Split kuksa... :(

[spandit]

Was making good progress on my first kuksa:

It's made from some nicely spalted birch which I thought was seasoned OK. Came back to it today to find it had a big crack in it:

The wood around the crack is rock hard & almost impossible to carve:

Oh well, back to the beginning again! Should have sealed it in a bag to stop it drying out so much...

 

[Stringmaker]

I can't see those pics from my work PC but I feel your pain!

Bad luck; keep the next one damp and fingers crossed.

 

[stovie]

I know it wont be perfect, but if you mix sawdust and woodglue together, you'd be surprised at how well it will fill and fix the problem. Just a thought...

 

[grey-array]

I would try getting your hands on a piece of birch that is not that heavily invaded by Fungi, if there are fungi in it it mostly means that there is quite allot of moisture present, yet Birch is a Very ( let me say again Very) Easy target for these Fungi and its often in the first week after being cut and having laid on the ground that these fungi make a piece of birch their home. these Fungi invested pieces of Birch are weaker then their on spoiled family and as it seems dont make very good axe handles either ^^ ( some personal experience there not a really successful story that one was, until it broke it was a great handle ^^)

Ps yep people that was my old workshop ^^, aka My room of 3m by 3
Yours sincerely Ruud

 

[Ian S]

That's a sore one....

I can't tell from the pics, but was the very centre pith of the wood in the kuksa? It's always a good idea to make sure you get rid of the very centre pith, because otherwise you run the risk of this sort of crack starting.

(The reason is that the wood wants to shrink tangentially, but the centre can't shrink. The rest of the wood tears itself apart.)

Cheers

 

[SOAR]

The spalting you see in this piece of Birch is caused by the tree creating barriers against infection, (Psuedo sclerotial plates) so that sugests it was already there before it was felled, (Piptoporus betulinus) Did the wood smell of Eucalyptus?. More than likely it was the heat we have had the last few days, how was it stored?

 

[mr dazzler]

you could finish it any way, then leave it to dry. Then cut a clean parallel kerf through the crack with a saw, then fit in a piece of araldited veneer to fill the gap

 

[Hugo]

Wipe the tears away spandit mate and start again.
That Spalted beech we had at the meet was also punky, some of it was very flaky, I made a couple of spoon blanks with it that's how I found out.
I have made a kuksa as well this afternoon from a burl that PeterT gave me on site.

 

[grey-array]

Hmm very interesting Simon you have enlarged my knowledge about wood a bit more ^^
Could you tell me how such an infection/ or counter-measure against infection affects the structural integrity of the wood? or does it even affect it at all?

 

[Kepis]

been there, done that and still do that, , i know how it feels, gutted for you , still gives a good excuse to make another one

 

[Sean Hellman]

That bit of birch does not look that heavily infested with fungi and should have been fine. I have used stuff far more spalted than this. The wall are thick and uneven and this can be a big problem. I would start again, these things happen to the best of us.
Why have you chosen not to have the handle in line with the grain? This will only result in more work. When the wood is green make sure the wall are of even ish thickness and thin, that way it will dry without splitting. If dried slowly.

[/IMG]

 

[Rockmonkey]

Nearly managed to finnish mine before it split last week, Ended up as a nice piece of fire wood
Start again mate, once the tears have all gone!

 

[SOAR]

Hmm very interesting Simon you have enlarged my knowledge about wood a bit more ^^
Could you tell me how such an infection/ or counter-measure against infection affects the structural integrity of the wood? or does it even affect it at all?

It really depends on the Fungi as to what damage it does to the tree or wood, there are two types of rot, brown and white rot. The pseudo
sclerotial plates (individual fungal defence barriers against each other) are the trees way of shutting off the infection spreading any further.
Brown rot breaks down the trees cellulose in the tree which makes the wood dry and brittle, white rot breaks down the trees lignin which makes the wood sponge like and pulpy.

Trees that grow slowly like Oak or Beech have better defence mechanisms than trees that grow fast, as they concentrate on shutting of the infection, fast growing trees try to outgrow the fungus decay and usually fail, Lime trees have a very good defence and can often shut of the infection completely.

 

[jackcbr]

I too feel your pain. Still not managed to get a good spoon for the baking girl at work. Never mind mate, if you go for a bimble with the chaps Wednesday I'm sure Kepis will give you a hug from me to make things better.

 

[Kepis]

I'm sure Kepis will give you a hug from me to make things better.

hey, what?, im going for a bimble on Thursday with Hugo & RM, Think Spandex and Simon are off out around E Sussex on Weds

 

[spandit]

Thanks for all the responses. I think the heat & thick walls was probably more the culprit

New one is in a wet plastic bag in the fridge

 

[grey-array]

Brown rot breaks down the trees cellulose in the tree which makes the wood dry and brittle, white rot breaks down the trees lignin which makes the wood sponge like and pulpy.

Thanks for that Simon will write that down ^^
yours sincerely a wiser man
Ruud

 

[Harvestman]

That bit of birch does not look that heavily infested with fungi and should have been fine. I have used stuff far more spalted than this. The wall are thick and uneven and this can be a big problem. I would start again, these things happen to the best of us.
Why have you chosen not to have the handle in line with the grain? This will only result in more work. When the wood is green make sure the wall are of even ish thickness and thin, that way it will dry without splitting. If dried slowly.

[/IMG]

Mate, that's just showing off.

But boy is it justified! Those are lovely :notworthy

 

[Hammock Hamster]

I had the same problem a few weeks back and was not the best pleased before a kind soul on here suggested i keep it in a plastic bag in between carving with the shavings I have carved off.
So far it seems to be working and not had any splits yet.


Hamster

 

[jackcbr]

hey, what?, im going for a bimble on Thursday with Hugo & RM, Think Spandex and Simon are off out around E Sussex on Weds

My bad, Simon will have to give him a hug then.