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hughie
25th October 2006, 11:54 PM
I picked up some very dry merbau off cuts from a decking job recently. Glued em together with idea that they would make a good platter/bowl.
What I did not allow for was the hardness :eek: [9 months drying out side]and the degree of difficulty in getting a smooth surface both inside and out. if you run your hand over it you can feel the uneven surface.
Gonna have to revise my method on this stuff...any tips greatfully accepted :confused:

The dimensions are 37cm [14.5''] x 7.5cm [3''] with a base dia of 16cm [6.5''] so its more decorative than functional.Finished with shellawax
in hindsite it might have better to use an oil finish.... cant see the lumps ;) :D then. :D

Yogi Rasi
26th October 2006, 12:17 AM
Hughie, No advice. It looks beautiful to me. I just turned my second bowl from some English timber, reasonably dark and hard by European standards. I oiled them with a liquid beeswax. They look dull although the grain is beautiful. How do I attach a thumbnail so I san show you?
Yogi

Skew ChiDAMN!!
26th October 2006, 12:30 AM
Finished with shellawax
in hindsite it might have better to use an oil finish.... cant see the lumps ;) :D then.

Looks good just the same, Hughie, I can't see any faults in the finish. Would the "uneven surface" be the effect of the glue hardening the timber at the joints? I've been toying with the idea of doing something similar with purplehart decking, although not to the same scale.

I'd suggest using Shellawax Cream instead of the liquid the next time, 'cos it has longer working time which allows you to "work the lumps out." ;)

Joash
26th October 2006, 12:33 AM
Looks fine to me, though the cat in the second pic, and the next bowl on in the third picture look better:p

Nah, top job for that timber,--hate it

Joash

TTIT
26th October 2006, 09:08 AM
Can't see anything wrong with it in the pics Hughie but that's the beauty of being able to show only what you want shown I suppose. Can't offer any advice as I haven't tried laminated work. Looks fine to me :) - even if it is a bit big for a cat's bowl!;)

hughie
26th October 2006, 09:29 AM
Can't see anything wrong with it in the pics Hughie but that's the beauty of being able to show only what you want shown I suppose. Can't offer any advice as I haven't tried laminated work.


Vern, my camera does not have a macro set up, add to that my ability in taking pics......:( But at the right angle you can em :mad: Tried closer and could not keep the focus...maybe OE tho' :D




Looks good just the same, Hughie, I can't see any faults in the finish. Would the "uneven surface" be the effect of the glue hardening the timber at the joints? I've been toying with the idea of doing something similar with purplehart decking, although not to the same scale.



Skew,
Nah the hard spots are the timber its self, glue is PVA.I ended up going over the inside with one of those third sheet auto body sanders...better but still got some ripples, dips and lumps.
Purple heart would look good, I am toying with laying the boards over on angle next time. ////////// some thing like this to give a different effect rather than ||||||||||| this.




How do I attach a thumbnail so I san show you


Yogi, As you compose the message scroll down and you will see in ''Addional Options'' a Button marked ''Manage Attachments'' This is for up loading your pics, I generally put mine on the desk top and do it from there and keep em small, about 40kb or less. Look forward to your pics

lubbing5cherubs
26th October 2006, 10:27 AM
Hughie Nice work. Well I love it anyway...Nice
Toni

OGYT
26th October 2006, 12:02 PM
Hughie, I like it, and like the others, can't see anything wrong with it. Nice glue-up... spaces aren't visible... :o
I have a Tuxedo Cat, also. Looks like he has a cousin in Sidney!

Yogi Rasi
26th October 2006, 06:01 PM
Great bowls of fire. Sorry Mate, I got my Bowls on the desktop but couldn't attach them. Probably too large anyway.
Yogi:o

hughie
27th October 2006, 11:51 AM
I like it, and like the others, can't see anything wrong with it. Nice glue-up... spaces aren't visible... :o
I have a Tuxedo Cat, also. Looks like he has a cousin in Sidney!
[/QUOTE]

Al,
I squeezed the the daylights out of it with a couple of sash clamps :eek:

As for the cat its a suburban pedigree, sorta Heinz 47 variety type :D

Thanks guys for all the positive feed back...ta

Skew ChiDAMN!!
28th October 2006, 12:39 AM
Nah the hard spots are the timber its self, glue is PVA.I ended up going over the inside with one of those third sheet auto body sanders...better but still got some ripples, dips and lumps.
Purple heart would look good, I am toying with laying the boards over on angle next time. ////////// some thing like this to give a different effect rather than ||||||||||| this.

Next you'll be getting into herring-bone, then various paver layouts... and sooner or later you'll discovered you've slipped into seg work without realising it! :eek::D

I've a few metres of PHeart decking and I know I'll never lay my hands on a decent sized PHeart bowl blank, so... I reckon that if a dry-clamp the pieces together and mark the inner circle, I can cut the "future waste" out of each board on the BS for use as pen-blanks and still glue up a blank that'll hopefully have Wow potential. [fingers Xed] Assuming I don't screw up, of course.

hughie
28th October 2006, 12:53 AM
Next you'll be getting into herring-bone, then various paver layouts... and sooner or later you'll discovered you've slipped into seg work without realising it! :eek::D


Yeah its worry :D but I am getting counselling for it... should be ok in a couple of years..................:D :D




I've a few metres of PHeart decking and I know I'll never lay my hands on a decent sized PHeart bowl blank, so... I reckon that if a dry-clamp the pieces together and mark the inner circle, I can cut the "future waste" out of each board on the BS for use as pen-blanks and still glue up a blank that'll hopefully have Wow potential. [fingers Xed] Assuming I don't screw up, of course.


Now that sounds like a darn good idea, sorta like a bandsaw bowl saver :D

Skew ChiDAMN!!
28th October 2006, 01:50 AM
Now that sounds like a darn good idea, sorta like a bandsaw bowl saver :D

'Sactly! :D

I feel bad enough wasting the "tread" portion of the decking by passing it through the thicknesser... if I could reroute the shavings into a collection bottle instead of the seperator with all the other crud, I would! :o;)

tashammer
28th October 2006, 06:00 AM
what a pity that there isn't some sort of device like a bacon slicer that could cut off a very fine strip. Hmm, how about something like a hydraulic jack operated veneer knife - think of a horizontal picture framing guillotine. Needs a way of slicing whilst still maintaining steady even pressure?