Manzanita clocks

[fwharris]

My insurance agent has a KOA campground in California and brought back some manzanita burl/root and sliced it up with his chain saw then called me to see if I could make him some clocks for their store at the camp site.

I used a 3" fosrtner bit to bore out the pocket for the clock works. Long process doing this as it is a hard wood and it took very little time for the bit to heat up.

Pocket depths ranged form 3/4" to 3". For the big thick clock (almost 4" thick) that I saved for the last one to do, I did about 1/2" with the fosrtner bit and then changed over to a router with a straight bit. It took me about an hour this way vs what I figured would have been several hours the other way.

Finish coat is several coats of clear lacquer spray.

And NOPE none of the work was done on the CW..

More photos in my gallery http://forum.carvewright.com/album.php?albumid=201



http://forum.carvewright.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=46625

http://forum.carvewright.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=46623

http://forum.carvewright.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=46620

http://forum.carvewright.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=46619

[jaroot]

Neat looking clocks and pretty neat looking wood.

[LittleRedWoodshop]

Awesome work Floyd ... very nicely done.

[liquidguitars]

Nice job Floyd cool wood!

[fwharris]

I do really like how the wood looks. He was talking about what stain to use and after spraying a small spot with the lacquer conversation was done. He did go through 3 chain saw blades slicing it up. A few pieces did have some rocks embedded into them. The slabs were also not uniform in thickness. A deep throat ban saw would have been best to slice it up. He is very luck not to have lost a foot...

When he picked up the 7 I had done he brought 4 more small pieces and I still have the top slice off of the big slab to figure out a clock on. The back side still has a lot of the root showing, very uneven, so I'm considering just doing a small insert of the front side instead of figuring out how to bore out the back. It is also better that 4" thick.

[eelamb]

Floyd nice work on the clocks. I have three logs of that wood about 3' in length and 8" dia. you just gave me an idea as to what to make with them. Thanks

[geekviking]

Those are awesome!
I love manzanita, i've never seen a photo show the true beauty of that species...
Nice work!

[easybuilt]

Beautiful clocks Floyd!
I have always loved that wood. Looks like the wood is the art in it's self.

[jpaluck]

Awsome looking floyd love the wood

[GrammaPam]

After recent problem with wood moisture, I wonder what the moisture content of manzinita would be. Thank you for sharing the great pictures. Beautiful work.
G.P.

[b.sumner47]

Well done,I like the wood. I've got to look it up. Thanks, Ffoyd. Capt Barry

[fwharris]

Thanks for all of the great comments!

I was not familiar with manzinita (still don't know that much) but did do some looking on the WWW. It is used lots in the craft trade. Most of the things I found it used for was in turnings (pens, bowls and the like) but also used as a base for displays. It is one of the best looking woods I've used, it makes pine ready for the fireplace! No stain is needed to enhance it look. Any clean sealer/finish is all that is needed.

There are a lot of listing on ebay and woodworking forum for slabs and turning blanks and I am sure it available from other wood craft sources as well.

I did do a moisture reading on the pieces I have and I got readings of 6% or less. My meter range is 5-50 and most readings would not display, only a "0".

My customer will be going back to Ca. in September to deliver the clocks to the shop and I will be asking if he can bring me a few pieces back. I will just need to find someone with a big enough band saw to cut the slabs. His chain saw method was not the best and the slabs were not uniform in thickness.

[liquidguitars]

It's a cool wood or chaparral brush never gets that big, I have a small tree/brush growing in my yard of it and it seems happy. I am thinking it's kinda like a cross between Mesquite tree in Texas and a Laural tree in Oregon.

[fwharris]

It's a cool wood or chaparral brush never gets that big, I have a small tree/brush growing in my yard of it and it seems happy. I am thinking it's kinda like a cross between Mesquite tree in Texas and a Laural tree in Oregon.

As in not quite big enough for a violin? It would make a good looking one!

[lawrence]

I can't believe I missed this-- excellent clocks man, and beautiful work on beautiful wood

Lawrence

[cajunpen]

Manzanita is a really tough wood. Well done, how many times did you have to sharpen your bit?

[dcalvin4]

cajunpen
i always wonderer about sharpening a c.w. bit ...is this possible or were you joking
denny

[fwharris]

Lawrence, Thanks but I give most of my credit to the spray laqucer!

Cajunpen, spoken like a man who has worked with manzanita before! I lost count! With a 3" bit @ 250 rpm it is a slow process. Woking on a piece right now (off and on for 2 days) that is the butt or outer cut off of the burl and I'm about 1/4" away from being done. After about 30 minutes I have to shut down and let the bit cool off.

I am also having issues with the drill press drive belts slipping a bit to much.