- 3 weeks ago
The Weirdest Wood I’ve Ever Worked With
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CreativityTranscript
00:15Hello everyone, a while ago on a classified ads website I found a guy
00:19selling this incredible wood slice. Of course I couldn't resist so I had to buy
00:24it. The bark is kind of weird almost feels like a sponge. I've never seen anything
00:30like this before. It has a really beautiful grain and the center is this
00:34deep pink. The first thing I need to do is remove all the bark. There's this layer
00:43between the bark and the wood that looks like ham or something. I just started and
00:49I'm already excited to see how this wood will look once I put the finish on it.
00:56The other wood I'm going to use is Larch. It's a semi-hard wood with nice
01:00concentric grain patterns and a beautiful orange color. I think the combination of
01:05these two woods will create an interesting contrast. Most of the wood I work with
01:10doesn't come from stores or professional sellers. This kind of wood has one big
01:15issue you have to keep in mind. It's never been treated and could have insects.
01:20There are different ways to get rid of them from chemical insecticides to more
01:24natural stuff like vinegar or alcohol. You could also pick the bugs out one by one
01:28or politely ask them to leave. But the safest method and the one I use is putting
01:33the wood in a kiln. This guarantees that none of them will survive the high
01:37temperatures. So I'm going to slice it up before putting it in the kiln.
01:48I'm going to cut slices about four centimeters thick.
01:59With a bit of practice you can get pretty even cuts using a chainsaw.
02:11Personally, when I work with end grain slices, I like the wood to be completely dry to avoid
02:15cracks forming in the future. And this wood still has a lot of moisture.
02:22If you're wondering where I dry the wood, I built myself a homemade kiln. It's pretty
02:26simple. Let me show you. All you need to do is build a box and line it with thermal insulation.
02:33You'll need a red heat lamp, a dehumidifier, a fan, and a thermometer to keep track of the
02:39temperature and humidity. If the room temperature isn't too low, you can reach 60 degrees Celsius
02:45inside with just one bulb. I also need to dry the big slice. I'm going to use a ratchet strap
02:53to try to
02:53minimize the cracks, though I'm sure some will show up anyway. Here it is. A few days later, the wood
03:01is dry
03:01and the cracks have appeared. If anyone knows a way to prevent a wood slice from cracking while drying
03:06it in the kiln, please leave a comment. I would really appreciate it.
03:11The slice is too thick. I need to reduce it to half its thickness, and it's not going to be
03:16easy.
03:17I could do it with the router slide, but honestly, I just don't feel like it. The way I'm going
03:23to do it
03:23is probably not the safest, and I definitely don't recommend copying me. So, you know, kids, when you're
03:29using a chainsaw, don't do this. Actually, if you're a kid, you probably shouldn't be using a chainsaw at all.
03:34In fact, I don't think a kid should be watching random videos on YouTube at this hour. Go do your
03:40homework or something.
03:43Anyway, I'm going to have to use my big chainsaw. It at least needs to reach the center of the
03:47slice.
03:49When I went to pick up this wood slice, I asked the guy if he knew what kind of tree
03:53it was from.
03:55His answer was, I don't know, a really big one. When I finished the piece and put it up for
04:00sale,
04:00I'd rather not write in the description that I made it from a really big tree. That doesn't sound very
04:06professional.
04:07I'm 90% sure what species it is, but since I've never worked with it before, I'd like to confirm.
04:13So, I'm going to ask for your help. I'd really appreciate it if you could leave a comment saying what
04:18type of tree you think it is.
04:20If most of the answers match what I think, I'll feel confident putting the wood type in the description without
04:25worrying about getting it wrong.
04:27I'm sure some of my viewers have worked with this wood before and know exactly what it is.
04:33I need the base to sit perfectly, so the next thing I'm going to do is flatten one of the
04:37faces.
04:42Now, just a single pass should be enough to get the thickness I need.
04:46I'm not sure I actually saved much time.
04:49I think if I had done it all this way instead of with the chainsaw, it would have taken less
04:53time.
04:54But this is way more boring.
04:58In my last video, I had a little accident and my router broke.
05:02I'm waiting for the part I need to fix it, so in the meantime, I have to work with my
05:06old router.
05:07Honestly, you can really tell the difference between a $100 machine and a $500 one.
05:15Even though the small slices came out pretty flat, I'd rather give them a quick pass with the belt sander
05:20so they sit better.
05:21It'll take me 20 minutes, but it'll save me more time in the future.
05:25I've done several projects like this already, and with each one, I learned a new trick that I can apply
05:29to the next.
05:34Now I need to make sure the edges are perfectly perpendicular to the base.
05:38This will make it a lot easier to put all the pieces together.
05:45This wood is pretty soft, so I can take off quite a bit of material with the oscillating sander without
05:49much effort.
05:56Perfect. Now I'll do the same thing with the other wood.
