first morta block

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JDwood
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Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2014 6:51 am
Location: Rustburg, Virginia

first morta block

Post by JDwood »

I just purchased my first morta block from Vermont Freehand. It looks really dense. What should I expect when I start turning it? How does it differ from briar? Do most people sand blast it or finish smooth?
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sandahlpipe
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Re: first morta block

Post by sandahlpipe »

Turn with sharp tools and don't be afraid to re sharpen. Take small passes to avoid tearout. It's got normal wood grain compared with briar, which is burl, meaning grain direction does make a bigger difference. Most people will blast it, but it looks nice smooth.


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Jthompson1995
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Location: Parkville, MD

Re: first morta block

Post by Jthompson1995 »

Also be aware that it is fairly brittle, especially compared to briar. Be careful when fitting the tenon as it will split easier than briar. DAMHIKT.
Last edited by Jthompson1995 on Sun Apr 20, 2014 9:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Anybody can become a woodworker, but only a Craftsmen can hide his mistakes!
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JDwood
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Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2014 6:51 am
Location: Rustburg, Virginia

Re: first morta block

Post by JDwood »

Sounds like you know from experience.
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sandahlpipe
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Re: first morta block

Post by sandahlpipe »

I've split both shank and bowl on one pipe.


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Fail early, fail often. Your success depends on it.

Jeremiah Sandahl
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