Playing with Burl:)

[maineshops]

Scott how do you cut the slabs out of the burl? I have a couple of smaller cherry burls that I can work with after your inspection.
I was thinking of making a fixture for the sawmill?
Didn’t know you were into lapidary work. When I sold my shop in Wyoming I kept a couple of pieces of equipment. I have some Wyoming jade left if you like to work with that. Dan

[scottp55]

Morning Dan,
On that Pin Cherry burl just posted,Brian(Bobtail Farm) had a friend with a Woodmizer that took a 5/4 slice off the tree side for him.
I'm not slicing...simply machining the bark side down with a pocket toolpath, and then nudging my Z down by eye and feel, until it will be stable when I flip it to the tree side for jigging.
Generally set Z for first pass by eyeball, and then with Whiteside 1.25" Mortising bit, take about .1" off a pass at 3IPS at roughly 16K....it goes quick.
You're the sawmill expert:)

Yep, Was on the road for almost 2 years, and hit the Tucson Gem Show in'96 and bought a Foredom and Diamond Pacific "Pixie" so I could cut in motel room when not camping in the Roadtrek 210 I fixed up for the wheelchair:) Mainly cut Yowah Opal 'cause when I started I was told NEVER to cut Opal! That's the Hardest!!
Went to Tucson a few more years to meet the miners, and now I ain't half bad.
Only a 10" tile saw with a lapidary blade,4"trim saw,and the Foredom and Pixie...so can't do big stuff.
Thanks for the offer, but still have 10 pounds of Alaskan Black I haven't touched in 10 years
Take a look at your Cherry burls, and see if you can jig them?
There's always the chainsaw or a crosscut
Gotta run,
scott

[scottp55]

Had a nice two hour visit with Bobtail Farm and his pup on his way South out of Maine!
Brought me a section of Burl that looks like the same Yellow Birch as that gem display
THIS one will be a bit more of a challenge to figure out what it wants to be:)
Could not RESIST surfacing it to max thickness/sanding/and giving it a pine resin mix coat.
THIRST little bugger just like the other piece.
First side that needed minimal surfacing;

Second side went .125" deeper than a full surface cut needed;

WONDERFUL light in the wood like the other piece!!
Looks MUCH better than the pics taken at end of a 17 hour day
Going to take bark off and play with sanding sides, while I figure it out
My first clock/humidity maybe?
FUN playing and seeing the figure appear instead of imagining:)
scott
Thanks for bring me something to play with Brian!!!

[Bobtail Farm]

thanks for the honor you do me by spending your time and artistic expertise on the odd bit of wood i bring your way.