Pooh's Honey Pot

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OldWrangler

OldWrangler

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I guess this should be tacked on the end of the Mulberry Pot but that thread has gotten worn out. And besides, I really like how all the things I did came together and made this cute little pot.

The pot is a log of Contorted Mulberry (from my backyard). After turning and sanding to 400 grit, the pot was fumed overnight in ammonia to darken the center of the log and make the figure pop.

The lid is a nice tight fit and turned from a block of Thuya burl. I like how the finial came out....nothing deliberate, it just evolved as it was being turned.

The spoon is hand carved from Wenge and then soaked for an hour in clorox to whiten and accent the grain.

I think Pooh would approve!!!!!!!!
 

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Does the ammonia work on most woods that some different grain colors? I have 4 gallons of commercial grade ammonia I bought to fume white oak and never got around to it.
 
Skye, That's probably just gas!!!!!

Skip, I know that there are several lighter colored woods that benefit from ammonia fuming but I just discovered this about the Mulberry. Suggest you try small pieces and see what happens. Sometimes the wood just needs a little push like the Wenge with the Clorox. Some respond to Hydrogen Peroxide better. Maybe someone will add some recipes for various woods to this thread.
 
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Nice looking honey pot, I am sure Pooh would approve..!

Can you expound a little on 'fumed overnight in ammonia'.
Something new to me, does it just bring out the grain, or does the ammonia help clean the wood so you can put honey in it??

I presume you can put real honey in it


OldWrangler said:
I guess this should be tacked on the end of the Mulberry Pot but that thread has gotten worn out. And besides, I really like how all the things I did came together and made this cute little pot.

The pot is a log of Contorted Mulberry (from my backyard). After turning and sanding to 400 grit, the pot was fumed overnight in ammonia to darken the center of the log and make the figure pop.

The lid is a nice tight fit and turned from a block of Thuya burl. I like how the finial came out....nothing deliberate, it just evolved as it was being turned.

The spoon is hand carved from Wenge and then soaked for an hour in clorox to whiten and accent the grain.

I think Pooh would approve!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
 
Pooh would definitely approve. Fill it with honey and send it my way and I'll approve as well :biggrin: Nice job, I really like the effect on the wenge spoon.
 
penhead said:
Can you expound a little on 'fumed overnight in ammonia'.
Something new to me, does it just bring out the grain, or does the ammonia help clean the wood so you can put honey in it??

I presume you can put real honey in it
Click to expand...

JohnP, I just pour about 2-3 oz of ammonia in the bottom of a canister with a tight fitting lid. Then I put a small glass like a wide shot glass upside down in the bottom to keep the wood item from getting wet in the ammonia. Then the item goes in, lid goes on and it sits for anywhere from 2 hours to overnight and the wood apparently absorbs the fumes from the ammonia and the wood turns darker. Doesn't seem to affect the cambian layer, just the heart wood. Really pops the grain and adds a nice contrast.

Look at the "before and after" pictures of this little pot. You can see how the ammonia has darkened and brought out the grain. Hope this helps.
 

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Thanks..!
Very nice effect...Pooh would be proud.
I have a good friend whose daughter would love something like that, I will have to try it.

OldWrangler said:
JohnP, I just pour about 2-3 oz of ammonia in the bottom of a canister with a tight fitting lid. Then I put a small glass like a wide shot glass upside down in the bottom to keep the wood item from getting wet in the ammonia. Then the item goes in, lid goes on and it sits for anywhere from 2 hours to overnight and the wood apparently absorbs the fumes from the ammonia and the wood turns darker. Doesn't seem to affect the cambian layer, just the heart wood. Really pops the grain and adds a nice contrast.

Look at the "before and after" pictures of this little pot. You can see how the ammonia has darkened and brought out the grain. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
 
George, beautiful work. One question, though. Are you sure that's Thuya? I've turned a lot of it, even bought it in board form and have never seen it honey colored. Everything I've ever seen is a chocolate brown. No criticism here, just curiosity on my part. Maybe it's just the photo...

