Elementary Turning Blank Question

First, Chuck, is there candy as well as cookies on the dark side?

Vaughn McMillan said:

Cynthia, the link Alan pointed to is good basic info, but like cats, there are a bunch of different ways to skin a log. This is one of the best references I've seen for illustrating how a turned piece (and thus a turning blank) can be oriented within a log:

http://www.woodturnersresource.com/extras/projects/Log_to_turn_Object.pdf

Since it's likely you're going to end up with more wood than you can turn in the next couple of months, I'd suggest leaving the blanks as big as possible in half log chunks (after removing the pith).

Click to expand...

Vaughn, that's a terrific article. Gave me lots of insight into turning--not that I'm planning on taking it up...it has always struck me as an art and I consider myself more of a craftsperson than an artist.

So do turners like burls but not knots? Or burls *and* knots?

Is this a knot or a burl?



How about this one?



For the purposes of you lathe-mongerers, how should I cut up this giant lumpy 1' thick X 5' across pancake on the bottom of the tree into usable blanks that I can send to people?



THANKS

Slight course correction. The dark side is the one without electricity - hand tools.

The slippery side is the one with lathes - and not only candy, but CHOCOLATE! And I don't mean just Michigan walnut.

You tell 'er, Carol!

Cynthia, to me, it looks like the first pic is a burl and the second one is a knot. The first one may be a burl that grew over a knot, and the second one my have some burl figure around the knot. Confusing, innit? And at least speaking for myself, I prefer burls over knots. (Knots often want to crack when they dry.)

That pancake at the bottom probably holds some awesome wood. Since the grain in it is probably going every which way, there's probably no wrong way to cut it. Without seeing what's under the bark, my best guess would just be to cut it into manageable-sized chunks. It'd probably be handy for them to be roughly square, but they can be equal-sided cubes or rectangular in shape (with the top and bottom being a rough square and the sides being either shorter or longer). Does that make sense?

Vaughn McMillan said:

That pancake at the bottom probably holds some awesome wood. Since the grain in it is probably going every which way, there's probably no wrong way to cut it. Without seeing what's under the bark, my best guess would just be to cut it into manageable-sized chunks.

Click to expand...

PERFECT. I read you loud and clear. No wrong way to cut it. That's what I wanted to hear Just big square chunks with the grain going every which way! I got it! Sealant (or latex paint) on all cut faces but not on the bark. I got it!

Thanks Vaughn.