# Box elder chunks



## PSDkevin (Dec 18, 2010)

I got a tree service friend who came across a a box elder and asked if i was interested. Firewood prices. Anyway he gave me a piece to check out and here's what the inside looks like. So I am going get the rest. Problem is its been on the ground for a while and not sealed in any way. Most is firewood sized logs and one main trunk about 18-20" diameter 10' long. My question is how to cut/dry it? I was going to just make turning stock from the small pieces. Should I wax the whole thing? What do you use for that? On these pieces i sealed the ends and the more figured areas with some poly that was past its prime. Will this work? Sorry for all the questions but if this stuff has half the color as TTs stuff I want to save as much as possible.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

PSDkevin said:


> . . . I was going to just make turning stock from the small pieces. . . .


That's the best idea for the small ones. Seal them with log sealer very well. Don't use latex paint on boxelder it doesn't work on boxelder. Especially when the pieces are already checked. 

If you don't apply a fungicide/mildewcide they will get nasty molds and/or fungi and not necessarily just the denim like you might want. I forgot to check and see where you live, but most molds will not grow well below 40° though some can grow down to 32° just not very well. They grow best between about 75° and 100°. 

The piece you're showing appears to be from the center of the tree and so it's quartersawn. You can only get the flame pattern by flat sawing but not all logs have that pattern - that one doesn't I can tell. I like to cut my turning blanks like peppermill blanks etc. out of the center of the log and take my flat work boards from between those and the bark to maximize the log. Quartersawn blanks from a flamed BE log look outrageously beautiful once turned, but the quartesawn boards can also give striking patterns just not flamed. 

I'll hunt for some pics if you want. I think I posted a thread here showing how I quartersaw it for luthiers I'll try to find it. 

One other thing. You have a BE with lots of what I call "gold". Those darker colors mixed with the red. Those cells are going to collapse and you can't stop that from happening, but to salvage the wood you must cut it much thisker than what you want. If you want a 1" thicvk finished board you must rough cut it at least 1 3/8" thick. And must seal all faces of the board. If you don't seal it just throw it in the firewood pile right now so you don't waste your time. 


If you think you'll be getting some more of these trees, you should get a set of Daren's kiln plans in the classifieds. A kiln is indispensable for BE. Congrats on the score - I hope you find some more with tons of color, but I hope you don't find a whole forest of them like I have. :laughing:







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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Could not find the 1/4 saw titorial but you need this info more right now. Below is a basic way of taking turning blocks and flat from a single log to maximize yield & figure from a FBE log. The 4 center blocks could be left as a single large bowl long cant then crosscut into the same length as whatever the width. You could also make two shallower bowl blank cants or as shown 4 peppermill misc. blanks. 









Crappy drawing but I'm in a hurry we are trying to beat the church crowd to our favoirite greasy spoon in town. 

Notice how the pith is dealt with. All four corners of the pepper mill blanks will have pith that will be turned out, provided you centered the pith on the vertical plane at both ends so the blade rides down it on the horizontal polane, and that the pith is fairly straight. If you take bowl blanks from the center, the experienced turner will use that as the bottom and it will be a non factor. Some turners do like to turn it opposite so that the pith is visible on each opposing side of the bowl, but that's personal preference. 




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## PSDkevin (Dec 18, 2010)

Okay so do you put the fungicide on then seal? NOBODY around here has any products for this. Can I find this stuff online somewhere? I was going to get a bucket of bailey's log seal online to try. Just cover all faces with this? 

Sorry. I'm a newb when it comes to this. Yeah I hope the rest is flamed to hades. Lol. We'll see should be getting it pretty soon.

Bought some Darren kiln plans but havent pulled the trigger on making it. This wood may motivate me to get it built.


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## PSDkevin (Dec 18, 2010)

Thanks. Just got the other logs. Guess i better hurry up and get the sealer/fungicide. As i said before i have to order online. Im guessing it is better to wait until I have that stuff here before I cut into the logs?


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Yes wait until you have the sealer to open the logs. It's okay to use latex paint on the ends until the sealer gets there, but just make sure not to use the paint as a long term solution, it will NOT work with FBE. 

Here's where I get my BC with MC. I also keep a gallon jug of Mold Clean on hand. The directions for the BC with MC will tell you to mix it with 5 gallons of water. The BC itself is a gallon, so you'd need a 6 gallon jug. I never have done that. I just mix it and keep it in a5 gallon food grade storage bucket . This means the mix is about a 1/5 stronger than what they recommend but I've had success doing it this way so I ain't changing. 

