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Advice before I turn a lump of elm burr

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Les Symonds:
I'm thinking of using a disk of elm burr that came with the batch of blanks that I bought recently. It's 12" x 2" and will only just fit over the bed-bars on my lathe. The blank is very pippy, as this picture shows.....


.....and it's probably several years old. It's shape is anything but flat, in fact I'll be lucky if I get an inch and a half out of it, but at least (I think) it should be bone dry and quite stable after I work it.



My doubts about this piece revolve around what to make.....I'm assuming that it will have to be a platter, but perhaps there's other options that I just haven't thought about. Also....what does elm burr turn like? The pieces of myrtle and thuya that I turned recently were quite nice to work with and took a finish well, but the visible grain on this makes me think that it's going to be tricky.

If anyone has any advice it will be gratefully accepeted.

Thanks guys....Les

woodndesign:
Les, I'd say save it for Ron ...  Late-ron .. it will keep, has done so far and someday you'll have the need for just that .. if only pen blanks if burr if right through it, then a platter would be nice..  Give it time.

Don't send it to George, even if he makes the suggestion ..   ;D ..

David

bodrighywood:
Decent sized platter would be ideal but unless you have something specific in mind at the moment I'd go with David. Burr elm isn't exactly everyday wood and it's a piece worth storing for a special purpose IMHO. It'll probably be very hard and you will need sharp tools.

Pete

David Buskell:
Hi Les,
 
I have a piece of Burr Elm about 10" x 2" which I bought from Nigel at Woodworks on the lathe right now.

You're doing the right thing to consider your options! All the burr elm I have sold so far has been because customers like the swirly grain so I took time to see what design would show off as much of the grain as possible.

Check out Mark Baker's book Woodturning Projects which has some good ideas. I've decided to go with bowl with incurved rim for my piece.

The wood cuts well but does take the edge off your tools quickly so the grinder will be working overtime!

I;ll post a photo when the bowl is finished.

David

TWiG:
Once you have "trued" up the bottom ( outside ) glue a block of scrapwood to it to cut your dovetail chuck tenon into ( assuming you are using one !) it will save some thickness /depth . Then when you have finished the piece you can then reverse turn it to remove the tenon ! .... Simples !!!

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