Advice please.....

[ChrisF]

Hi all...

Got some beech trimmings from a tree in the garden.  Split a crotch down the middle and found this lovely bit.  It's not big, about 6" diameter.  I've roughed it out and now intend to leave it to dry for a while.  So....what about the inclusions?  Is it worth trying to stabilize them now with CA or wait till it's dry, or....?  Or am I better turning it to finished size now?

All thoughts and advice most welcome.

Chris

[bodrighywood]

My Experience: if it is still wet then the inclusions will likely move irregardless of anything you do to stop them. I would leave to dry thouroughly first then decide whether to simply reinforce with CA glue (make sure you coat with sealer first or the glue will stain the surroinding wood) or fill them. maybe just leave them as a feature.

Pete

[seventhdevil]

personally i would just leave it to dry, i am in the same position as i was turning a cherry burr that someone gave me and inside the wood was folded over on itself making a filling of bark and air in a woody sandwich.

i'm leaving mine as i think it looks nice and natural.

[Les Symonds]

My immediate thought, before reading your comments and upon seeing the photos, was that this is ash. Ash trees grow cankers which have random bark incursions and the wood, when turned wet, oxidises and reddens at the surface. I was therefore surprised to see that it's beech, until I took a closer look at the lower half of the second picture and saw all the medullary flecks, which certainly suggest that it is beech.
Having said that, my instinct is always to turn it in one go because when leaving a  piece like this to dry out after initial shaping, it can move so much that it might not be re-workable.

Les

[ChrisF]

Thanks for the thoughts guys.  I think I'm inclined to finish it as best I can then leave it to dry and see what happens.

Les, no question that it's beech, it's a trimming from an enormous copper beech in our courtyard just outside the back door so it's provenance is not in question.  It's also very wet (was only trimmed two weeks ago) and is changing almost hourly as it dries.

[Les Symonds]

Thanks for the thoughts guys.  I think I'm inclined to finish it as best I can then leave it to dry and see what happens.

Les, no question that it's beech, it's a trimming from an enormous copper beech in our courtyard just outside the back door so it's provenance is not in question.  It's also very wet (was only trimmed two weeks ago) and is changing almost hourly as it dries.

Cheers, Chris....the doubts were only momentary...those medullary flecks made it clear that it was beech, once I'd spotted them!

Another advantage of finishing a piece like this whilst it's still fresh is that the timber is a little more forgiving and flexible whilst it's wet.....once it's dried out it will be much more brittle and interesting little bits could fly off!

Les

[seventhdevil]

Thanks for the thoughts guys.  I think I'm inclined to finish it as best I can then leave it to dry and see what happens.

Les, no question that it's beech, it's a trimming from an enormous copper beech in our courtyard just outside the back door so it's provenance is not in question.  It's also very wet (was only trimmed two weeks ago) and is changing almost hourly as it dries.

i was going to suggest that it was copper beech when i made my initial comment as well as it has that pink streak in it which i've only seen in copper beech, good to know that i was right.

beech usually dries fairly well in my experience and as it's a small bowl i don't think there will be much problem.

i leave my wet bowls outside but undercover this time of year and they all dry really well.