Stability of wood from a burl

[msweig]

Thanks everyone. I've learned a lot. I'll see if I can break it, and if not dimension it to the rough shape, let it sit, and see if it moves. If it moves, it's toast. Otherwise it'll at least give me something to practice the layout and fine cuts and drilling on.

Mark

[TomFromStLouis]

As others have said you have a crotch piece. For thinking about strength, the grain is running across the short width of the piece so it is more like 2" long board cut from a 14" wide piece of regular walnut. This is not what a shave wants so I would use the piece on something else. If you stress your piece it will simply break in half.

[Paul K. Murphy]

Steve N and I are in disagreement.
Constructing a spokeshave with that piece is in vain. I don't often comment from Internet photos because so little can be known for sure. In this case, I make an exception. No shave from that board.

[Arlin Eastman]

Mark

I am pretty sure that is crotch wood and not burl and yes this piece can be used for anything.

Arlin

[Steve N]

I agree picchurs can blur the realities. This is why I suggested whacking it on a sound object a few times. If it blows up there wasn't scant you can use it for where it won't self destruct. I'm am willing to bet 5 real $$$$ that piece is plenty usable.

What else can that lonely, but beautiful piece of wood be? A spoon? Same challenges, no ready long grain. Give it a shot.

I guess my question for You and Tom is has every piece of "non perfect" wood failed that you ever encountered. I guess I don't see another use for that Charley Brown stick. If you sawed it to veneer, it doesn't have a likely bookmatch about it, so it would look like a hodge podge. Otherwise that is a small box.

Go for it.

[TomFromStLouis]

A small box is not a valid use?

It is a decorative piece of wood, to be used decoratively.

[Paul K. Murphy]

Thanks, I'll decline the bet.
Somebody up thread made a comment I thought was appropriate under the circumstances. I'll paraphrase that here, and embellish:
What you think you're looking at is a board 20" long (or whatever).
What you are actually looking at is a board 1" long.
I know those aren't the exact words, but the point is valid. In the case of this particular specimen, the length is what would commonly be regarded as the thickness.
I can think of a lot of uses for that board. Veneer for drawer fronts is the first example, though there are many others.
WRT the other question, No. Every board I've ever seen and judged as unsound has not failed as predicted. This does not mean I discard sound construction principles altogether. In my mind that board has no role to play as a spokeshave. It is unsuitable for that.

[Steve N]

Tom thinks it's just a decoration, what would you suggest as possible other uses for the OP?

[Paul K. Murphy]

I did suggest veneered drawer fronts.
It could be used, butt matched, for a stunning frieze. Picture a lovely walnut cabinet with that piece, horizontally, butt matched below the cornice.
It could be used as an appliqué on canted corners, or on largish stiles for that matter.
It could easily find its way into a pilaster for the same reason. A candelabra type, without the candelabra.
With...
http://florenceart.net/courses/student_g...%20pilaster.jpg
Without...
http://www.designcontent.com.au/wp-conte...cessed.jpg
I'm not going to go on.

[msweig]

I like the it's a really wide, short board analogy.

In case anyone is curious, when I was planing the long end with a hand plane I would get short shavings. And when you look at the end you can see some bits of end grain, but when planing that part by hand it was not as difficult as planing normal end grain.

At some point I'll grab the board, put it behind one of my bench legs, and yank really hard. I figure that should be worse than the blade catching with a spokeshave. If it survives I'll probably flatten the thing and see if it moves. If it fails either of those tests it'll probably just go in the trash. The piece is a bit less than an inch thick, about 1.5-2" wide, and maybe 12" long. Hard to do much with that. At least anything that interests me.

Mark