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When Wood Sings

(I will get to the topic, but the back story is necessary)

A Viet Names American family has a shop up the street. They?re nice, friendly, hard working people with a quiet gentle way about them. While in my Hair Sticks Period, I made a pair for the wife, a delicate lady with fine long black hair. They were of rosewood. Her husband thought they were what we call chop sticks. I explained what they were for and how they were made.

The lady?s expression changed from polite but confused appreciation of a gift of unknown use, to one of recognition and real appreciation as she examined the hair sticks more closely, thinking about how she would wear them.

The idea of making the husband a pair of ?chop sticks? prompted me to ask if something similar could serve as ?chop sticks?. ?Oh yes, but not in such a dark wood such as these. They should be a much much lighter wood.? And then we went off to a discussion of Buhdism - they being Buhdists.

At the time, I had no light colored hard wood suitable for making his ?chop sticks?. Then I bought a bunch of maple and generated some ?scraps? that were suitable for a first try at making him a pair of ?chop sticks? (I really must ask what they?re called in Chinese and Viet Names).

With that back story, and the Buhdist idea linked to it, I finally got around to turning ?chop sticks? in maple. Now when I?d turned some tops and a small weed pot in maple, it was a joy to turn, hard but predicatble. However, when turning a long piece to smaller diameters its nature seems to change. It flexes more and the beautiful grain patterns seemed to want to catch or dig in rather than cut cleanly and smoothly. Much lighter passes are required and much more finesse with the skew are a must.

My first attempt was a micro-disaster. Beyond a certain diameter, I just didn?t have the skill to get where I wanted to go. Despite light controled passes I got a dig in that snapped the piece - in a nano second.

On the next attempt I got down to where I was comfortable then reached for The 80 Grit Tool. Attaining close to the final size and taper I wanted I proceeded with The 120 Grit, 180 Grit, 220 Grit, 320 Grit and

600 Grit ?tools?, finishing the surface with plain white paper, pinching the wood hard between thumb and middle finger.

Now if you?ve ever wet you finger tip, and rubbed it firmly around the top of a glass, or preferably a wine or champagne cut crystal goblet, you are familiar with their ?singing?. Well this wood sang. As I pinched the paper to the wood and moved from end to end of the piece - it sang, the sound changing as I moved from thick to thin and back again. It was one of those serendipitous Zen Moments that happen playing with wood - when everything that came before or anything that may come next is forgotten as everything here and now does exactly what it?s supposed to do - just so.. Didn?t last long but its echo lingers.

Now I?ve had wood talk to me before - a flamboyant board of quilted maple saying ?Hey big boy, have a look at this!? in a Mae West sort of way. Not audible to anyone else, but that?s what I heard ?her? say. And when hand planing, the wood has whispered ?that?s the way? or, a little louder ?Wrong way - dummy!?. But until this morning I?ve never heard it sing - and sing loud enough that others can hear it too.

Fun, this woodworking thing. I wonder what comes next?

charlie b

Reply to
charlie b
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Hi Charlie,

I wonder if you could explain how you made the hair sticks and how they are used or if you know of a website where it is explained.

I know a couple teenage girls I would like to make some for as a gift. I could make them bit I dont know how to tell them they are used.

Oh.. and it's when you start singing back to the wood is the time to worry! *S*

Thanks

Bertie

Reply to
Bertie Pittman

You start writing Haiku.

Great story!

Reply to
Lobby Dosser

This wood that "sings"? Does it ever "speak" to you?

Maybe you need to get a nice radio for your shop and turn it up real loud. :-)

Barry

Reply to
Barry N. Turner

You've seen women with long hair twist their hair up and stick a pencil in it to hold it in place. Same function, just a little more interesting.

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As for singing to the wood - THAT would be crazy. Whistling on the other hand seems appreciated by most woods.

Here's the conversations with wood I referred to - with TWO pictures of Mae West Maple - the full figured board.

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charlie b

Reply to
charlie b

see my response to Bertie

Actually it's a CD player. Clapton, Paul Simon, Dire Straits and the like for power tool work, Chopin and Rhapsody in Blue for hand tool work.

charlie b

Reply to
charlie b

The last time I had wood 'sing' to me the wood was in the form of a cherry bowl I was turning. That was just before it came apart and gave me a dandy smack dead center on the face guard. Now when the wood starts to humm (that would be just before it starts to sing), I know I have it turned about as thin as I should :)

Reply to
tomstorey

Charlie,

Thanks for the info and the links.

You have a nice enjoyable website there and I enjoyed reading the article.

I too know how that wood talks, sings, and gently whispers in the night .. sometimes we all may talk back to it... who cares if they think he's a little off?...LOL

Bertie

Reply to
Bertie Pittman

"Real Music" then. None of this rap/hip hop crap. I think I'd like what's playing in your shop. :-)

Barry

Reply to
Barry N. Turner

Nice tip. I had similar problems trying to turn very long dowels for some furniture and found that a great way to turn extremely long, thin dowels is with a hand plane. Start with an octagon rather than a square because it will whip too much to use a tool and you can't hold a spinning square in your hand. Wear gloves and keep your fingers away from the surface until it's close to round. You can use one hand as a steady rest on the back side and the other hand to hold the plane at an agle that would be like a real acute shearing cut with the skew...maybe

45-60 degrees or more off the axis of the dowel. As it gets rounder, you can bring up the tool rest and use it to stabilize the plane to make a really straight cut, and you can increase the angle of the plane edge to make a thinner slower cut for a real fine surface.
Reply to
Mark Fitzsimmons

Also works great on 9 foot long staved columns, only use a smooth plane and reference to your home-made toolrest.

Reply to
George

Mark Fitzsimmons wrote: : Nice tip. I had similar problems trying to turn very long dowels for : some furniture and found that a great way to turn extremely long, thin : dowels is with a hand plane. Start with an octagon rather than a square : because it will whip too much to use a tool and you can't hold a : spinning square in your hand. Wear gloves and keep your fingers away : from the surface until it's close to round. You can use one hand as a : steady rest on the back side and the other hand to hold the plane at an : agle that would be like a real acute shearing cut with the skew...maybe : 45-60 degrees or more off the axis of the dowel. As it gets rounder, : you can bring up the tool rest and use it to stabilize the plane to : make a really straight cut, and you can increase the angle of the plane : edge to make a thinner slower cut for a real fine surface.

One thing I've been curious about is the degree of wear on the sole of a plane when you do this. Seems like you'd somewhat rapidly wear a convex section in back of the mouth of the plane, but this is just a guess. Anyone have experience on this?

-- Andy Barss

Reply to
Andrew Barss

Let me add my thanks for this. I have an uncle that is getting on in years but still uses wood to relax and enjoy his time. I'm sure he's listening to the chorus more and more these day,

Ed

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