Woodworking part two, working straight from the tree.

[justus]

While I was posting the article about how to hand saw wood, I wanted to explain that it is always easier and faster to use splitting and hewing techniques to work wood.

You only have to saw wood when the grain is not straight, if the wood has straight grain you can simple split off what you don't want. It is the best way to work wood and folks have been using it forever. The surviving Viking chests are made this way, with only the cross grain joints requiring a saw, and fine chests built in the 1700s are made the same way.

As good straight trees got scarcer and scarcer in Europe, saws got better and better. It's not the only reason, (you can get many more board feet of lumber out of a log by sawing than by splitting,) but it was certainly a factor.

But since 90% of the wood available to us today is pre-sawn, and the lumber mills will run just about anything through a sawmill, you rarely if ever find straight-grained wood.

However, it is not hard at all to make your own.

Here is a link to a new "not so short"Â

[Maeryk]

Not to horn in on your tutorial.. but would anyone like (if I get time) a tutorial on how to make a bowl out of a tree using a lathe?

Nice stuff Justus.. I really wanna get me a froe and start trying some of this stuff. It's about 84 things down on my "to do" list.

[Thomas H]

Cool, lots of shavings

Yes to the bowl thing, definately. i've turned beforfe but its nice to see how other people do it, especially from a tree, i used a pre rounded blank.

[Destichado]

Aahahahaha, and just as I said I was thinking of making a tutorial on making planks from logs... All's well though, since you're working with short rounds and I was dealing with five and ten foot long sections.

You can always tell a real woodworker from a simple carpenter by the tools they use and how they like to work the wood. My brother loves his drawknives, carving benches and jack planes. I love my axes, powersanders, and 4 1/2" chainsaw disk. Guess which of us is the better woodworker!

This is most impressive.

[Maeryk]

I'm just wondering.. how many _other_ woodworkers here have an old (or new!) disconnected sink kicking around their woodshop?

He has one in the corner, I have one under my radial arm saw, my "old" shop had one under the workbench.. just taking up space.. not in use...

Is this some kind of universal truth?

Maeryk

[Thomas H]

got one at work near the pillar drill. I think they're lucky charms

[Lachlann]

Dont have a sink, do have a disconnected toilet though if that counts.
Maeryk I would like the turning tutorial though.

Anyone ever make and use a foot lathe ? Figure thats on my long list of things to do.

[Destichado]

Got toilets at home, sinks at work. Sad, isn't it?

[justus]

Thanks all,

Actually the sink top in the picture is a new one destined for our new bathroom, but I do indeed have an old kitchen sink collecting dust in my shop.

I think it’s because woodworkers tend to be hoarders. “This will be useful…somedayâ€Â

[Baron Alejandro]

Justus is the MAN.

[Maeryk]

Anyone ever make and use a foot lathe ? Figure thats on my long list of things to do.

Roy Underhill is your friend in that regard. "The woodwright" series gives in depth instructions on building and using a lathe in that manner.

The Coppergate Finds book does also.. theres on that deals primarily with wood things, and heavily with bowls, turnings, and tools made in Coppergate.

Maeryk

[justus]

I re-uploaded the pics and text to my new site. The above link is correct now, or you can click here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/syrjustus/ ... 421849983/

-Justus