The Pitfalls of Working with Alder

[Muddypaws]

I've been busy on my pole lathe lately, and when I had the opportunity to acquire a couple of alder logs I jumped at the chance.

I made a few spoons and things, and was eyeing up a blank that I thought would make a good rolling pin for my mum. I duly rough turned it, put it to one side to dry out, and the remounted the now oval section on the lathe to finish turn it. Finally I got the surface straight, and I was well chuffed (as was my mum)


A month or so later we got the pin out of the kitchen drawer and found that this had happened.



So now my mum is the proud owner of the world's most useless banana shaped rolling pin.

I have since read that Alder is notoriously unstable as it dries out, so whilst it is all right for spoons and bowls and other things that will still work with a little warping I would not recommend its use for rolling pins!

I have since made a new rolling pin, this was made from very dry timber, and whilst it was a pig to work on a human powered lathe, it has at least remained straight.

 

[British Red]

Thats a lovely pin and a crying shame

Damned good of you to share the info though

I bet you could sell the bent pin as "the perfect present for the mother in law" on Ebay

 

[Andy_K]

Sorry to read about that mate. Although you can point out to your mum, that should she get any unwelcome visitors, or someone in the house misbehaves or doesn't do what she says, then like any good mum, she can set about straightening it on them

Seriously though, I can well imagine how gutting that must be to create something so well, only to have good old mother nature go playing tricks on you.

 

[Clouston98]

Bit of a bumsmr that, lovely work all the same. You might have a super fancy rabbit stick . The new one looks great- I'd really like to get a lathe setup sometime soon .

 

[British Red]

I've just realised the Muddypaws has a box entitled "hand blender and chopper"

Just dissolve them in acid and let them down the drain when you need to get rid of them

 

[Harvestman]

Excellent work there on both pins. I believe (though I may be wrong) that warping after shaping is known as 'movement in service', and some woods are more prone to it than others. Alder is one, holly is another.

 

[Muddypaws]

It wouldn't have been so bad if it had just shrunk a little, to a slightly oval cross section. You can still roll pastry with an oval rolling pin.

 

[grip]

why not mount it back in you're lathe and skim it true

 

[Stevie777]

why not mount it back in you're lathe and skim it true

This^^^ seems like the logical thing to do.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I bought a pair of alder hair sticks off ebay, I thought they had carved in a nice pleasing curve to them, but now seeing this thread, I wonder if it is a result of the alder drying. It's not a problem, the hair sticks don't need to be straight, am just curious.

J

 

[Robson Valley]

Quixoti: Very good chance that the alder was carved with the curve.
There's no way to predict movement from a green stick to a dry one.
Do what ever you like. For dead stuff, nevertheless it moves.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, alder is a wood preferred for carving masks, etc.
Done green, how the carvers prevent splits and movement is one of the magical arts.

 

[Muddypaws]

why not mount it back in you're lathe and skim it true

It's a bit too warped for that. By the time it was skimmed true the diameter would be quite small, smaller than is ideal for a rolling pin.
Anyway, it didn't cost anything to make other than my time, and I have learned a lesson, so I'm not too bothered

 

[Goatboy]

Couldn't she use it for making curved pastry like croissants?

Seriously that's a crying shame, would made a really bonny job of that.