Box Elder firewood

Bill Simpson

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What do you do with Hollow forms? I had Hollow form on my mind when I saw this chunk of firewood, but I wish I had turned it into a bowl instead... Just couldn't let this chunk of Box Elder go up in smoke...

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That's a verrrry nice piece of flame box elder... what to do with it.... just set somewhere so you can see it every day.. what is your finish on the piece??

I just picked up a few chunks last week.. the tree trunk was about 10 ft long x about 25-30 inches diameter...not quite as much flame in mine, but enough..... I'm working on my first two bowls from the wood...it's so green I get a water line across the shop floor about 5 feet long.
 
what is your finish on the piece??

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As usual Wipe-on Poly A friend cut down a Box Elder tree Last Summer and sent the chunks over the hill. Didn't see much Flame but I suspect this summer there will be some Spalting so I plan to visit and do some slecting of the goods....
 
Thanks... I use a lot of W/O Poly... nice to know that someday I might get mine to look like yours. I haven't tried a true hollow form yet, now that I have a good supply of box elder, might have to try it.. after it drys a little more.. It's very wet still and I get a good soaking when I turn it.
 
Thanks... I use a lot of W/O Poly... nice to know that someday I might get mine to look like yours.

How do you apply it? I use a piece of Tee Shirt material folded into a square then using a hemostat (forcipes) clamp on and hold the pad like a brush. I pour the poly in a small bowl (kept from mixed fruit bowls my wife makes me eat) this keeps the poly can closed. Then I dip the pad in the poly and make a wet application. The secret is to not work the finish, we have a tendency to go back over places but poly begiong the drying process as soon as it is applied and the offgassing begins making it look like you skipped a spot, leave it alone and it will float out, if you rewipe you trap the tiny bubbles and create a rough surface. Allow to dry overnight between coats.


after it drys a little more.. It's very wet still and I get a good soaking when I turn it.

Although there are naysayers to alcohol soaking, I firmly believe it does help. Wear an apron and face shield to prevent a good soaking & turn to near the finished shape and size, then soak overnight in alcohol and wrap in brown paper to dry a few days or weeks I have used scales to weigh the piece and watch the weight drasticly drop, when it stabilizes then unwrap and turn it the rest of the way.
 

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Thanks, I usually use the t-shirt material and an old tupper ware/ziploc bowl whichever it is, pour the poly on the cloth and wipe it on.... I may be guilty of the overwipe.. will take care not to do that. I don't use the forcepts though, I put on the nitrile gloves and wipe on by hand.

On the wet wood, I do pretty much as you described... I like the DNA soak. One piece of the box elder, I just spun dry... I turned it thin and let it sit and spin on the lathe for about 1/2 hour at 1500 rpm... it was about dry when I took it off.. then ran it through the microwave for two or three cycles.
 
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