What type of wood could I use...

[rjwz28]

to make a clock like this?  I know I need something that won't crack.  I don't believe I can find anything local in Hawaii.  If anyone got something in its raw stage that they would be willing to sell to me, please let me know.  If you can put it in a USPS Priority Mail flat rate box to mail to me that would be great.  I will of course pay you for it first.

Mahalo,
Rob

 

[tvgordon]

I think you could use any wood, but it would have to be carefully dried so that it wouldn't crack.  You have to keep the surface from drying much faster than the center of the wood.

That said, I'm not real sure what the best way would be. I'm sure there are other members that have experience with this, but I'm thinking that if you cut a section off of a log and wrap it in newspaper and let it slowly air dry that it shouldn't crack. I do know that turners will turn a bowl from newly cut wood. Then turn the bowl oversize then let it air dry for several months then turn it to final size. During the drying time the bowl will usually warp a little and may develop small cracks right at the surface.

Hope this helps a little,
Tom

 

[Tinker]

A friend of mine told me one time she packs the chips and dust from a green turning all around the bowl and let's the entire pile dry out together.
Tinker

 

[mouppe]

I'd be sorely tempted to use veneer. If you go with solid wood, route out the core as much as possible at the back to reduce the stresses. You'll have to take out a fair amount anyway to house the mechanism.

 

[peter halle]

I haven't used this product, but it has been around since at least the late 1980's and is still sold today:  Pentacryl Link

Peter

 

[Alan m]

you could dip the whole piece in the wax turners use to keep the moisture in and slowly let it out. i would try the wood shavings too. lots of turners do that . i think the trick is to slow down the rate of water evaporating  out of the wood/.i would place the piece somewhere cold,damp,and dark. but keep it turned to even it out

 

[Nick C]

It will crack.

 

[Scott B.]

I say use whatever species you want, in log form like that it is going to crack no matter what. I would dry it and let the cracking take its course, as long as it remains structurally sound and visually appealing, then fill all the cracks with multiple coats of epoxy (as with grain filling in antique woods, floors, etc), then sand and proceed with finishing.

 

[mouppe]

I googled the image and the website I found it on states it is "a slice of natural acacia with a clear lacquer finish." I believe it was sold by west elm originally.

 

[Alan m]

i remember reading an artical on something like this.
they use dead but standing trees because the moisure content was lower.
i would ask my local tree sergeon to keep an eye out. nothing to  loose really, worth a shot

 

[Tinker]

A late cousin used to do wood carving in his later years. He used half decayed (not actually spalted as I remember) oak as he told me it would not split, warp or change shape no matter how long it took to finish a piece.  He had lots of other things to keep him occupied, so a carving might take him weeks, or even months.  I have done a few projects using spalted Maple from a tree I took down in my front yard.  I have never had a shrinkage, warping or splitting problem with that wood.  I never tried slicing across the grain of spalted wood as shown.  It does sound reasonable that it might not split. I had never thought of trying it that way.
Tinker