Main Discussion Area > HowTo's and Build-a-longs
Spiral Grain - How much is too much?
PEARL DRUMS:
Most woods will let you get away with 100 degrees or less. If you don't want to work twisted wood you will need to study the bark patterns closer. Pick a groove in the bark and follow it up. It should stay in front of you as you gaze upward, if it starts to curl around the tree the wood inside will do the same. Straight bark pattern = straight staves. Another trick. Keep the logs halved if you can. The moisture can still escape, but its harder for a half log to twist as it dries compared to a 2-4" wide split. Gradual drying is always better than intense drying.
Crogacht:
Ok, that's good to know then. 100 Degrees over what length? 2 metres?
I try my best to study the bark, but I'm working with examples like this, hahaha:
http://www.conifers.org/po/pr/taxifolia5.jpg
I've kind of started to study the shape of the trunk, any bulges or ridges seem to follow the grain the same way the bark usually does.
I'm currently just drying my wood in the roof of the shed, it gets some decent airflow with the doors open, so it should be fairly gradual I hope. Some of our wood here shrinks a lot though due to high moisture content I guess.
I'd love some osage/yew/locust or something to work with, but I think it's smarter to use what you have in abundance where you live. It'll just take a bit more thinking and trial and error I guess.
Thanks for the advice :)
PEARL DRUMS:
100 degress over 2 meters is fine. A wise man once told me that if the string stays on the bow, its not twisted too much!
JW_Halverson:
I once took about 120 degrees of twist out of 6 ft of mulberry. The ELB I made from it is still in use today.
It took a week of Sundays and almost killed my heat gun taking out a little twist every 6 inches or so at a time! I bet it was more luck thank skill, I just didn't know it wouldn't work!!! I would love to tackle that 180 degree drill bit stave of yours to see if it was possible.
Anything up to 90 degrees IF IT IS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE 2 METERS of stave is do-able. You are not taking all the twist out in a short length, after all. You are taking out 8 or 10 degrees of twist at a time. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Good luck, post pics!
Crogacht:
Thanks Pearl Drums,
My black beech is probably 60 degrees over 2 metres, and it's a tough wood, so it might be perfectly fine.
Also have some good straight (ish) elm to work on until it's dry anyway :)
Thanks again
Ben
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