cherry :)

[telwebb]

This will probably appear in a couple of places and for that I apologise – but I really need informed opinion so …. just acquired the pictured lump from a cherry tree a mate had felled – what is the best way of conditioning it now to make the best of it?

Cheers

tel

 

[ex-member Raikey]

whats your intended use of it Tel?

for bowls , spoons etc, best to plank it now and then control the dry out while you make the spoon
(Southey has a good knowledge of controlling the dry out, and preventing cracks),..

for knife scales just bring it indoors for 6 months then plank it

 

[Kepis]

leave it as it is, varnish the top and use it as a table

 

[telwebb]

hmm - hoping for the best of all worlds I guess! scales or one piece handles would be my first thoughts

 

[Mesquite]

hmm - hoping for the best of all worlds I guess! scales or one piece handles would be my first thoughts

Paint the ends of it and the cut branch lay it down in your shed and forget about it for a couple of years. Don't store it in a heated environment as that will dry it out too fast and it'll split badly.

Then go back and slice it up for the scales

 

[ex-member Raikey]

Paint the ends of it and the cut branch lay it down in your shed and forget about it for a couple of years. Don't store it in a heated environment as that will dry it out too fast and it'll split badly.

Then go back and slice it up for the scales

not picking for the sake of it but,..

if he,s gonna use it for scales then a few splits here and there wont make a difference

lol,..its not gonna turn into tiny unusable pieces,...,...

sheds sometimes arent the best enviroment, and two years?,...hahaha he'll be making his self a walking stick by then,...

 

[DaveBromley]

I agree with raikey surely 6 months would be enough to season the wood then plank it for scales?

Dave

 

[Mesquite]

I agree with raikey surely 6 months would be enough to season the wood then plank it for scales?

Dave

Each to their own... I'd rather get maximum amount of wood from it plus know that is fully seasoned and won't shrink much more.

I've just found out that a number of the SWC Woodlore are suffering from shrinkage on the scales and are having to go back to be re-handled and that's with a wood that's supposed to be fully seasoned for a lot longer. I've handled one of these with the problem and the amount of shrinkage is very pronounced.

So if an experienced knifemaker like SWC can have problems with scales shrinking it makes sense to do things slowly and properly.

 

[ex-member Raikey]

unless using stabilised wood, even 2 , 3 , 4 even 10 year old "matured" wood will give some movement,

a 100 year old antique table will shift all over the place seasonally, with humidity and differing conditions,..

its just not seen ,

this natural, normal occurance is more apparent in a knife because ,...

one, its a knife and more likely being exposed to the outdoors then allowed to dry indoors then oiled occasionally,

and two, , the close fit of pins, tang etc, highlight even the slightest movement not seen in the piece of furniture,...

i have seen a disclaimer in the box of a quite expensive knife informing the user that "due to the use of natural material, some shift in tolerance is quite normal and to be expected,"...

ok,..again ,..as said each to their own,...and i have enough bits and bobs in the mix from years ago, to be able to choose from the older end of my rack,...

but i,m guessing Tel is eager to use the wood to re-handle a knife this year sometime, and not a lightsabre for his great-grandkids,,,


funny this as i just found a piece of saltwater driftwood under the bench in my garage and its so very excellently spalted , i have brought it indoors, and will use it within a week or two and not really worry too much,...

cheers,..

Stu

 

[HillBill]

Cherry will crack and split badly if cut up too early and dried too fast, fruit woods need seasoning slowly. Mesquites advice is sound, seal the ends and leave it for at least a year before you cut it up. Wood does it's own thing and each species behaves differently, if it was ash for example then it wouldn't be nowhere near as much hassle.

 

[pedro68]

ive had a similar sized piece of cheery before and seasoned in my shed for more than 2 years ,put it on the lathe to rough turn and it still had shakes and splits appearing every day,the further into the wood i went the more moisture there was and as it dried it kept splitting,i would plank it and dry it that way, much quicker and far more stable, just my opinion.

Pedro

 

[sxmolloy]

I've just found out that a number of the SWC Woodlore are suffering from shrinkage on the scales and are having to go back to be re-handled and that's with a wood that's supposed to be fully seasoned for a lot longer. I've handled one of these with the problem and the amount of shrinkage is very pronounced.

Hi Mesquite. Do you have any more information on this, a link perhaps. I'm a little concerned as I have recently bought one of these knives, and as it's a user and not left in a drawer I'm worried this could happen to mine.

Thanks. Stu