Riving maple...uses?

[rybo]

Got around to riving some of the maple logs I had lying around. It looks beautiful, and it's a very satisfying feeling to see it go from log to lumber.

I know a few logs are limb wood (thanks scsmith42), but the others seems to be from the main trunk. The first things that come to mind are a stool or chair, or maybe a few spoons (never attempted any of these). I understand these things are better done with green wood.

Anyone know of other good uses for wood like this? Anyone have any good resources on the topic (green wood)?

 

[Steve Martin]

try www.bodgers.org/uk the web site of The Association of Pole Lathe Turners and Green Wood Workers for info on green wood working. I am holding a spoon carving course in Gold Hill, NC on the 2nd and 3rd Saturdays in June, tools and wood provided. $40 per participant. Lunch is available nearby. Go home with a spoon you carved and the know how to make aas amny as you want. PM me for more info.

 

[Jeff]

Rybo,

Welcome to the wild world of riving. I did the same thing a couple of months ago with some relatively green red maple and a newly purchased froe (album pics in Gallery). It was a curiosity and experiment for me. Wow, it produces some really nice wood that's pretty easy to work, but riving is not for the faint of heart. Several 3-6' l boards would be an interesting challenge. Mine were only about 18" l.

Your pic #2 looks like you planed it or used a drawknife to roughly shape the piece. Correct? Your dimensions?

Peter Follansbee and Peter Galbert have some good information online. PG emailed some good tips for constructing his riving brake.

http://pfollansbee.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/theres-oak-then-theres-riven-oak/

http://chairnotes.blogspot.com/2008/04/riving-brake.html

 

[Jeff]

Google "furniture from riven wood". Lots of good links and interesting stuff. :thumbs_up

 

[rybo]

Rybo,

Welcome to the wild world of riving. I did the same thing a couple of months ago with some relatively green red maple and a newly purchased froe (album pics in Gallery). It was a curiosity and experiment for me. Wow, it produces some really nice wood that's pretty easy to work, but riving is not for the faint of heart. Several 3-6' l boards would be an interesting challenge. Mine were only about 18" l.

Your pic #2 looks like you planed it or used a drawknife to roughly shape the piece. Correct? Your dimensions?

Peter Follansbee and Peter Galbert have some good information online. PG emailed some good tips for constructing his riving brake.

http://pfollansbee.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/theres-oak-then-theres-riven-oak/

http://chairnotes.blogspot.com/2008/04/riving-brake.html

Exactly right Jeff. I think this is red maple as well. Where did you get your froe? I have been looking for one and would love to pick one up.

You're right, the riving is tough work but very satisfying. I used a spokeshave and hatchet (don't have a drawknife just yet). The pieces are between 1'-3' long, around 1"-4" wide. I'm still learning the best ways to rive that don't give a triangular piece.

 

[rybo]

Also, is there a big risk in making small workshop tools marking gauge/try square) with green wood? I would think since a marking gauge is essentially a big through mortise and tenon, the pieces would uniformly shrink and still work. Thoughts?

 

[KenOfCary]

It's a long haul for you but you'd likely find a froe at Ed's shop above the Woodwrights School in Pittsboro. Stop by if you're ever in the area or email Ed to discuss. Search for woodwrights school on the web for URL and contact info. Also Jim Bode Tools sometimes has a froe or two, but his prices tend to be on the expensive side. Ebay is another source to check out.

I don't remember if Tools for Working Wood has a modern froe for sale or not. Check their website.

The above are also good sources for a drawknife.

I would not make measuring/marking tools from anything but well dried very stable wood that doesn't shrink/expand much with humidity changes, never from Green Wood, but that's just me.

- Ken.

 

[Jeff]

The froe was purchased from Lie-Nielsen. It was designed after much research by Drew Langsner, owner of Country Workshops near Marshall, NC, and the guy in the video is Peter Follansbee with his version of a riving brake. There's a couple of good links at the bottom of the page too.

http://blog.lostartpress.com/2012/07/19/the-new-lie-nielsen-froe-designed-by-drew-langsner/

I've never used a froe, but this one appears to be pretty sweet in my novice hands. BTW, never use a steel mallet on a froe because it'll deform the top of the blade and ruin it! The wood mallet is nothing more than a comfortably hand sized piece of hardwood which is expendable when it gets beat up. I'm learning that this is finesse instead of brute force.

Dimensioning is another beast that I'm still trying to figure out too. It's getting better with experience and experimentation. These are my simplistic depictions of how the process might work in an ideal world after removing the pith wood and sap wood.

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showphoto.php?photo=69931&title=riving-1&cat=500

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showphoto.php?photo=69932&title=riving-2&cat=500

 

[Jeff]

Sorry about the above pic links. Still trying to figure it out. I'm going to try "Medium Image" instead of "Linked Medium".