06:01Working with softwoods has its advantages.
06:04Some jobs get done a lot faster.
06:06However, it also has its downsides.
06:08I usually work with hardwoods.
06:11And even though some tasks are more challenging,
06:13I personally find it easier to work with hardwoods overall.
06:17It's harder to mess up, or more precisely,
06:19the mistakes you do make aren't as big of a deal,
06:22especially when you're finishing up the work.
06:25Sanding very soft wood can be tricky.
06:31I've drawn the outline of the large slice on my workbench.
06:34This way, it'll be easier to place each piece around it and make everything fit.
06:43I'll also draw the outline of each small piece so everything stays in place.
06:52Now comes the hard part, starting to cut the pieces and making everything fit.
06:57I'm going to try to remove the areas with cracks to create a more uniform visual effect.
07:05The best way to make these kinds of cuts is with the bandsaw.
07:08If I had to cut the large slice, I'd have more trouble.
07:11I'd have to set the saw next to the workbench at the same height or something like that.
07:17To make curved cuts, you need to use a narrow blade.
07:20I'm using a 6mm wide one.
07:23To be exact, 6mm is 0.236 inches, but I think it's easier if I just say a quarter of
07:29an inch.
07:31We hardly talk about the problem humanity has with using two different measurement systems.
07:36I think it's time to do something about it.
07:38It shouldn't be that hard to agree on one.
07:42Maybe we could flip a coin to see which system stays.
07:45Or to avoid anyone getting upset, we could create a new system for everyone.
07:49Like the inch-o-meter or something.
07:51What do you think?
08:00I'm going to use clamps to hold some pieces in place as a reference and keep everything together.
08:05Otherwise, every time I pick up a piece to cut it, everything else gets out of alignment.
08:09And I end up wasting a lot of time repositioning everything.
08:18This is turning out to be really time-consuming.
08:20I hope it's worth it.
08:22I have a rough idea of how it's going to look, but until it's finished and I can see it,
08:26I'm feeling a bit unsure.
08:28It would be a shame if all this work didn't turn out the way I'd hoped.
08:34I'm trying to make the center of each piece visible.
08:37I think it'll look better if you can see where the concentric circles of each piece originate.
08:44I'm also going to make the small slices fit into the large cracks of the central slice.
08:49It'll be more work, but I think it'll look better that way.
08:57Alright, let's speed things up a bit.
09:04It took me more hours of work than I expected, but it's finally ready.
09:08Just need to fill in a couple of small gaps now.
09:11To do that, I'm going to draw the outline of the crack on paper so I can easily transfer it
09:15to the wood later.
09:34I can finally square up the edges and give it the final measurements.
09:54Every time I'm going to use epoxy and make a form, I line it with packing tape.
09:59This keeps the epoxy resin from sticking to the mold and saves me a lot of trouble.
10:05It's also really important to seal the joints well to prevent leaks.
10:09I don't know how it manages to do it, but epoxy has a knack for finding any little gap.
10:14It's worth spending a few extra minutes to make sure the mold is completely sealed.
10:22Silicone creates a small curve in the corners and makes the wood pieces not fit well in the form.
10:28This means we'll end up using more epoxy than necessary.
10:31A really easy fix is to sand down the corners a bit so they fit perfectly.
10:40To keep the wood from floating when pouring the epoxy resin, I'm going to glue the pieces to the base.
11:00This time, the gaps I need to fill with resin are really small, so it's not necessary to use deep
11:05pore epoxy.
11:06A regular casting epoxy from a good brand will be okay.
11:10In case anyone's interested, I'll leave a link in the video description for buying epoxy with a discount.
11:17It's a really porous wood, and I'm worried it might get stained.
11:20To reduce that risk, instead of using stain, I'm going to use charcoal.
11:25Since it's a powder rather than a liquid, it won't penetrate the wood as much.
11:32I want to use the minimum amount of epoxy possible, so I'm going to pour it slowly.
11:37I know it would be much quicker to pour a huge bucket over it and let all the gaps fill
11:41up,
11:42but this type of wood would absorb a ton of resin.
11:44I'm sure I'd need more than twice as much if I did it that way.
11:53Epoxy isn't cheap, so I don't want to waste it unnecessarily.
12:00Since it's not deep pour, it'll be fully dry and ready to demold in a couple of days.
12:16Breaking things with a hammer is a great stress reliever.
12:18You should definitely give it a try.
12:33I remember the first epoxy table I made.
12:36I didn't use anything to keep the mold from sticking, and it was a total disaster.
12:40I spent an entire day just trying to get it off.
12:49It's time to flatten, and yeah, I'm definitely missing my new router.
12:53I'll need to think about upgrading my flattening setup.
12:59Just in case it's helpful to anyone.
13:00I've added a link in the video description where you can find most of the products and tools I use
13:04in this video.
13:12I'm really liking how it's turning out so far.