Also, when you get you r sealer, do not use the 5 gallon bucket as the primary container. Always pour a smaller amount out of the Bailey's bucket into a separate container. Never dip a brush into the Bailey's bucket. You will transfer s[pores from the wood, to the brush, into the bucket and you don't want that. 

Get an old electric skillet to cook your brushes once you're done. If you wash them out with real hot soapy water right away that will clean them enough, but I always eventually get several brushes built up that I didn't clean in time and have to boil the wax out. An old electric skillet has a lot of uses around a woodshop anyway. 

I'll try to get some pics uploaded for you today. I'm running the router all day and so have some time between fixture changes. 




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## PSDkevin (Dec 18, 2010)

Thank you very much. I will post some pics when I finally get the operation going.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Here's some basics and some options you should have. 









1 Log sealer (mandatory)
2 5 to 6 gallon bucket with quality gasket-sealed lid (necessary for Bora Care mixture).
3 Wood stabilizer (optional)
4 Wood hardener (optional)
5 Mold Clean (as needed)
6 Polymer thickening agent for wax sealer (optional)
7a/b This is your Bora Care with Mold Care they come together. (mandatory for FBE in moldy months)
8 Bora Care; regular (works great in winter & cheaper than BS/MC) 
9 Flame Box Elder (mandatory 

Items 3 & 4 are Pentacryl which is supposedly a stabilizer but I've had marginal results with it at best, as with the second one Polycryl which is supposed to harden punky spalted woods. I'm not re-ordering either product though after having done so several times without what I consider suitable success. I'm looking for an other stabilizer & hardener. 

This is the kind of sealed bucket you need for your BC/MC. That red arrow points to a rubber gasket. We ordered a pallet of these with one of our storable food orders last year and they are indispensible for numerous things. 










You don't have to mimic my little haphazard operation obviously but just trying to get to get you started thinking about what some of the thngs you'll need to protect your FBE wood. It's finicky about mold and cracking - after you get to know the species though you'll be able to control it quite well. 



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## PSDkevin (Dec 18, 2010)

Youre the man u just answered a bunch of things i was curious about. Looks like i got alot of spalting and punky stuff so i will be trying to find a suitable hardener too.


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## desertforest (Aug 6, 2011)

see ,thats whats great about this place-the freely given very useful amount of knowledgeable information. the kind that if you went anywhere else you:
1. get a snooty attitude
2. have to pay a premium for
3. may not get your follow-up questions answered. 


From a still-learning type of wood mangler, a sincere thank you to all of you who freely and cheerfully give your experience-laced most-helpful information.


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## aardvark (Sep 29, 2011)

Likewise. 
I learn something everytime I log in.
I'm either pretty dense or this is a great site.

Texas Timber.
Thanks. Good info. Won't get that at Home Depot (or the materials)


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## PSDkevin (Dec 18, 2010)

TT. Have you tried wood hardener from minwax? Havent tried it yet but i cannot find anything else around here.


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## PSDkevin (Dec 18, 2010)

Two big thumbs down on the minwax hardener. I was thinking about some of the marine rot fix stuff. I will report what happens with it.


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## Fsucraigk (Nov 4, 2011)

I recently got some box elder with a moderate amount of red and the 'denim' blue and grey mixed in from a local Sawyer. I'm pretty new to woodworking and very new to getting box elder. My question deals with the proper way to finish the wood.

I will be using the wood to made a open faced cabinet for my bathroom, the cost of the wood was very inexpensive so I figured I'd make an attempt to use it.

I would doubt if the local Sawyer utilizes any fungicide/ mold control/ or log sealant on his wood. He sits the boards in a small solar kiln and does not check moisture just cuts and stores until someone wants the wood. I'm not sure of the method of cut (quartersawn, etc) the color of the 'flame' is very small and sporadic. 

My shelf will be about 36" high x 8" deep x 14" wide. Some of the boards will be joined with biscuits to produce the width needed.

1.) My primary question is what do I need to do to the lumber prior to use (it's been racked for about 4months)?

2.) what kind of finish would be best to maintain the look of the moderate flaming pattern once the shelf is complete? (I've really only used Tung Oil, Danish oil, and polyurethanes in the past).

Hope I was able to give enough background to receive some sage advice.

Thanks in advance!

Craig


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