cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/47395983

It’s a piece of gum tree. Eucalypts are hard as the devil, which is proving to be a little slippery in practice. I chiselled out a grid pattern which is working okay, but it’s still slipping much more than my old rotting pine log.

At this point I’m hoping it will get a grip as it ages and silvers and gets beaten on. We’ll see.

      • phtheven@lemmy.worldOP
        7·
        14 days ago

        That’s the first spoon i carved with my new block! It’s made of a fascinating native wood called rewarewa.

        I go from log to rough spoon with the axe, then I finish with a knife. I’ll finish it with food safe tung oil.

    • phtheven@lemmy.worldOP
      6·
      14 days ago

      Thanks for asking! That bench is a funny one. I got the green log from a mate. He said it was an invasive ornamental tree from china, it is usually grown indoors in a pot, but someone planted it out and it grew to be huge. Other than that i have no idea, but it was sappy as all hell, that much i can tell you.

      Splitting it was an absolute bastard, I broke a maul trying to rive it because the grain was twisting in a spiral. I ended up making straight cuts along the sides with a circ saw, then worked on it with wedges to open. Then i would get into that crack with a hatchet and even secateurs to cut the connecting fibres. Took the better part of a weekend. I would not recommend this.

      After power planing it flat, getting those through holes cut was another drama, but that was mostly because I’m still learning how to work a bit and brace.

      It’s a great spot to sit and carve.