After cutting up the two slabs, I realized that I had more pieces than I would EVER turn. Posting some images of this stuff to Wood Central's turning forum, it appeared that other turners were interested in working with a piece of this stuff.
Hmmmmm . . .
John and Vicki Jordan had a tree come down on their property. They asked if anyone in the turning community would like a piece - and thus the Vicki's Tree Project came to be - sending pieces to turners throughout the country. A while later, recipients started posting pictures of what they'd done with the piece/pieces they'd received.
Hmmmmm . . .
And thus was born what I initially thought of asThe Redwood Burl Project.
I floated the idea in the Wood Central turning forum. "I've got some nice redwood - want a piece?" Then Carol Reed suggested that recipients make some sort of donation to a charity of their choosing - a Pay It Foreward thing. Pay It Foreward works like this. You do me a kindness, I do someone else a kindness, they do someone else a kindness and so on. Like a pebble dropped in a pond, a ripple spreads out in all directions acrossed a pond, lake - or an ocean.
So now it's
The Pay It Foreward Project.
The logistics for this project could be a "challenge" - for ONE person.
HOW to cut up the slabs to get the best AND most pieces from them (classic horns of a dilema)
Actually cutting up the slabs (this stuff dulls chainsaw chains amazingly fast)
Keeping track of the participants (e-mail addresses, mailing addresses, etc.)
Keeping track of who has asked for what
Deciding who gets what piece (this one may get delegated to a committee ;) )
Figuring out how to get the pieces to people
Mailing labels to fill out or print out (my handwriting borders on illegible - even when I go with block letters)
Shipping boxes to acquire and pack
Up front money for shipping
Packing and getting to the Post Office - or UPS outlet ( THINK it'll all fit in my van - if I take the seats out)
Some means of collecting the shipping cost from recipients (can go with PayPal, Postal Money Oders or personal checks - cheques if you're British)
A means for participants and coordinator to communicate (I'm trying to learn how to use Apple's MAIL "address book")
:
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As is usually the case when something is supposed to happen, things that are needed appear when needed. Silicon Valley Woodturners members Lonnie, Jim and Glen stepped in to help. Lonnie offered his help for packing and shipping and anything else that needed doing, Jim & Glen to provided sage advice on how and where to cut - and why. (what I'm learning about "reading wood" from people who KNOW wood is an invaluable and unforeseen spinoff of this project.)
Here's an example of the tough decisions I'm having to make - with some help. This thick slab was Wedge Cut - 3/4" thiclk at "A" and 4" thick at "B" - but not cut all the way acrossed the slab as you can see in the illustration in the first photo. That's a 16" bar on the McCulloch electric chainsaw.
The pile of turnable pieces just kept growing. This is 26 or so useable pieces and there's still three slabs to go.
more to come
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