Welcome to summer and I finally confirmed the Quince's juices are again flowing strong. I'm going to have to hack my way into some usable twigs but I am looking forward to turning a few new stems.
Actually, the healing tests are under way. After I lost the original 5" stem on a rolled o-ring, I turned one of the 'medical' sticks into my DD. A little shorter but a wonderful stem.
After some experience with the late season and out of season blanks, I must say I am pleased with what's been learned. The last information that may not have clearly been captured is the resins within the shrub are part of the final piece and provide the unique finish I've come to adore about this species. Nothing needs to be added. It is its own finish if you give it no place to go. What I mean by that is the fact that I have learned that removing the bark at harvest is critical in having viable blanks. Without this, the center will always split. This knowledge will help limit the harvest to only taking viable pieces and limited blanks. The resins -are- the unique plastic like finish that a wet turned piece presents when cured.
Turning wet or letting blanks cure;
I have had a great time turning wet blanks into wonderful stems. However, as these stalks have grown with a Sun-side, they will always warp on drying. I've adapted a hybrid approach in coring the piece while wet and finishing the piece later. It makes for an interesting curve in the core while the stem remains perfectly straight. I want to see if I can do the coring after limited seasoning. I now have a pretty small window of time to prepare blanks and get this going.