What should I do with this hickory?

[alscalls]

This Hickory log is at least 50yrs. old confirmed......Very hard and dry.....Way heavier than I had figured it would be....
I found it in a barn on an old family farm and when I asked about it one of em said it had been there since he was a kid....at least fifty years, maybe more. It is full of worm holes but they do not seem to run clean through
I can not believe how the bark has almost petrified itself to the log!!! I can not pry it off.
It feels more like stone than wood. I want to try and make a call from it but not sure how to treat it....any suggestions???

[Yotehntr]

Looks like they go all the way through to me, I have a log from an old log cabin. I've made more calls for the trash can than anything.    A real headache more than anything else. I'd take call size cut's and inspect real well before I put anytime into it. Hate it when your almost finished just to turn into a hole.

[alscalls]

I know it will be difficult but if I can get just 1 or two calls from it it will be worth the effort......I thought there would be a way to treat the wood before turning it so it would not break......one fella suggested I soak it in dish washing liquid before turning it!
I do not know about that but there has got to be a way......

[Bills Custom Calls]

You could cut the piece to call blank size drill it and before you turn it soak it in Boiled Linseed Oil For
about a week turning the container  upside down on the 2nd day on the 3rd day rightside up ect......
once you take the blank out of the oil you will have to let it dry completly before you turn it

I have done this with spalted wood and burls and it seems to help out a lot.

You will notice the linseed oil will be your finish on the call

Bill

[alscalls]

Can you buy it like that?........Boiled I mean.

[Bills Custom Calls]

Yes I bought some at Lowes

[alscalls]

Sounds like a plan Bill.......Thanks

[BigB]

I had a buddy give me some cedar call blanks a couple of years ago.  He cut them up from a cedar log that had been just laying around in the loft of the barn for about 20 years.  He figured that the wood was dry, so he cut it up and gave me a few pieces in 2"x2" blanks.  I let the wood sit in the corner of the shop for a few days.  And then I noticed that the wood had all checked on the ends and some of the checks ran all the way through the blank.  I didn't know how that had happened, since the wood should have been dry.  So I asked the question on here, and there were many folks that did an awesome job on explaining what had happened.   Here's the thread:
http://www.finsandfur.net/forums/index.php?topic=1130.0

I hope you get some good wood turning blanks out of it.  You probably can, if you take into account the things that were said in that reference post.


Brian

[alscalls]

Thanks Brian.......I will read every word....I want to give this wood every chance at becoming something.

[cathryn]

chip it up for kinlin?