PDA

View Full Version : How well does bloodwood turn ?



JDarvall
4th March 2007, 06:32 PM
Turning novice I am.

I've been given a stack of bloodwood by neighbor. Green as can be. (He works as a council worker falling trees. Gets to take plenty of wood home)

Asked me to make up a stand from it to hold a basket cot for his son's wife whose having a baby soon.

I said 'its a bit green mate'......' nah, she'll be right' he said. :roll: ooookay.

The frames pretty much finished, and I was gonna turn 4 knobs to sit ontop of each leg.

I'll try turning some scrap bloodwood anyway to see firsthand..... but just like to hear what you guys think. The stuff looks a bit gnarly.

Skew ChiDAMN!!
4th March 2007, 06:45 PM
The frames pretty much finished, and I was gonna turn 4 knobs to sit ontop of each leg.

I'll try turning some scrap bloodwood anyway to see firsthand..... but just like to hear what you guys think. The stuff looks a bit gnarly.

I've had little practice with Bloodwood; I vaguely remember one goblet self-destructing on the lathe and a bowl that never made it out of the shed... but I don't remember exactly why. Probably just that I screwed up. :shrug: But since when has lack of familiarity prevented any of us from dispensing useless advice? :D Here's mine...

You have two things working in your favour; firstly it's green. Almost any wood is far easier to turn well when it's green. It's soooo easy to get long curlies flying over the shoulder that it's all too easy to get carried away and start making toothpicks before coming back to reality when you realise you're out of blanks and still haven't managed to make what you originally intended... :-

Secondly, because the frame is green, any minor imperfections in the knobs will be made insignificant if (when?) the rest of the wood starts to move as it dries. :rolleyes:

If it's gnarley and you get a lot of tear-out while using a gouge or skew, then try switching to a scraper. It may take longer to remove the material, but scraping often works where slicing cuts won't (same thing happens with hand-planes, I think?) and would probably be quicker than trying to sand out tear-out. :wink:

JDarvall
4th March 2007, 07:06 PM
Thanks Skew. reassuring. :; Have to pin them tenons reeeeeeal gooooood.

AND...I've got to make 4 of them all the same ontop of all those problems.:roll: :U ....if its too hard, I'll turn it from something else....maybe. I don't know.

What I still don't get though. He gave me 4 casters to sit under the legs, so they can roll the baby around.......but there's no brakes on the casters !....Is it just me ? or would that worry you too...

dai sensei
4th March 2007, 07:07 PM
Bloodwood turns Ok, especially if it is gnarly, should get some nice grain features. Like any gum, it gets very hard when dry.

Turning green is fine, but building with green is a different story. Not sure about your design, but gluing/finishing is a real problem. Also, the tannins will leach out onto your floor, and if you hit a gum vein it will bleed.

JDarvall
4th March 2007, 07:15 PM
Bloodwood turns Ok, especially if it is gnarly, should get some nice grain features. Like any gum, it gets very hard when dry.

Turning green is fine, but building with green is a different story. Not sure about your design, but gluing/finishing is a real problem. Also, the tannins will leach out onto your floor, and if you hit a gum vein it will bleed.

Glad to hear it may turn ok.

I think your right Neil about the green frame problem. It won't come apart I reakon.....but it may develop a big twist... probably end up sitting 3 legged all the time. Kid be able to rock itself to sleep as he slides out the room into the hall...etc
. Anyway, its not as if I didn't mention it to him. :B .

Skew ChiDAMN!!
4th March 2007, 07:20 PM
What I still don't get though. He gave me 4 casters to sit under the legs, so they can roll the baby around.......but there's no brakes on the casters !....Is it just me ? or would that worry you too...

How did his son survive him long enough enough to start a fresh generation?

Our old cot didn't have brakes, just the old piano casters. But they didn't come out with brakes back then and they do now, so I'd sleep easier knowing it had brakes. I'd be even happier knowing that the wood wasn't going to twist and warp and maybe dump it's load on the floor.

I wonder if the tannins will seep into the mattress/bedding? Neil?

(Just playing up the bad side here. :wink: )

JDarvall
4th March 2007, 07:21 PM
I wonder if the tannins will seep into the mattress/bedding?

:doh: oh shiittt.

Skew ChiDAMN!!
4th March 2007, 07:48 PM
Is there any sort of deadline attached? (There usually is with cots. :()

If not, I reckon the safest course of action would be to mill the wood to rough size and see just how resiny it is. Maybe wash it down with thinners or meths to remove the obvious surface oils/tannins and then stack it with stickers some place dry for a week or two. Then recheck it for warpage/splits and see how resiny it is. Wash/rinse/repeat.

If, after a month or so, you judge it unsuitable then get the bloke to look at alternative timbers...

Don't settle for "that's how he wants it" if you're not happy with it 'cos it's your name attached as the maker and nobody wants a reputation for shoddy workmanship. 'Cos if it all falls apart, what's the bet the bloke will blame you for it and not the timber he supplied, no matter how many times you warn him?

JDarvall
4th March 2007, 08:30 PM
Is there any sort of deadline attached? (There usually is with cots. :()

yep. Pretty soon. Also, I'm starting a new full time job next week, so I like to get it finished before then.

But, I'll try and catch up with him and voice my concerns. I may have misled when I said the frames pretty much finished. Everythings thicknessed and cut to length. But, I haven't actually jointed it yet.....but that'll just take 1/2hour. Floating tenons made, just gota rout out the grooves tomorrow morning hopefully. Then fancy it up in places with slight curves and beads etc. And them knobs.

But there's still time to sticker it, and thickness latter , since I haven't jointed ! ....even though it'll get smaller and smaller, there should be enough meat there......



