Creating Pipes From Morta: Difference between revisions

== Drying and Cutting ==

[[Image:cpstorage.jpg|thumb|250px|Morta and briar storage]]Once the morta has been unearthed and transported back here, it must be dried. This process is also rife with challenges, as morta dries faster than briar and if left exposed it will lose moisture too quickly and crack badly. The wood is kept covered in dark sheds for at least 2 years, and I will also be adding some end grain sealant and frequent re-moisturizing to this process in an attempt to control the splitting of the inflexible material. The logs are cut into radial sections and eventually moved into the workshop. A currently dry and usable log is visible in the picture below in the lower right shelf - each round section is ready to be cut into blocks, which will be further dried before use.

[[Image:mortacreation-cutting.jpg|thumb|left|255px|Morta block cutting]]The large sections of morta are cut into small blocks on the bandsaw, where it is possible to inspect them closely and work around the splits that have appeared. Below you can see a few large chunks of morta ready to become usable blocks:

[[Image:mortacreation-cutting2.jpg|thumb|255px|A morta block]]The cutting of the blocks will determine the layout of the radial grain, and blocks can also be cut specifically to allow for different tightness of rings. As with briar, each ring signifies a year's growth of the tree and tighter, more densely packed rings indicate wood that is the oldest within the tree. Below is a picture of a cut morta block with the sides sanded smooth in order to view the grain and plan the pipe design. Also visible is a small flaw. Morta is not prone to pits as briar, but does have its own share of defects including tiny splits and damaged areas.

== Design Work ==