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See yesterday. A carbon copy, today.

What Lew and/or Dan said.

Denatured alcohol soak is my preferred method. I weigh it when it comes out of it's bath and know it is dry when it stops losing weight. Usually in a little as a week. https://woodshopmike.com/denatured-alcohol-drying/

Thanks, Dave! The entire guitar will be French polish Shellac, no stain anywhere.

I think Lew hit on the solution. If you remove wax the mold may spread . Drying the blank may induce cracking nut a turned piece is less like to. Possibly the mold was introduced by a scratch in the wax coat.

Looks good David. Will the spruce have a natural finish or stain, then finish?

To echo Lew yes Guitar strings. You can cut one in two and have one and a spare. Don't forget to turn some handles for them . Drill a small hole , large enough for two wires. Put the wire thru hole and wrap around to go into the same hole again and pull it tight. It will not come out. Eventually burners do break. Gonna have to make a picture of that.

Got started on the top today and decided on Curly Maple and Imbuya Burl for the rosette.

IMO... This would almost identical to turning a freshly cut log. I would turn it without removing the wax- let the tools do that for you. You have a couple of options: 1. rough turn it, seal it with your favorite bowl sealer- mine is old Titebond glue- let it dry slowly over time. 2. turn it to the finished thickness and let it air dry. It will warp but that is what some folks like 3. rough turn it, seal the end grain and dry it in a kiln/warming box- @forty_caliber has a really nice kiln build This next one is what I would do- rough turn it, soak it in a soap and water solution- look up Ron Kent or Ernie Conover for the formula- after soak put it in a kiln/warming box until the weigh stabilizes. I usually soak for 3 days then into my warming box. Depending on the size (thickness) it usually is ready for final turning in less than 3 weeks.

Hello all, I bought some wood on Etsy; it arrives coated in a very heavy coat of wax. OK, that's good, however, I see black under the wax that is not common on the wood. Turns out it is mold, and the wood is so wet that it is throwing water on me as I turn it. The wax would all have to be removed and a great deal of time would be required to allow the wood to dry properly. I bought several pieces like this and returning it may not be an option due to it was free to ship to me, but to return it with the weight it would be expensive for me to do so. I am looking for comments, suggestions on if I should complain or not (will it do any good?). I already know what I have to do, (suck it up buttercup, cut off the top wax layer and let it dry) but was wondering if anyone has seen this and what you did in the circumstances. Thanks, Nevin

Love it!!

Working on this some today white ash and resin bowl with the pour form partly cut away. Resin Is Aluminite clear slow with green mica powder calabrese55

Sounds like a new joint to me . I've heard of and done a few wedged through tenons. Side wedged through tenons might be something you should get a trademark for. 4D

I found out that maple wasn't as hard as it seemed when I tried to sell maple copies of a bubinga prototype mechanically rocking balans chair design of mine. The scissor members had a 1" bubinga dowel in the side to limit where they traveled. So when I made maple versions I used a 1" maple dowel instead. Found out shortly that the shearing action of the chair was crushing the maple dowel. Had to replace all the dowels with a wider part that distributed the load rather than concentrated it on the side of a round dowel. Eventually went back and did the same with the bubinga prototype. Also found later on another projects that bubinga could break across the grain which was a bit surprising. https://4dfurniture.blogspot.com/2022/07/rocking-balans-chair.html 4D

Update: Unfortunately the father did not survive : Rescuers said the undercurrent was very strong and they had a lot of trouble themselves.

Dave I never use an oil injector in the air line for wood working but I do have it on the mechanic type of my work tools. I only put two or three drops of 30 weight motor oil every three months or so but no more. And I do use a water trap. And no I don't drain the pressure tank but about once a year.. I have heard guys drains their tanks every week or so but if they was to think about it there is moisture on the entire insides and just draining what little water there is in the bottom sure ain't gonna stop the rusting from happening. The little straight die grinders are much harder to keep under control where the pistol grip model is shorter and the L shape makes it much easier on my muscles. I like to start with the course 1" round Saburr bit with the 1/4" shaft and it does take a lot to control but much easier than anything else I can think of. All of the pistol models have the 1/4"collet chuck so the bits won't go sailing across the shop.

I think it might be O-I-C-U-8-1-2.

I dunno. A bear, drinking beer, seems like a subtle warning that the occupants of the cave might be bare. 4D

Yes Gene, I like to leave the pattern on for its a guide for where to start carving then the depth is up to you....I have found the deeper you go the better it will look after you finish. But each part will get more carving as the other pieces are carved to match up the sides as to the amount of depth. Attach the backer board in all four corners and they need to be counter sunk for the board to slide around on the scroll saw. I also sand off any stray sticks so the wood slides easy. I start with the wood I prepared then put down some Scotch brand shipping tape. Scotch has lots of different tapes for different uses.. I prefer shipping tape for it seems to work better than the lighter weight stuff The other brand of tape leaves lots of glue on the wood to be removed with lacquer thinner so the reason I use Scotch brand.. I then spray the glue on to the tape...Then lay down the pattern... I have found if I put the glue on to the pattern it might end up sticking itself together before you ever get to install the pattern....I learned the hard way and had to go to the house and print out another pattern...I always print out 2 patterns for I have to have something to go by when most of the first pattern has been ground away... Actually I print out three patterns and file one away for later use if someone wants one like I already made. ..After the pattern has been installed now you can tell where the screws go to hold the center peice against the backer board...T These screws holding the backer board against the center piece of the most important thing of the whole project. I usually put 5 to 10 screws in the middle piece of wood for every thing will go back against the center piece after the carving and pieces finished. Then after all the carving has been finished and the coating is applied , the center piece will be glued to the backer board with the screws. Lots of times I put screws in to the outside pieces as well as I saw away from the outside of each piece. But I have found if I flood the areas with glue the pieces will stay where they are put around the center piece. I do like to use Aleene's glue in the brown bottle for it don't run all over the place. I counter sink all the screws with a drill bit just a hair smaller than the thread of the screw. Hold the drill bit up and just want a very small amount of threads on each side of the drill bit.

Great idea, thanks!

Go to the local music store and get some discarded music string- banjo, guitar, etc. Different diameters for various burning widths.

Great suggestion, I had been tempted a few times to buy a set of burning wires. I have seen ways to use what I have in the shop already as a cheap alternative. I will definitely give that a shot. And thank you!

Now I know why they say to drill pilot holes for screws in Ipe.