13:14The more I look at this wood, the more I like it.
13:19It's important to flatten the other side without waiting too long.
13:22If you wait, the piece might end up warping.
13:26Now I can square up the edges.
13:31It's been quite a while since I came up with the idea of doing these puzzle-style projects.
13:36I've done a few now, and I have to say they're pretty tricky builds.
13:41I've made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I've learned from them.
13:44If you enjoy woodworking and want to try something like this, feel free to ask me if you run into
13:49any questions during the build.
13:52You can leave me a comment here or message me on any of my social media accounts.
13:56I always try to reply to those kinds of messages.
13:59I also reach out to other woodworkers sometimes, and I really appreciate it when they help me out.
14:16I've done the first sanding pass with the belt sander to get rid of the router marks.
14:20Now is when the problems of working with softwoods start.
14:26It's also necessary to sand the underside.
14:28Otherwise, when we apply the finish, it'll absorb too much.
14:33I'm going to add a steel frame to the back to give it structural stability and prevent the piece from
14:38warping over time.
14:39Lately, I've been trying to learn a bit of welding, and doing these simple tasks helps me practice.
14:48I still have a lot to learn.
14:54I'm going to inset the steel frame into the wood so it doesn't stick out too much.
14:57I'll carve out some channels that are a bit wider than the frame to avoid creating tension and prevent issues
15:03with the wood's seasonal movement.
15:08In my latest video, I did a little poll asking my viewers if they preferred videos with narration or with
15:14background music and subtitles.
15:16As I suspected, those who prefer narration won by a landslide.
15:21So, for now, I'll keep adding voiceovers to my videos.
15:24At least until you all beg me to stop talking again.
15:28The problem with this is that I like to say a lot of silly things and I have to be
15:32aware that there are thousands of people listening to me.
15:34So, I need to try to control myself.
15:37It's really important to consider how much the place where you say something matters.
15:41Let me give you an example.
15:43If someone says, Jesus loves you in a church, it's fine, right?
15:47But if someone says that same phrase to you in a prison, it feels completely different.
15:53Okay, sorry about that.
15:55Please don't leave the video and unsubscribe.
15:57I said I'd try to control myself.
16:00But, if you're part of the 1% of people who found the joke funny, I think you should subscribe
16:06to my channel immediately.
16:20Let's keep going with the woodworking.
16:23The holes in the steel need to be a bit larger than the screw diameter to allow for those small
16:29potential movements.
16:34To fill in the small gaps and holes, I usually use black cyanoacrylate.
16:38But with this really soft wood, I'm worried it might soak up the glue and leave a black stain around
16:43the gap.
16:47I've come up with an idea to avoid this.
16:48I'm going to apply a layer of clear gel cyanoacrylate first.
16:52Hopefully, this will stop the black glue from soaking into the wood.
16:57I use an accelerator spray to make the glue dry quickly.
17:04We'll see how it works out.
17:19I'm going to wet it with some water to see how it looks with the finish applied.
17:23Okay, I don't like it.
17:25The black glue didn't leave a stain, but the clear one created a layer preventing the finish from soaking in,
17:31and now there's a color difference.
17:34I've come up with another idea, but first, I need to sand the surface finer.
17:40I'm going to use black wood putty to fill in the gaps.
17:49I hope this method works better.
17:50At least it's a lot quicker to apply.
17:56For the holes and small bubbles in the epoxy, I do need to use black super glue.
18:00The wood putty doesn't stick well to epoxy.
18:14Alright, I'm happy with this result.
18:16There are no stains around the gaps.
18:36I know some of you thought I was making a table, but I never said that.
18:39It's actually going to be a piece of wall art.
18:42Of course, you could attach some black steel legs and turn it into a nice coffee table.
18:46But personally, I think it'll look better hanging on the wall.
18:50I'm sure some table fans might be disappointed.
18:53No worries, feel free to criticize, but please, be nice.
18:57Don't upset someone who handles a chainsaw so well.
19:04After sanding it down to 240 grit, it's time to apply the finish.
19:08First, I'll put on a coat of hard wax oil.
19:21I can't believe how much finish this wood is soaking up.
19:24I'm using three or four times more than I would for a piece of this size made from hardwood.
19:29I'm using a white scotch bright pad to help the finish penetrate the wood.
19:43Once that first coat dries, I'll apply another layer of wood wax.
19:47I wouldn't use this finish for a table since it's not very tough, but I like the look it gives
19:51the wood.
19:52And since it's going to be hanging on the wall, it doesn't need to be super strong.
20:00I'm going to put this piece up for sale on my website, so if you're interested or just curious about
20:05the price, you can check it out.
20:08I've added the link below in the video description.
20:11Oh, and don't forget to leave a comment if you think you know what kind of wood it is.
20:14It would really help me out.
20:17Thanks for watching the video all the way to the end. See you in the next one.