Besides seal the ends and how toxic the dust is, what can anyone tell me about Yew wood. It has been down about a year so the smaller pieces are ready to make into boxes, now but there are some bowl size blanks that will have to dry. Yew checks when sanding if it gets too hot so does anyone here know what will happen if I do a microwave process? Any other things I should know about the wood?
Thanks for any and all comments.
Bob! My new bestest friend...
;)
If down a year, seal only a fresh end, though leaving in the log and roughing all into bowls in a day'd be my preference.
As to sanding checks, I get around it by using a toolrest supported sander and barely touching the surface. Other folks use softeners or lubricants to keep the surface cool. Mineral spirits, oil, wax are the ones mentioned, but they also allow swarf to pack into the pores of the wood, giving it a bit of that burnished Formica look.
Microwave your test pieces in those ventilated plastic produce bags. Longer times, lower heat my preference. Can also muddy the figure.
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