Yeah, I tried my hardest to avoid any references to the affection of wood. For this very reason. The Beavis & Butthead factor is sure to kick in.....

 

[biostud]

Originally posted by: ktehmok

Originally posted by: biostud
I would polish the wood.

Yeah, I tried my hardest to avoid any references to the affection of wood. For this very reason. The Beavis & Butthead factor is sure to kick in.....

But where else to post them than here?

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: Thera

Originally posted by: Bryophyte

Originally posted by: Thera
Doesn't look usable for much of anything, but the pictures dont' really describe it well.

I'd mount it on a flat piece of wood (to secure it) and use a chisel to hollow it out slowly. After you get the basic shade sand the hell out of it.

It IS hollow. Just needs cleaning up and sanding. Is there anything better than ordinary sandpaper for getting into the grooves and crevices? I don't want to end up with a completely flat surface, it's got nice texture.

I'd use a bench sander for the exterior. Sometimes a belt sander in a vise works just fine. I'd use a lathe for the interor, just be sure you secure it to a temporary piece of wood first. If you don't have a lathe you can rig a variable speed drill motor with a shaft and pillow block. You'll need sharp blades though and those can be pricey, sharpen them often.

Some towns actually have do-it-yourself shops that you can pay by the hour to use some bench tools. That may've gone out of fashion when the lawsuit became popular though.

The wood isn't round, so I don't see how a lathe would help.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Perhaps a random orbital sander. BTW, Nik is wrong in that sandpaper gets rougher as the numbers go down. You would start with lower numbers and work up as the piece shapes up.

 

[Pliablemoose]

The wood needs to be cured/dried in a kiln, that can be a problem

I've seen a guy turn "green" wood, it was pretty cool Steven Russell

BTW lathes turn non round wood into round wood, you can literally start out with a square piece of wood and make a bowl, sphere, etc...

The kind of stuff you're talking about doing is more art than "woodworking", & sounds like a fun project

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
The wood needs to be cured/dried in a kiln, that can be a problem

I've seen a guy turn "green" wood, it was pretty cool Steven Russell

BTW lathes turn non round wood into round wood, you can literally start out with a square piece of wood and make a bowl, sphere, etc...

The kind of stuff you're talking about doing is more art than "woodworking", & sounds like a fun project

Get thee to a nunnery

Yeah, the lathe is the best solution, but I assumed he did not have access to one. Maybe he can use yours

 

[Pliablemoose]

Originally posted by: Hayabusa Rider

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
The wood needs to be cured/dried in a kiln, that can be a problem

I've seen a guy turn "green" wood, it was pretty cool Steven Russell

BTW lathes turn non round wood into round wood, you can literally start out with a square piece of wood and make a bowl, sphere, etc...

The kind of stuff you're talking about doing is more art than "woodworking", & sounds like a fun project

Get thee to a nunnery

Yeah, the lathe is the best solution, but I assumed he did not have access to one. Maybe he can use yours

The Ridgid or the Jet?

I was just watching a DVD of Steven Russell yesterday I bought at the woodworking show I need to buy some parts & make some pens...

 

[Bryophyte]

I have in my shop, or have access to in family/friends' shops, all sorts of tools, including a lathe...it's just that a lathe won't do sh!t for me with this project. I doubt the wood needs to be cured at this point. There is no way it is 'green' wood. The tree has been dead for decades, and the bowl-shaped piece of burl wood been sitting in a hot, dry location for months. It's as stable as it'll ever get.

I'm going to pick up some of those sanding sponges tomorrow when I go to town. I've used them before and they're easier on the hands than plain sandpaper. I'll see if they help. I've been working on the outside of the bowl some this evening. Starting to look pretty nice, it has good potential.

 

[43st]

Most lathes have an end point where you can attach bowls to work the center. If you want the center to not be round then you're going to have to do it the old fashioned way, with a chisel and sandpaper.

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: Thera
Most lathes have an end point where you can attach bowls to work the center. If you want the center to not be round then you're going to have to do it the old fashioned way, with a chisel and sandpaper.

Did you look at the pictures? It's not round, it's more like irregularly football shaped.