What do I do with this???

Carl mitchell

Member
Messages
15
Location
Yemassee South Carolina
So I have a decent sized piece of cedar wood that I really don’t want to waste but I’m not sure how to use it. If anyone could give me any suggestions or tell me if it’s trash I would really appreciate it. 4333BF58-BBEE-460C-9813-F3EFBA4BD529.jpg2FCA9773-2BAB-467A-ACD7-32E207E9B7D8.jpg
 
My first reaction was that it is firewood, but around here nobody wants to burn cedar because of the large amount of ash, and allergies. (I could give you a pick-up load of logs from the cedar I am trying to clear, and have to have the city haul away on their twice-per-year large brush pickup)

But, since you are a turner who either has good dust protection or isn't bothered by cedar allergies, here is what I would do...

First cut, remove the bump that is above your tape from the 5 to 8 inch point. The grain gives you a 7 inch piece for a spindle turning, like your baby rattles.

Second cut, about 3.5 to 4 inches inches off the left side, through the occlusion on the left side, and bypassing the dirt pocket on the top side, near where you removed the first piece. Hopefully you will have a flat area about 7 inches long (the length of your log). That flat area is the ideal starting point for the inside of a bowl, and the bark is the outside of the bowl My guess is that you could cut it in half and get two bowls about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and 3+ inches deep. My technique is to drill a hole on the flat side for a screw chuck, turn the outside of the bowl including a tenon on the bottom, reverse the bowl and chuck it in the tenon while I turn the inside. Finally either make the tenon into a feature (base) or trim it flat with a bandsaw.

Third cut to remove the occlusion what would be about at the 6 inch point if you pivot your tape, across through the indentation where you removed the first piece. Actually cut across the max width across that point, my guess is you would have a slab almost 8 inches wide and 7 inches long, perhaps 4 inches thick, with a bowl waiting to emerge - top along the cut, bottom towards the bark as usual.

You might end up with a slab about an inch thick, that I would call lumber, but spinny people with more experience than me, might call a plate (where a plate is a wide bowl less than an inch deep).
 
Charlie gave an excellent breakdown on the wood. When I see a piece of wood like this, and I have seen and turned similar, I always try an maximize the usage of the wood. It's also a good time to experiment. Experimenting and messing up is one of the best ways of learning I know of. For me, anyway. Experimenting helps you develop your own style of turning. So, go for it. Test your ingenuity. Surprise yourself and then surprise us!
 
Thanks Charlie. I was a little hesitant about keeping the piece at first but now I really want to try and conquer it. And as far as my allergies I take a sinus pill everyday of my life lol. Gonna give this piece all i got and update when I have finished in a few days
 
Ok so after much work and trying to work around the cracks and gouges this is what I ended up with. Sorry about the glare. The mineral oil is still drying
 

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It was from the bottom right. Sadly there was a crack in the upper left that I didn’t see until I was trying to carve it out. Cracks scare me cause I have had a couple pieces break apart recently cause I chose to avoid the crack and turn it anyway
 
There are those who like to turn cedar. I'm not one of them. Cedar is both soft and easy to turn and brittle making it a potential bomb. There often are tiny knots in the wood that catch and will bust open a turning piece like an explosion. Plus, the dust can be very irritating to many people, do wear a good mask if working cedar. However, if you are successful in turning a piece, in one piece, it is often very attractive. I have tons of it laying around outside that will never get worked by me.
 
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