Wood Selection
While I was deciding on which lathe to buy I was also
considering what types of wood I might use for my projects. Needless to say
there is a vast number of choices and a correspondingly great variation in
prices. I remember seeing some very nice looking turned pieces made from what I
call "glued-up stock" which is several slices of different wood types glued
together to make a large piece. When this piece is turned there are usually some
very interesting patterns resulting from the colors and textures of the differnt
wood types.
Of course cutting and gluing different wood types requires space and equipment
not available to me, so I opted for a manufactured product that achieves the
same results. What I found was the Teragren company who makes some very
interesting kitchen countertops comprised of glued-up strips of bamboo.
Click here to see Teragren's bamboo countertop web page.
I thought the Parquet Butcher Block style would be the most interesting when it
was turned, so I found a dealer near me who could get the basic countertop and
cut it into 12" squares. The countertop material is available in either 30" x
96" x 1.5" or 36" x 72" x 1.5" pieces, and you have to buy a whole piece.
I wanted the latter size because it would yield eighteen 12" square pieces, but
the store was only able to get the former size. So I ended up with sixteen 12"
squares and three 6" wide pieces which I will cut up into smaller ones.
Below are photos of one of the squares before and after I used a handhelp saber
saw to cut out a rough circle.
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