If not, I reckon the safest course of action would be to mill the wood to rough size and see just how resiny it is. Maybe wash it down with thinners or meths to remove the obvious surface oils/tannins and then stack it with stickers some place dry for a week or two. Then recheck it for warpage/splits and see how resiny it is. Wash/rinse/repeat.

If, after a month or so, you judge it unsuitable then get the bloke to look at alternative timbers...

I don't think there'll be any tannin sort of problem. The stuff looks free of that sort of thing. Second photo there....looks like that throughout. Thicknessed nicely....a little tear here and there, but nothing I would worry about.

I did sticker it for a couple of days. Moved a touch....tell when you sat the pieces together....maybe 1/2 mill bend in it in places.



Don't settle for "that's how he wants it" if you're not happy with it 'cos it's your name attached as the maker and nobody wants a reputation for shoddy workmanship. 'Cos if it all falls apart, what's the bet the bloke will blame you for it and not the timber he supplied, no matter how many times you warn him?

Good point.....He doesn't want anything flash to begin with you see. But I don't want it to look boring either.

He's actually one of those blokes who would say 'its my fault'....rarity I know. But still, not good practise is it. People may still connect the rickity thing with me latter. Your right.

lubbing5cherubs
4th March 2007, 08:43 PM
Mate I do your research on cots to make sure the rails are close as a coke can. You don't want bub to get it head stuck or blamed for Sid later on. So make sure it bubby safe. Just a word of advice. I hate to see you get sued later for everything you got
Toni

Skew ChiDAMN!!
4th March 2007, 08:44 PM
yep. Pretty soon. Also, I'm starting a new full time job next week, so I like to get it finished before then.

Busy, busy, busy! Congrats on the job, BTW.

You never know, it might move a bit but hold together quite well. I've made chairs like that... :- But it's not something I'd count on.

Have you thought about pegging/pinning the tenons? You know, so if the glue comes unstuck it'll still have some integrity? Floating tenons wouldn't be my choice for this, but you play with the cards you're dealt. :shrug: If you can't make it perfect, then make it bullet-proof. :D

JDarvall
4th March 2007, 09:00 PM
Mate I do your research on cots to make sure the rails are close as a coke can. You don't want bub to get it head stuck or blamed for Sid later on. So make sure it bubby safe. Just a word of advice. I hate to see you get sued later for everything you got
Toni

Thanks Toni, but its just a stand, with a basket sitting on top. The kids in the basket. Nowhere to get its head stuck I think.

Ta Skew.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100&#37;" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER- 1px inset; BORDER- 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!! http://mt0.woodworkforums.com/images/button2/viewpost.gif (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?p=473150#post473150)
Have you thought about pegging/pinning the tenons? You know, so if the glue comes unstuck it'll still have some integrity? Floating tenons wouldn't be my choice for this, but you play with the cards you're dealt. :shrug: If you can't make it perfect, then make it bullet-proof. :D


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Not the best I spose. But there the flavour of my week you know. Still going to pin them.... since its green maybe I should pin each floating tennon twice (on leg and stretcher) ...probably a good idea. Could even just pin them with small nails and cover over the heads..:roll: ....

Yeah, make it bulletproof. :; .....

rodent
5th March 2007, 10:34 PM
Thanks Toni, but its just a stand, with a basket sitting on top. The kids in the basket. Nowhere to get its head stuck I think.

Ta Skew.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER- 1px inset; BORDER- 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!! http://mt0.woodworkforums.com/images/button2/viewpost.gif (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?p=473150#post473150)
Have you thought about pegging/pinning the tenons? You know, so if the glue comes unstuck it'll still have some integrity? Floating tenons wouldn't be my choice for this, but you play with the cards you're dealt. :shrug: If you can't make it perfect, then make it bullet-proof. :D


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Not the best I spose. But there the flavour of my week you know. Still going to pin them.... since its green maybe I should pin each floating tennon twice (on leg and stretcher) ...probably a good idea. Could even just pin them with small nails and cover over the heads..:roll: ....

Yeah, make it bulletproof. :; .....

Ive used blood wood a couple of times ,once it has stopped it's initial move ment it will be as sturdy as a rock (not my quote a friends who used to work with it a lot ) and as hard .Its the gum veins that are a pain and as skew said it will turn well start with the gouge (id use a bowl gouge less chatter ) and if it starts to pull then go to a scraper .

JDarvall
5th March 2007, 10:50 PM
Thanks Rodent. I had bit of a go today.....it turned easy alright....but, boy is it wet....frays a little in the wet middle, still when cutting with the grain. Gives the impression that it turn better if it was dryer.

The neighbor also said that generally its pretty good too. Better be anyway. Too late now.

rodent
9th March 2007, 02:08 PM
Thanks Rodent. I had bit of a go today.....it turned easy alright....but, boy is it wet....frays a little in the wet middle, still when cutting with the grain. Gives the impression that it turn better if it was dryer.

The neighbor also said that generally its pretty good too. Better be anyway. Too late now.

Dont forget we want to see some picks just for future reference of course .

JDarvall
10th March 2007, 08:43 AM
Ok Rodent.
I did try turning small ballusters with it, but they broke up at the centre of a 10mm sizing....just twisted itself apart.....too wet and spongy in the middle I guess.

But I've got bigger ones to do. Hopefully today. Post pics then.

JDarvall
10th March 2007, 07:46 PM
here's that pic.....still quite new to turning remember, so don't laugh. :roll:

But it did turn well for me in the end. Made 5 of these knobs the same out of this green bloodwood today.

41780