Yellow Box

[Chipman]

I went to visit my FIL yesterday and he gave me a piece of yellow box firewood.

I turned it up into a vase/urn this afternoon.
Size is 100 mm dia by 100m tall (maximum recoverable size from the block of firewood) Finished with eee ultrashine and shellawax

You will notice it has a flaw... a bark inclusion. My choice was to knock it out/let it fall out leaving a hole or reinforce it with CA. I opted for the latter...looks a bit dark obviously.

As a relative newbie to this sort of thing, did I do the right thing or should I have mixed wood dust and CA filled it completely?

I am interested in what you all think

Cheers,
Chipman

[masoth]

Lovely work Chipman - personally, I'm a firm believer in 'the more natural, the better' so I think you've done the right thing. Surely you will recieve praise from FIL when you play show and tell. Well done.

soth

[tea lady]

Oh! Yellow box. :cool: Now I know what those bits I got will look like.:2tsup: I personally like the knot natural looking. You did good.:U:D

[Sawdust Maker]

Extremely nice chunk of firewood:2tsup:

[prozac]

Nice proportion and good natural too.

[Geof Ford]

Hi there, Tea Lady ,Grumpy John,

I noticed that you both refered to the timber I took to D J,s as yellow box, I dont think that the case as the tree it came from is what we know as grey box reasonably plentiful around here, yellow box, is much the same but has a smother bark,will look forward to see what you make with it. Wishing everyone the Season Greetings & a prosperous New Year :):):) Geoff

[edzell]

My choice was to knock it out/let it fall out leaving a hole or reinforce it with CA.

I got the gist of "Numpty" but can't guess what CA is. Please enlighten?

Merry everything!
Edzell

[Chipman]

Hi Edzell,

CA means "cyanoacrylic" glue....common name "super glue"
Ther are a whole lot of different ones: thin, thick, gel, fast set etc.
Actually, I got cut on the head recently and instead of stitching it, they glued it together with super glue or CA.

Cheers,
Chipman

[Rum Pig]

That is a stunning piece of fire wood you found I bet you FIL will be glad he did not burn it:)
As for the knot I like to do as you have done, leave it natural. You can get some interesting shapes and patterns in the knots, I like to fill them so there is no hole but is clear like glass so you can still see the natural beauty beneath. Having said that some people do some nice looking pieces with adding things to there filler but I think you made the right choice.

[Chipman]

That is a stunning piece of fire wood you found I bet you FIL will be glad he did not burn it:)
As for the knot I like to do as you have done, leave it natural. You can get some interesting shapes and patterns in the knots, I like to fill them so there is no hole but is clear like glass so you can still see the natural beauty beneath. Having said that some people do some nice looking pieces with adding things to there filler but I think you made the right choice.

Hi RP,

What do you use to get the "clear like glass" filler?

Cheers,
Chipman

[Rum Pig]

Hi RP,

What do you use to get the "clear like glass" filler?

Cheers,
Chipman
For small holes I first use thin CA and then think CA but do not put to much in at once or it will not dry. If the holes are big I use the thin CA and then Epoxy resin. Some people turn the glue away once it is dry but I have found it better to hand sand then just do a fine trim sand and polish. I have bought a product called glass coat but I have not tried it yet.
I hope this helps

[Chipman]

For small holes I first use thin CA and then think CA but do not put to much in at once or it will not dry. If the holes are big I use the thin CA and then Epoxy resin. Some people turn the glue away once it is dry but I have found it better to hand sand then just do a fine trim sand and polish. I have bought a product called glass coat but I have not tried it yet.
I hope this helpsThanks

[Gil Jones]

Chipman, seems to me you did quite well on this piece. I like it as it is, and also like the bead (or what looks like a bead at the rim). Fine looking wood too!
What really matters is whether you like it...:)

[rsser]

An option for a hole that size is epoxy mixed 50/50 with coffee grounds or similar. Turns and sands fine.

[masoth]

Ern, I've read before of using coffee - does it matter if the grind has been used and allowed to dry oujt?

soth

[rsser]

Dunno soth; never tried it. Suck it and see.

[masoth]

:u:u

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Used grounds may possibly even be better, as the oils have been leeched out.

Not that I've tried it for myself; I prefer to eat coffee beans and aren't too sure I want to go anywhere near the... ummm... "used" ones. :;

Either way, I'd suggest experimenting on pieces that yo don't mind losing first, as it takes a bit of practice/experience to get the mix right. This is one of the few occasions I'll use CA instead of an epoxy.

[rsser]

Did you know that there's now a seriously expensive supply of coffee beans that have passed through the digestive tract of monkeys, which changes them such that the flavour is now valued by conoisseurs?

[masoth]

I'm so bluddy pleased you informed me ot that Ern.:D

soth

[Chipman]

.......enough to make you give up coffee!!!!!!!!

[joe greiner]

Very nice shape and finish, Chipman.

I'm with Ern on the coffee and epoxy, usually fresh, not particularly careful about proportions - just add enough coffee to produce a stiff "mortar." And fill proud of the final surface, so that cutting and sanding exposes "aggregate" like terrazzo.

Yeah, I've heard of it, Ern. Thanks (not) for reminding me.:rolleyes:

Cheers,
Joe