Anyway, interesting process, well done.

Dale
 
George, it could be either one of those. Whatever it is, it's gorgeous. I've just never seen Thuya that light colored and with the "pads" of burl like that. I think of Thuya as having smaller "spots" of burl. I just turned a piece of vasticola, mostly sapwood, that reminds me of it but still lighter. Was it hard as a brick or something softer? Another dead ringer for me on the Thuya is it gums up paper quick, and you can't tap it out-you've got to use the eraser.

Anyway, not even a hint of criticism from me, especially for something so lovely. I'm a bit of a wood nerd. If you saw my shop you'd know that! Even if I'm not turning it, I like to be around it and just dream about what's inside...

All the best,
Dale
 
Dale, Thanks for your comments. Here is a better picture of the top. Maybe you will be able to tell more. Seems like about a year ago that a nice fellow in Australia sent me some wood and in it I remember there was Vasicola burl, York Gum burl and some Corrugata burl with some other Auzzie wood that weren't burl. This could be one of those as I had to dig it out from under a bunch of other wood so it had been there a while. Maybe someone else will se it and let us know.
 

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I think by a process of elimination I believe it to be York gum Eucalytus loxophleba because of the space between the eyes and the general colour. Though it has to be stated that naming bulrs is a hard job perhaps therea an OZ who's reading this thread can chip in. theres a whole host of burls/burrs from oz and there all very desirable my own personal favourite is Bimblebox, or corrugata which is a densa burl and is less likely to have voids
 
I believe that during the Craftsman period industrial ammonia was used as a finishing agent on quartersawn white oak. The fumes from the ammonia would react chemically with the talon? in the wood and make it pop. The whole board would change color. You adjusted wanted you wanted to see by allowing the fuming process to go longer. It is done by creating a tent to place the object in. Then a bowl of the ammonia was placed in the tent and allow to evaporate. This process will not work with household ammonia. If anyone decides to try this method, you will need a well ventilated area as well as a gas mask. These fumes will knock you down real quick.
 
OldWrangler said:
JohnP, I just pour about 2-3 oz of ammonia in the bottom of a canister with a tight fitting lid. Then I put a small glass like a wide shot glass upside down in the bottom to keep the wood item from getting wet in the ammonia. Then the item goes in, lid goes on and it sits for anywhere from 2 hours to overnight and the wood apparently absorbs the fumes from the ammonia and the wood turns darker. Doesn't seem to affect the cambian layer, just the heart wood. Really pops the grain and adds a nice contrast.

Look at the "before and after" pictures of this little pot. You can see how the ammonia has darkened and brought out the grain. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

I assumed that you 'fumed' the wood before the finish, but with a before and after picture that both look finished, now I have to ask.. before or after finish???
 
Skip_Evans said:
I believe that during the Craftsman period industrial ammonia was used as a finishing agent on quartersawn white oak. The fumes from the ammonia would react chemically with the talon? in the wood and make it pop. The whole board would change color. You adjusted wanted you wanted to see by allowing the fuming process to go longer. It is done by creating a tent to place the object in. Then a bowl of the ammonia was placed in the tent and allow to evaporate. This process will not work with household ammonia. If anyone decides to try this method, you will need a well ventilated area as well as a gas mask. These fumes will knock you down real quick.
Click to expand...

possibly you mean tannins :biggrin: you can coat timber in tannic acid and the ammonia will react turning the timber brown oak has these in naturaly as do other timbers those timbers that dont have it in can be coated.
 
Before finish and fuming and after fuming and finish. The fuming was really an afterthought and not really in the plans until right before the finish. Wood is a little wet for the picture.
 
Nice work George, I'm getting ready to try and turn some small pots or boxes, I hope I can even get near the craftsmanship shown in yours, The Wenge spoon is very cool,
 
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