Christmas has come early!

[Woodbloke]

There was a rat-a-tat on the front door just now, whereupon SWIMBO took delivery of a parcel:



It was from MikeG who a few days ago asked for my postal addy as he had "something" for me and upon opening it, out tumbled a pile of lovely Bog Oak...not the little cast iron cat, who seems to find her way into some of my photos

Many thanks indeed Mike and rest assured, they'll be put to good use - Rob

 

[Distinterior]

I love a bit of Bog Oak...!

By pure coincidence, I had been promising my wife to frame a couple of prints that we got whilst in Brugge a few years ago.
I finally got around to making the frames this week and mounted the prints in them this morning.....She hasn't seen them yet!!

I also got the Bog Oak from @Mike G , but a good few years back.

Edit.
When I met with Mike to collect the Bog Oak, I also met @Steve Maskery, and
@Pete Maddex at the same time, if I remember correctly.?

 

[Mike G]

It's a pleasure, Rob. They really were destined for the fire, but I remembered your signature contrasting wedges and thought you could probably use them.

 

[Steve Maskery]

When I met with Mike to collect the Bog Oak, I also met @Steve Maskery, and
@Pete Maddex at the same time, if I remember correctly.?

Didn't we split a board between us? I still have 95% of it. It'll see me out.
S

 

[AndyT]

Generous as ever.
And Mike, in case you are wondering, I do still have the lovely bit of bog oak you sent me quite some time ago. This thread might just have given me an idea of what to do with it.

 

[Distinterior]

Didn't we split a board between us? I still have 95% of it. It'll see me out.
S

I remember splitting a board with someone that day Steve...

 

[Woodbloke]

It's a pleasure, Rob. They really were destined for the fire, but I remembered your signature contrasting wedges and thought you could probably use them.

For moi, personally, this sort of stuff is really too good to burn, so being a parsimonious soul, I tend to keep all, or most of my offcuts with the view that they'll be useful 'some day' (which generally never comes, but sometimes does) This very afternoon, some of it's been used to make a start on this key fob, which will be a gift for somebody in 'a Galaxy far, far away'



The pyrography text has been roughed out on the piece above, so I know how much material (Holly) I need to have. No surprise that pyrography doesn't work very well on Bog Oak It's not the first time I've given small gifts in Bog Oak to various people and I like to watch their faces when they realise that what they're holding in their hands is made from something 5,300 years old and far older than their civilisation.

Thanks again Mike - Rob

 

[Cabinetman]

Can’t you get the date a bit nearer Rob? Tuesday? Haha.

 

[Chris152]

I used mine a few years back in a small sculpture in memory of an old friend. This bit still sits on my desk, awaiting inspiration.

Thanks Mike.

 

[Woodbloke]

Can’t you get the date a bit nearer Rob? Tuesday? Haha.

Apparently there's a chap in Kent who sells the stuff and at great expense, he had a board radio carbon dated some years ago. Approx 5,300 years old is the date he was given, but interestingly in NZ they also carbon date but call it the 'swamp age' being the date that the tree fell into the mire...but I don't know how that's calculated! I have an ancient Kauri wood bowl turned by Rick Taylor in Dargaville, NZ that's been engraved on the underside as being 3,860 years old. We camped on his site for two days, during which he turned me our bowl and believe it or not, he has three shipping containers stuffed full of ancient kauri bowl blanks!

The video is well worth a view! - Rob

Edit- he wanted to flog the business and tried to sell it to me!

 

[Inspector]

Nice gift.
Closest I get to bog oak is to blacken some with iron acetate (steel wool dissolved in vinegar).

Pete

 

[Pete Maddex]

I had a full board from Mike, I still have most of it left but I did make this.

Bog oak teardrop by Pete Maddex, on Flickr

Pete

 

[Mike G]

Apparently there's a chap in Kent who sells the stuff and at great expense, he had a board radio carbon dated some years ago. Approx 5,300 years old is the date he was given........

Every tree will be different. The generally accepted window is 3,000 to 10,000 years. If it fell into a marsh less than 3,000 years ago it hasn't had time to change colour and chemistry properly, and oaks have only been in Britain and Northern Europe since the last ice age (c. 10,000 years ago).

 

[Mike G]

For moi, personally, this sort of stuff is really too good to burn........

