Santa....I mean UPS brought these goodies today

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Burl Source

Weird Wood Pusher
Joined
Jun 13, 2011
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I always feel like a kid at Christmas when UPS brings me packages of wood that come back from being stabilized at K&G.

Doesn't look like over 100lbs.
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A quick peak inside.
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I need a better look.
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This should keep me busy sanding for a while.
 
Wow, that's a lot of stuff. I am a bit envious... ;)

Stefan
 
I better get this stuff cleaned up and sold before my boss gets my AMEX bill.
140lbs of weird stuff.
 
Good luck keeping all those straight. I sense another sale comming after you burn through a few sanding belts.
 
I have cleaned up all the blocks now.
Here is some of the curly redwood.
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Holy CRAP!!!

That is some of the most spectacular wood I have ever seen!
Get them out now! :)

DarkHOeK
 
Here is some of the other stuff.
Blister Koa, Fiddleback Koa, Camphor Burl, Red Mallee, and Pheasant wood.
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Buckeye and Madrone Burl
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Ash, Eucalyptus and Sheoak
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Some Walnut
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More Walnut
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I would love to have the best Gidgee you got for my knives from Pierre! :)
Pierre: What do you say?

Post some picks BS!! :)
 
Last but not least.
.....Lots of Redwood Burl
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Now I have to get to work measuring, photographing and listing these in the webstore.
This should keep me busy for a couple days.
 
God damn, that marple burl is awesome. I got a handle from your wood, and its awesome! .)
 
Gaaaaawd! You drive me straight into bankrupcy with this kind of stuff.

DarKHoek
 
Showoff ;) I'm not even looking. Well, only a little bit. I think that quilted redwood might be my favorite. A few questions, if I may:

- How did that madrone burl come out. I understand it is very likely to twist and move - did that cause any issues with the stabilizing? I have a large block and have to decide how generously to cut it to account for warping etc.
- Your walnut looks great. I seem to have problems to get walnut burl to shine as much as yours, even stabilized pieces. Not sure why that is. Any recommendations on finishing?
- What do you put on them when you photograph them? Are they wet, laquered?

Thanks,

Stefan
 
Stefan, you call me a show off like maybe it's a bad thing. :spiteful:
That is half of my fun since I don't get to keep this stuff. The other half of the fun is when I get to see photos of what people more talented than me make with it. When you get old you have to take your thrills where you find them.

The quilted looking redwood is some of the most metallic looking wood I have ever seen. It was some curly-ish redwood root that I cut flatsawn. That is why it looks sort of quilted. I didn't know how it was going to turn out. It almost doubled in weight after stabilizing.

With madrone burl there are 2 different successful ways to handle it.
1st way, forget about it for 10 years and then cut up what didn't crack up. (80-90% loss)
2nd way, what I did. I bought from a company that pressure cooks it and then dries it.
Otherwise madrone makes good firewood. We turn away people who bring in madrone stump burls. We buy the arial burls to carve bowls. We carve them green then let them take on a shape of their own and finish them after they are done moving and are dry.
When stabilized, madrone does not have a dramatic weight gain. Only about 25%, like Myrtlewood.
I tested it out by cutting some thin strips and left them in the sun. Didn't move or crack.

The walnut was some really good stuff. Otherwise I have a tough time photographing walnut to look as good as real life. Some of this was an old crotch piece but most of the curly stuff came from a stump burl between the areas with the eyes. Cut 1/4 sawn it looked curly, cut flat it looked like jeweled steel. In between (riftsawn) sometimes looked like tiger stripes.
That is why the figure stands out more than normal. The burl portion with the eyes doesn't flash as much as the other portions. I think it has to do with how much end grain exposed around the eyes. What I do is sand to 120 on the belt sander then 220 with a palm sander to remove the lines. Then I spray them with a single light coat of aerosol lacquer. (I am being lazy, otherwise I would need to sand to about 400 grit to show the potential)

The best finish I have seen with the dark figured woods (stabilized) is to fine sand to 1000+ grit, then a few light coats of tung or danish oil, followed by paste wax and hand buff. This way the figure stays 3 dimensional and alive (still moves and changes shape).
Power buffing with some woods will burnish the figure and make it stand out more, ....but it can kill the life in the chatoyance.
It all depends on what you want. Burnished can stand out across the room. Non burnished is more subtle but mesmerizing to look at close. (just my 2 cents worth)
 
I forgot to post this photo.
Dot ebony, I thought it looks like fossil ivory, and some Afzelia Xylay aka Alligator Skin.
r1012.jpg
 
Thanks Mark, very helpful. And I love the xylay, great pieces.
 
I had to buy the Xylay retail from you know who.
It was either that or spend $2000 to get a big batch from Laos.

That's why it looked so familiar ;) I wish I had picked up a board while the prices were still reasonable...
 
Today I listed a few dozen Blocks of Redwood and Maple Burl in the store.
I am going to call it a day and start on the walnut and others tomorrow.
 
hehehe, I will sell it to you for 100.00. j/k I didnt buy it, but there are some awesome pieces on his website. You have to move pretty quick, I picked some out last night, then booted up my computer this morning to buy and they were gone. Oh well. I am sure I will find something else.
 
I saw them on the store, but I wasn't sure which ones were which. I thought I saw the one bottom right, but not the third one in from the left. Now they both appear to be gone. :(

Sorry,
I have a hard time keeping track. That is why I do the selling through the webstore.
Keeps it dummy proof so I don't make dumb mistakes. Everything is automated so I print a packing list and pull the pieces it tells me to.
My boss says he might get a trained monkey to replace me if I don't watch out.
 
It's okay. I still found a couple pieces I liked and ordered them before someone else did!
 
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