Wow! I'm really happy to be here. If you are reading this, you are reading my stream of conscience at this moment. This blog will be about handcrafted woodworking. As a furniture maker (mostly windsor chairmaker), wood turner, and wood enthusiest, my vision is to create an intersting place to learn about the craft. I don't have all the answers, or all the ideas, but I have some. And I'm looking for the rest! So, let's get started.
Today I worked with thuya burl for the first time. I bought the blank at the Exotic Wood Group, which has treated me well in the past. The nice thing about their website is that they provide pictures of many of the actual wood blanks they have available. That way you at least have some idea what you are getting.
The chunk of burl I received turned out to be pretty sound. It has a few checks, but I think I will be able to work around many of them. It has very nicely figured grain, which is the point right?! I cut a slab off of the chunk (technical, I know) and turned a shave-brush handle out of it for a customer. I have to say, it turned out beautifully!
Anyway, enough bragging. Thuya burl works very nicely. It cuts smoothly for a burl, and finishes well. When I was sanding the brush handle, the sandpaper did load up quickly. That is okay with me, since all I really care about is that I get the finish I want. An extra 20 cents worth of sandpaper is worth it. This stock has some voids, but so far they are easily filled with the finish and a bit of sawdust.
I am using CA for the finish. I will complete the process tomorrow and polish it up. When I get done, I wll post a picture for all to see.
So, this is just the beginning. Stay with me and lets see how things develop!
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