| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Auld Baldy |
Posted - 08/11/2011 : 01:50:55
After a hard day's whittling there's nothing like a good soak in the bath. 
Some of the fruit of my (mate's) labours. Silver Birch from the Bonny Banks:
First de-barking, rough trim and initial bleach soak:
A fine brace of extreme back-scratchers for those really itchy & hard to reach bits:
Still a bit of shaving, sanding and varnishing to go but some nice grain showing in the wood already. I used a 6" blade boning knife in spoke-shave fashion for all the de-barking. It did a great job but needed a bit of honing to keep it sharp. Eat your heart out Ray Mears.  |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Auld Baldy |
Posted - 13/06/2012 : 23:59:18
I didn't bake mine, just debark, bleach, rinse and started shaving down.  |
| Cazzy |
Posted - 13/06/2012 : 22:24:52
i really need to go out and look for some wood!! i had no idea how to do it properlly until looking on here, i was abit hesitant to click on it what with the title but now i know what to do so thanks i heard you had to put them in the oven or something? |
| Auld Baldy |
Posted - 13/06/2012 : 20:47:49
Cheers Chris, I could only find the small spoke-shaves when I Googled and checked e-bay. I actually thought of making something like that draw-knife but only about half the size, more suitable for the size of branches and logs I'd be using. First thing is to pinch the handle bars from the kid's bike down the road. 
Always nice to see new shiny skin. Vambo is now on small rats and has gained 100 grams already, weighs in at 1200 grams. Gonna need a bigger house soon. |
| a33272 |
Posted - 13/06/2012 : 15:11:12
Alan its a drawknife, not just used by lumber jacks :-P. Spokeshave is much small almost resembles a kind of plane.
Bumbles fine ta, shed last week so supper shiney lol. X |
| Auld Baldy |
Posted - 13/06/2012 : 14:16:18
Chris, that's a spokeshave and a half but I'm an artisan not a lumberjack. [;) I actually enjoy whittling away a couple of hours just for the sake of it. The bonus is that the snakes will get a hand crafted climbing frame .. eventually. BTW, how is Bumble doing?
Hissy, I always fancied being a serial killer 'Equaliser'. I wonder if the Job Centre would see it as an acceptable career move. 
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| Hissyfit |
Posted - 13/06/2012 : 13:43:54
quote:
Originally posted by Auld Baldy
Hissy, who is Dexter? Some relative of Bob the Builder?
Lol, not quite. He's a serial killer (US show) who only kills those that deserve it...he has a kill kit very much like your wood cleaning snakey kit |
| a33272 |
Posted - 13/06/2012 : 13:23:00
seams like alot of tools to do a simple job. i picked one of these up at a car boot. but easily picked up in hardware an iron mongers. is specifically designed for shaving an debarking wood. if kept sharp hardly needs any sanding down after. angle of the blade means doesnt dig in.
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| Auld Baldy |
Posted - 13/06/2012 : 13:12:00
The antlers need a year or two getting bleached and weathered naturally lying on a bed of wild heather. These were too fresh, getting the blood drained and removing the velvet takes forever. I've tried everything from strong bleach solution to Cillit Bang to clean them up. Only thing I haven't tried is battery acid and caustic soda which will probably dissolve the antlers.
Hissy, who is Dexter? Some relative of Bob the Builder? |
| Hissyfit |
Posted - 13/06/2012 : 10:28:20
Looks great! I like your 'Dexter' tool box lol  |
| kev 5 |
Posted - 13/06/2012 : 10:14:05
they do look really good |
| voodoo |
Posted - 13/06/2012 : 07:54:00
looks really good, especially liking the antlers! |
| Auld Baldy |
Posted - 13/06/2012 : 00:27:31
Here are some of the tools I use for working on the logs & branches:
The butcher's boning knife is the main tool for the rough bark removal but also good for the first stage of trimming the 'pith' down to the actual core wood. This pith looked good, almost like ivory, but it was prone to picking up mould as well as stains. Knife held across both hands and drawn towards the body. Hands protected with adapted neoprene wrist supports. (Only £1:00 per pair from Poundsavers.)
The gouges were a bargain at £20:00 from Aldi's. The most useful ones are the scallop hooks. I use these for getting down to an even grain.
Dan, The paint scraper holds a standard Stanley blade and again used double handed like a spoke-shave. Good for getting into some of the 'Y' joints of the branches. It is also less tiring and safer on the hands than using a Stanley knife.
Just as important as the tools are the whet stone and sharpening steel. A wee strop every 10 minutes or so makes it easier, gives a better finish and actually makes the job safer. Sharper tools mean less effort so it is less likely for something to slip and cut a pink bit. Blood stains are a pain to get out of wood.
I also have the logs mounted on a trestle saw bench with a car seat-belt rigged to a foot pedal to hold the branches securely. (Pic to follow)
For comparison, the branch with the dark stripes is one that has just had the bark taken off and a first rough cut to trim down the pith layer. The others are nearing the finishing stage, eventually.
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| Sta~ple |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 23:40:25
Nice! You should have done mine for me :P |
| MissSnakeHandler |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 21:56:49
your WOOD is looking GOOD lol |
| Donnie |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 21:34:20
Nice job I think I am going to have to take a trek in the woods soon and get me some |
| Elicia |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 21:14:07
This has become my new weekend hobby ha ha, I did one a couple of months ago and was surprised how satisfying it is! We do a lot of walking so its really nice when you have a really nice finished bit of wood, that also remind you of a great place you collected it from!
Yeah I soak them first then de-bark, i find it peels off easier.
Elicia |
| lupi lou |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 21:00:41
wow they look cool, cant belive how differnt they look. does it have to be yacht varnish? would wood varnish be safe to use? |
| Dancross0 |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 20:59:45
I use my old, sturdy camping knife. It's got a heavy blade and I keep it sharp with an oil stone.
Stanly knives are sharp, but flex and break easily...
It's also easier to debark the branches when they are wet. Give them a good soak and the outer and inner bark comes away easily, then dry them and tidy them up with sandpaper. |
| ScalySituation |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 20:34:53
quote:
Originally posted by Sta~ple
How do people debark so easily :o
Hear hear!!
Really struggled with mine :P |
| Auld Baldy |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 20:32:19
Update on these logs. My, doesn't time fly when you are having fun.
Still a bit of finishing to go. The more they are worked, the nicer the grain on the wood shows up. I'll probably varnish them with thinned yacht varnish to seal the wood to make cleaning a bit easier. Some smaller pieces which I have already used ended up pretty stained in no time.
It takes time but is great relaxation therapy, the smell and sound of sharp steel on fresh cut wood .... aaaah!
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