I'm much the same, but I have more of it than I'll be able to use in my lifetime, and some of it unutterable crap with massive shakes. This means that some of it is fit only for the fire. I suppose one day, when I can't find anything else to do, I could board all my stock and give away the masses of little off-cuts that process generates. Key rings, pen blanks, tooth -picks......

 

[Steve Maskery]

Personall,y I think it works best as accents. I made this box for a friend. Cherry and ripple maple.
Same age as me, she now has only weeks left to live

 

[Dr.Al]

That's a lovely box Steve, even it there's a sad story to go with it

 

[Phil]

I also have a piece of Bog Oak on the workbench.
With my initials on.
And it was used extensively when building the beehives.

 

[Woodbloke]

Every tree will be different. The generally accepted window is 3,000 to 10,000 years. If it fell into a marsh less than 3,000 years ago it hasn't had time to change colour and chemistry properly, and oaks have only been in Britain and Northern Europe since the last ice age (c. 10,000 years ago).

That's very true Mike, but the guy in Kent spent a shed load some years ago getting a plank carbon dated, so even though age dates are bound to vary, most users of the stuff in the UK say that it's got a generic age of 5,300 years old.

The little key fob was completed yesterday, finished with Odie's Oil and wax:

Personall,y I think it works best as accents. I made this box for a friend. Cherry and ripple maple.
Same age as me, she now has only weeks left to live

View attachment 39525

Nice box Steve and I agree that it's good for accent details as shown. I've only attempted one majorish project in the stuff which was this box/chest thingie:





...in the style of Suda Kenji, who has a magnificent piece on show in the Japanese Gallery at the BM. I used Bog Oak and Satinwood veneers (impossible to plane!) for the construction over a quarter sawn pine substrate. Drawers in Birds Eye Maple with sides in some of Cabinetman's excellent mahogany very kindly donated to the cause a coupla years ago. As Bog Oak is so hard, the really difficult bit was planing the interface between the two sections of the project. It almost became bandsaw fodder until SWIMBO claimed it and it's now full of her 'stuff' - Rob

 

[Steve Maskery]

Rob, wonderful work, as usual.
How did you get such a perfect fit for the holly into thebog oak. I assume the cavity was routed, but you must have shaped the holly to fit. Did you jig it up somehow or was it simply blood sweat and tears following years of practice and self denial?

S

 

[Woodbloke]

Rob, wonderful work, as usual.
How did you get such a perfect fit for the holly into thebog oak. I assume the cavity was routed, but you must have shaped the holly to fit. Did you jig it up somehow or was it simply blood sweat and tears following years of practice and self denial?

S

Thanks Steve. The cavity was routed on the table to a depth of about 2mm and then the Holly was shot in to width on the shooting board with a slitherino of material on the face (two thicknesses of masking tape) to produce a dovetail fit. Much the same procedure on the disc sander to carefully sand in the two semicircles, plus a bit of work with a file and sanding sticks, so there's a dovetail fit all the way round....but, you only get one chance to fit it! Once it's halfway in, there's no way it's coming out again. Sounds tricky to do but isn't really; the slight dovetailing is the thing. Took me about 30mins to fit the Holly to the Bog Oak blank - Rob

Edit - cleaned up with a sharp card scraper, not sandpaper

 

[HOJ]

I would be very interested in buying some bog Oak from you @Mike G

I have started a little side line in order to use up all the Oak, Sapele and Sycamore, along with the ply and MDF offcuts I can’t bring myself to scrap:



I have the intention to also make another Shaker style table with a drawer and chess board top; this board is just sat on top of an older table I had made:



I have been buying dyed boxwood in 1m x 6mm X 6mm strips for the border inlay at an extortionate cost, and have been looking for a black wood to make other small parts as well, to set it off, including splines for your favourite, the mitre joints!

Other joints are being explored for the chess boards, such as the Drueke style:


I am also looking at making a chess set, based on the Herman Ohme minimalist style:



Does BO lend itself to being turned up on a lathe?

This Quoridor board game would also look smart with a Black border edge and pieces, (I only had Sapele and Sycamore when I made it)



Perhaps, at some point, if your up for visitations I can arrange to come down and see you.

Paul B

 

[Mike G]

Pop down whenever, Paul. If it's just scraps, though, I sure I can find some bits and pieces and post them.

As for turning it....yes, it's fine. But it's absolutely filthy stuff to work with. You'll look like you've been down a coal mine by the time you finish.