first morta block
first morta block
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?
- sandahlpipe
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Re: first morta block
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
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 6:32 am
- Location: Parkville, MD
Re: first morta block
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!
-Walter Blodget
-Walter Blodget
Re: first morta block
Sounds like you know from experience.
- sandahlpipe
- Posts: 2106
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Re: first morta block
I've split both shank and bowl on one pipe.
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