My First Binned Turning .

I had been given a beautiful piece of Acacia by Neil (Hughie) a friend and brilliant wood turner, metal worker.
The timber had spalted and split Neil filled the crack with resin coloured allowed some drying time before he handed it over.

It floated round the shed/workshop until it got the better of me and found its way onto the lathe. So it began.

 Everyone who saw the piece on the lathe and the colour was amazed. What came out as I turned it was not so pleasing. I am not one to give in so as this was a project plagued by winter, time for epoxy and CA the later which wasn't going of to well to dry.














More turning and sanding more interventions of time and other matters to attend to.

After weeks of not being near the lathe and a few nice days in mid winter I took to it again only to find borer had been at work. I was not impressed i sort advice from Neil who suggested freezing the little buggers or nuking them I did the latter the 15 1/2 " platter/bowl just fit inside the microwave. I cooked them on high at 15 second intervals not knowing how the heat would effect the epoxy Neil had used nor the CA and epoxy I used.

That all went well a day before turning it to allow it to stabilise again and watch for any sign of borer activity. None more CA the last I had, that got plenty drying time as we had much o our calendar for a month or so some planned much not planned.

Weather was warming I was improving the aches or muscle and arthritis were dissipating.

Round three or was it four I shaved more off to clear the back fill Oiled it gain sat a few days and went back to have another go there below clean surface where no borer activity had been seen was signs yet again.

I'd had enough!!! This may have been a beautiful piece visually but not even I'd want to risk these little critters still being active. So it ended up in the bin as we do not have an open fire.

This all took place over about six months on ad off

Photos show the colour the borer the CA and Epoxy.

 Left first sign of worm hole.












The spalting coming to life on the under side.

Below taking shape the black is the epoxy Neil had applied it held together well.

Then they come arrows show the damage done by borer.
 

Second round after a firs CA and another oiling and a few weeks in between.

Hope at last no borer sign now for over a month.

Then as I still had lost of shaping to do and getting it down to approx 7mm wall thickness. These were under the surface yet again.

 

Above the last CA fill a few days latter I turned that away and again found just under the surface more and that was it in the bin.

I had pondered the choice to bin it many times during the process always giving way to my fight on attitude, but enough time was wasted as well as CA.